Ebenezer

I am currently on a hammock listening to the music from a wedding reception that is happening just a few feet away. LIFT 40 got up early this morning, November 12^th, to head to Panajachel. After arriving to our hotel, we took a large boat to the other side of Lake Atitlan to the quaint village of San Juan. Some of the group hiked up a very steep mountain called, The Nose of the Indian,  while others stayed back and explored the town. On our way back to our hotel, the boat stopped so we could swim in the 1000 foot deep volcanic crater lake. The scenery is incredible; the lake stretches over 10 miles and is surrounded by mountains and 3 large volcanoes.

        

Yesterday was our last day at our various ministry sites in Magdalena. Noah and Scott, fellow LIFTers, and I worked and served in the Sponsorship Site alongside our leader Steven. In the morning, we played soccer with people from the other sites and kids from Magdalena. After lunch we visited some people in the community to say our goodbyes. While walking around El Gorrion, I realized that there are a lot of people I am going to miss and a lot who had impacted my life. In less than two weeks I formed relationships with people who speak a different language than me and that have a different culture.  

       

Later that day we all gathered at the community center for a banquet. After dinner, we split up into our different ministry sites for a few last words and goodbyes. For almost two weeks the four of us worked together, learned from each other, and served together. It was very clear throughout that time that Steven was making a huge impact on us; from the Bible study he led for the LIFTers, to the words he exchanged with people on the street. After we shared a few words about the influence he had on us, he said there were three things he needed to say before we left. Sharing all three would be a little extensive for this blog post so I am just going to highlight his last point.     

      

He started off the third point by asking us if we knew what an Ebenezer was. I timidly replied with something along the lines of that in the Old Testament, when God provided, people would set up an Ebenezer to remember what He had done. Steven shared the story about how the Lord parted the Jordan for the Israelites to cross from Joshua 3-4. After crossing, “The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.’” Joshua did as the Lord said and he told the people that “These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” These days, Ebenezers are used to remind people of a spiritual truth, especially of Gods faithfulness and goodness. He encouraged us to take a rock from outside of the community center, as a stone of remembrance. He suggested that we put it by our bedside so that when we saw it we would remember the things that God taught us. As he was talking, I thought about all the incredible ways that His goodness and faithfulness were displayed for me to see on the trip.

    

I thought about the time we went to a woman’s home to do a house evaluation to see if her son could be considered for sponsorship. After the paperwork was completed, we began asking her about the culture. Eventually she started talking about her faith and it was so clear that she trusted in the Lord and found peace in Him. She told us that one time, her husband was on the bus home from the grocery store with a bag of their food for the week and it got stolen. Her husband was nervous to go home and tell her what had happened because they didn’t have enough money for any more food. When he got home and told her, she replied with grace and just said that she trusted that the Lord would provide. There wasn’t one day that entire week that the family didn’t go without food on the table. His faithfulness to keep His promise to provide was very evident in that story.  

      

I was reminded of God’s faithfulness and goodness in answering prayer. Thursday night, during dinner with our host family, we found out it was our “mom” Esther’s birthday. My roommates and I had mentioned that it would be nice if we bought flowers for her but by the time we had finished celebrating and cleaning dishes, it was well after 8:00pm and most stores close at 9:00pm. We decided go out to try to find flowers. As we walked down the hill towards the stores I prayed that we would find flowers. After walking for a few minutes I mentioned that we should try to ask the man at the bakery who hosted a few LIFTers if he knew where we could get flowers from. I was able to get out “where” and “flowers” in Spanish. He said something to his wife who was in the house and quickly moved aside the table and chair that blocked him from getting out from behind the counter. I thought he was going to point us in the direction that we might find some, but instead he motioned for us to go into his house. We walked in and immediately saw tons of plants and bouquets of flowers along the wall. At that moment Lynette, one of my roommates, remembered that she had found out this woman, Maria, was a florist a few days before from the LIFTers staying with them.

     

After the banquet I took Stevens advice and grabbed a stone from outside. I am so grateful and thankful for the time I spent in Magdalena and the ways that God revealed His goodness to me. My prayer is that when I get back to the states, I wouldn’t forget all that God has done these past two weeks. He is so good and so faithful.

     

As we head to the airport tomorrow, I ask that you pray for safety for us while we travel. Pray that we will take what we learned here and apply it when we get home. Pray that we won’t forget that serving and missions isn’t a calling, it’s a command. Thank you again for all your prayers and support.

Christy White

LIFT has been on the shores of Lake Atitlan enjoying two days of rest, recreation, debriefing the last two-week experience,and worshiping our Lord.   Please pray for LIFT as they will be flying from Guatemala to Houston then to NYC then drive 4 and 1/2 hours to the snowy CAMP-of-the-WOODS. They plan to arrive around 6 PM, Monday. 

See photos in the LIFT 40 photo album on Facebook at the LIFT Discipleship Program page:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/liftdiscipleshipprogram/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2100950696583129

Behind a Smile

The days are winding down for us here in Guatemala but even so there is so much that we can still do and learn. Every day God speaks to us through the missionary staff sharing a message, personal quiet time, and through our ministry sites. We are also shown amazing love through our host families. Mom (Veronica) and Dad (Juan) always greet us with a smile and don’t stop telling us how much of a blessing Amit, Gabe and I are to be in their home. It was odd to me at first. All we did was sleep in their home and eat the food they made for us. But as we got to know them and became more comfortable with them, their love for Christ and others was so apparent that they have become a high point to all of our days.

I’ve been given the privilege to work with such a fun group with sports: Alyssa, Elias, Jasmine, and our awesome leaders Danny and Joseph. The sports group goes to different locations every day to play soccer and hang out with kids from Magdalena and neighboring towns. It’s been wild seeing the relationships between our leaders and the kids that have been built week after week of getting together. You may think all we do is play soccer. Nope! Bible study is a major focus and our leaders make sure to point everything back to God. Since we’ve been here the focus for Bible study has been on the future, goals and putting our trust in God. We have been sharing that no matter what we do or are worried about. We can put our full reliance on the God who created the universe and who only has the best of intentions for us, so we don’t have to be worried about our futures because he is always working for us and with us.

I’ve played soccer since I was little, so I know what is needed to play . . . at least I thought I did. After the first couple days I was very convicted about my first thoughts on the locations we played at. A soccer field has grass, lines, poles and nets. I mean, that’s what I had growing up. But the kids don’t see the same things that I did. They don’t see the hard ground with more rocks, holes, divots and trash than grass. They don’t see the bulls, horses and dogs that walk through the field and poop everywhere. They don’t see the goals that have no nets or a field that kicks up more dust than an exploding vacuum. What they see is a place where they can come and play a game they love with friends that share that same feeling. They see adults that love them and want to spend time with them, that show they care for them beyond just the game.

There was one day in particular where we only played soccer for about 30 minutes. It seemed like not all of the kids were motivated to play. So, Danny brought us all to a small hill right next to the field, and carried a large sack of corn that one of the kids had brought. They made a fire and cooked the corn on it. We sat in the shade of a tree, playing and laughing with the kids, just hanging out with them. All the while they are jumping all over us, asking for piggy back rides. That quickly turned into us swinging them around, pretending to throw them off the hill, and literally throwing a 5 year old boy named Dylan back and forth. For some reason they loved it and continued to ask us to do it. We were able to make these connections in such a short amount of time. Alyssa and Elias speak Spanish but Jasmine and I definitely don’t. But that didn’t matter, because when Dylan, Minor, Arturo and all the other kids smiled, I could see the absolute joy in them and it shattered all preconceived notions that may have existed in my mind about it. When someone whiffs a shot, trips and falls, or when I get a ball kicked between my legs multiple times, we are all able to laugh and cheer each other on. I had way better facilities growing up, but these kids have far more joy than I ever did. Creating these relationships and sharing God’s truth and love has been so inspiring to me and I pray that I become more intentional with building relationships as I move forward.

I ask for continued prayer for these last few days that we do not become complacent or ready to leave. The enemy hates that we are here and tries to thwart us in any way that he can. We have heard of a few of the Lifters’ struggles and I’ve had some of my own. There were a couple of days where I felt extremely low and focused on a the negative things rather than on all the good that had been done. I hid behind a smile for a while until I no longer could. Thankfully I find my solace in the unchanging, ever loving Creator of the universe, and am part of a family that encourages, loves and prays for one another so much that I was brought out of my rut. I saw that the enemy was trying to poison my experiences with things that I wanted, but I was helped into seeing the things I needed, God being my primary focus. I could not ask for a better group to be a part of and once again I ask for continued prayer for us, our leaders, and or ministry sites. I want my smiles to not hide pain or struggles, but to show the everlasting love and joy of Christ.

A big part of my story is overcoming depression.  By writing my thoughts out and seeing them helps me to better articulate what I want to say. When I am led, I write poetry to express how I feel, as in this moment…

Behind a Smile

A child’s eyes will always know                                                                                                                   

A wonder yours could also show                                                                                                                   

A child’s laugh will also bring                                                                                                                       

 A warmth that’s like the days of Spring

A child’s eyes could sing a verse                                                                                                                  

Of the God who made the universe                                                                                                               

So just like them, mouths stretched for miles                                                                                         

 Show only God behind a smile

Jacob Gerry

Listen

Today has almost come to a close here in Magdalena.  I just finished a delicious dinner with my host family and roommates.  I am now sitting on my bed as I write, surrounded by the sounds . . . culture shock just a week ago, but now I take comfort in.  I hear the dogs barking, children playing, and the occasional fireworks exploding in celebration of someone’s birthday.

It is Sunday.  The team and I had the opportunity to go to a bilingual church today in Antigua.  The team and I went to the Spanish service.  I’m glad we did as it was great to worship with our sisters and brothers in Christ in Spanish!

Today was a great time to rest as God has been preparing my heart for the week to come.  This next week, I will continue to serve, with two other LIFters, Aimee and Lynette, in the special education site alongside the missionaries from Students International.  I am excited to tell you a little bit about my site! At the school, the missionaries, Brenda and Shelly, serve and teach students with a variety of intellectual disabilities.  There is a morning and afternoon class that meets three times a week. During class the students practice their math skills, play games together, have a devotional, do a craft, and have time to socialize with each other as they enjoy a snack.  Brenda and Shelly are so loving and patience with the students as they demonstrate God’s love through their actions and kind words.

Also, two young boys with autism, come to the school three times a week.  Both of the boys are nonverbal but they clearly communicate with their smiles and laughs.  The boys love playing outside in the school’s small garden as they joyfully interact with whoever is kicking a ball to them or spinning them around in circles.  Also, a couple of days a week people within the community come to receive physical therapy at the school.

Aimee, Lynette, and I asked Shelly about how special needs is generally viewed in Guatemala.  She said that it is commonly looked down upon.  She told us that students have often told her stories of people calling them ugly and stupid on the streets.  Shelly also shared with us that some of the families of these children are often unkind to them as well.  She shared with us that when one student walks up to his cousins they run away from him.  They do this because he scares them as they do not understand his disability.  Hearing about how special needs is viewed here continues to break my heart.  I feel a heavy sadness for the students at this school.  Yet, I am happy and thankful for the privilege to serve these students with God’s love in me. Because they are discarded by society, the students believe that they are less important.  

Shelly and Brenda have been working on self-worth with the students to counteract these lies.  I created a sign that was hung in the classroom that says, translated in English, “I am intelligent. I am handsome/pretty.  I am invaluable”.  Brenda talked to the students about the truth of who they are. Also, with the students we made paper machete balloons and wrote Psalms 139:14 which reads, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”  I would encourage you to pray for these students as they begin to believe to the truth of who they are.  Also, pray that they would believe the truth that God created them with purpose.

Shelly told us that a mother shared with her that when she had her son, who has autism, she believed that it was a punishment from God because of the sins she had committed.  Shelly told us that this is a common belief within the culture as intellectual disabilities are misunderstood.  Yet, the mother of this boy has now come around to believe that her son is a blessing and has been given to her by God because God has entrusted her to take care of him.

Last Friday, the special education team went on a house visit to see Pablo, who has muscular dystrophy and intellectual disability.  When we got to the nearby town we sat and waited for Pablo’s father to find us so he could walk us to his house.  Pablo’s dad spotted us and led us to his home.  The path to where Pablo and his family lived looked over a big valley towards a mountain.   We walked awhile on the steep rough path, until we reached dozens of tin houses built with steal sheets.

We walked down makeshift concrete stairs, where many houses on both sides were.  Pablo’s dad then invited us into his home.  There we meet Pablo, who was being held by his mother.  We sat down in the small, well-kept room as we talked with the family.  Pablo’s mother looked into her son’s eyes with so much love.  She talked tenderly to him with gentle words as she held him securely.  Shelly asked Pablo’s mom, “What’s the best thing about being his mom?”  She smiled warmly and answered right away with, “The fact that he is my son and that I get to love him.”  Also, throughout our conversation the dad was lovingly trying to get Pablo’s attention as he smiled and gently waved across the room.  Yet, Pablo remained limp and verbally unresponsive.  I was so moved by the love Pablo’s parents clearly displayed. I also learned, from Shelly and Brenda, that Pablo’s mom carries him all the way up the steep and crooked path to get to the bus to take him to physical therapy.  I was amazed.  The walk to the house felt more like a hike and I was not carrying a six year old like she does!

During our visit Pablo’s father poured us each a glass of Pepsi.  This was a small, but telling gesture that revealed his hospitality and gratitude towards our visit.  Shelly told us that Pablo’s dad is the only father she has even seen at the school revealing his dedication and care for his child.  At the end of the visit, we gave the family fresh cut flowers from the garden at the school and a homemade card with a bible verse.  We prayed over the family and Pablo and thanked them for letting us visit them. Pablo’s mom gave each of us a hug and thanked us again for visiting.

The visit reminded me of the danger of the single story, as Christy mentioned in yesterday’s blog.  I do not want to tell Pablo’s story wrong.  Yes, his parents are financially poor.  But, more importantly, they are rich with love as I watched them care deeply for their son as they clearly reflected Christ’s love.  They choose to love their son as he is despite what society says about him.

I encourage you who are reading this and support us in prayer to take time to ask people their story and listen to what they have to say.  This is one of the most dignifying things you can do to another person. Instead of judging someone on the outside or by what they have, I encourage you to dig deeper and learn about the people around you.  When we are willing to be in relation with another person and listen to their story, it opens doors for us to share the hope and truth that is revealed in the gospel.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the blog today. We are so thankful for all of your prayers this week. I ask that you pray for continued strength and reliance as we continue to serve. Please pray that we continue to not dwell on our needs but rely on Christ throughout the day. We are all so thankful for the privilege God has given us to serve here in Guatemala!

Sarah Dietz

See photos in the LIFT 40 photo album on Facebook at the LIFT Discipleship Program page:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/liftdiscipleshipprogram/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2100950696583129

One Story

          

My friend Sarah, a fellow LIFTer, and I are currently sitting in a quaint little coffee shop in Antigua, Guatemala.  Today, November 3^rd, is our rest day.  Everyone is currently shopping at the market, exploring the city, eating tons of food, and enjoying the culture.  It has been a great day to stop and reflect on this past week and all that has happened so far.

On Wednesday, Noah Nehls, the director of Students International in Guatemala, taught one of our “Missions Practicum” classes about solidarity.  He started the class off by showing a Ted Talk given by a Nigerian woman.  She spoke about literature and how much of it only portrayed one story about the place where she lived.  African’s were portrayed as poor and uneducated.  She said that the people in power, the Americans and British, were able to control when, where, how, and how often that one story was told.  She concluded by saying that one-sided stories create stereotypes, rob people of humanity, and are incomplete.  After the video he asked us one question, “What story are you telling wrong?”

We broke for dinner and had time to think about the video and to ponder the question.  When we resumed class, Noah went on to talk about poverty and how it too is portrayed as a single story; as a lack of material possessions.  This is only part of the story.  Poverty can also be physical, social, emotional, psychological, governmental, and spiritual.  Poverty is a manifestation of broken relationships in all these areas and we are all impoverished because of sin.

He talked about a survey called “Voices of the Poor” in which they asked the poor what they lacked. They said that they had no hope, no dignity, no voice, no worth, and no value.  Those things don’t take money to fix, but time and much more.  It is very evident how materially impoverished some of the people in Magdalena are, but fixing their material poverty won’t change the fact that they will always be in poverty while on earth because of sin.  Student’s International understands this and therefore focuses on relationships over tasks.  Spending time with people, investing in their lives, and sharing truth are the things that will make a change.  Ministries focus on relationships over tasks; it is definitely not the American way, but it is what makes a difference.  Pouring into people, being vulnerable with them, loving and serving them, and giving them our time, this is what we are called to.

Friday morning, I was reminded of Noah’s question. During my quiet time I was reading “Holiness” by J. C. Ryle. In the chapter called “The Cost”, he says,

“Do not speak only of the uniform, the pay and the glory; speak also of the enemies, the battle, the armor, the watching, the marching and the drill. Do not present only one side of Christianity. Do not keep back the cross of self-denial that must be carried, when you speak of the cross on which Christ died for our redemption. Explain fully what Christianity entails. Entreat men to repent and come to Christ, but bid them at the same time to count the cost!”

“Do not present only one side of Christianity.”  This statement got me thinking back to everything Noah had talked about on Wednesday.  Thoughts of one-sided stories and poverty flooded my mind yet again. I thought about if I presented Christianity as a single, one sided story.

   

I realized that too often I focus on the crown but not the cross.  The single story I tend to speak about is the crown.  But since I am a follower of Christ, I am told to pick up my cross and follow Him, to deny myself and serve Him.  There is a cost to follow Christ.  When I started thinking of the whole story, I realized that there is a poverty that I’m called to as a Christian.  I am called to become impoverished to the things of the flesh.  I must rid myself of earthly desires and things of this world.  I must focus on things above.  I must remind myself of the whole story of Christianity and proclaim it to others.

Each morning before our quiet time, LIFTers put on the armor of God together.  We put on the Helmet of Salvation, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Sword of the Spirit, the Shield of Faith, the Belt of Truth, and the Shoes of Peace.  We prepare ourselves for battle.  This is one of my favorite things we do as a community because it reminds me that we must always be ready to fight.  It reminds me that I must be constantly denying my flesh and carrying the cross.  The cost is high, but Christ is worth it. 

                    

We are all so thankful to be in Guatemala and serving at all the various sites.   Pray that we are willing to lay our desires aside to serve as the Lord calls. We are one week in and are excited to see what God in the remaining week here. Thank you for all the prayers thus far.

“Pray for us that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ - Pray that we may proclaim it clearly as we should.”  Colossians 4: 3 & 4

Gloria a Dios!

Christy White

Created in His Image

The work day is just wrapping up here on Thursday, and LIFTers are going their separate ways to their host families’ houses to eat dinner. Tantalizing smells from the street food waft throughout the buildings, and I can hear the happy chatter of my host family as they prepare an equally delicious smelling dinner for the household. The local church’s bells are periodically rung to commemorate the two-day holiday (Day of the Saints & Day of the Dead) and the lives of their deceased family members.  We passed several groups of people walking through the streets singing as they remember those who passed before them. Mothers and fathers did not go to work today, and children are off of school so that the whole family can go to the cemetery, eat a meal together, and adorn the gravestones out of respect.

Magdalena is a small yet very diverse and complex place, as we are learning in our various experiences in the work sites. For a peek into LIFT’s routine service to the community, today the health care team deloused children’s hair, and the child sponsorship and tutoring teams joined together to play with and love on the kids. Appropriate technology finished installing a smokeless stove in a local home and the special education team visited with two children that they have been regularly working with to find a better way of caring for and teaching them. The veterinary and agriculture team went to a town 45 minutes away to vaccinate cows, horses, and dogs. In one of the homes that they visited, their site leader Meme surprised an elderly disabled woman with a wheelchair. The sports team has been very active and busy playing with various groups of energetic kids in a handful of communities. I think it’s safe to say they burn enough calories for everyone! Microfinance has a unique job in that they grant a small amount of money to financially impoverished families to help them back on their feet, and then counsel them in wisely spending it. They pray with the families and care for them emotionally and spiritually, with the focus on the money always coming second.

My own site has been in women’s social work, where I work with two other LIFT girls, Sabrie and Kara, and our incredibly joyful site leader, Sheny. She has made a program for the local women to learn to craft, sew, mend, and design a variety of bags and clothing. Many of these women come from very dark, abusive and seemingly hopeless family situations with alcoholic husbands and very little self-worth. Sheny has counseled many of them, and in her program gives them both purpose and shares Jesus with them through regular Bible study. It is an absolute privilege to see how she knows and cares for the women in her community, and stops in the street as we walk to work to ask about their family and perhaps pray with them. The amazing things are the transformative stories I have heard in just the four days of being here. Many of the women who attend the program have made their own small side businesses through the skills they have learned, and through Jesus’ redeeming power they and their families have come to know Him and love Him. Alcohol abuse has left some of the families, and relationships are being restored! As with all the sites, Sheny and the women’s social work program could use your prayer, specifically that the broken families are mended, and that these women find purpose and self-worth in their work and in Jesus.

I personally have already been humbled in my site, and am learning more and more the value of human dignity. This is dignity that the Lord gives us as people created in His image, and the world is constantly trying to take it away. The attacks that these women face to their self-worth is a degradation of that God-given dignity, and I have been shown through example the immense importance of not putting myself in a position of superiority, but rather putting myself in a position to learn. For example, I have no idea how to sew, and these women have been perfecting the craft for the better part of the year. I was asked to use a sewing machine, and since I had no idea how to, I asked a woman next to me to teach me how. To me normally, that wouldn’t seem so significant, but this woman’s face lit up, and for five minutes she excitedly showed me how to keep a straight line, how to make sure my string wasn’t getting tangled, and in general just steady my hand. We spoke almost no words, and yet I could tell by her enthusiastic smile and her friends smiling in our direction that this was significant for her to help her American friend.  Afterwards I thanked her and her smile got bigger, and her friends told her she did a good job. I feel like God designed the whole situation to show me that asking for help is giving another person the gifts of teaching, accomplishment and importance.  In giving opportunity for those gifts to be exercised, I can be of use in building up those around me here in Guatemala.

God is working mightily here in this beautiful country, and we LIFTers are being stretched in many new ways, and also having the time of our lives living joyfully in our close community of friends. To God be the glory!

Lauren Kinner   

See photos in the LIFT 40 photo album on Facebook at the LIFT Discipleship Program page:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/liftdiscipleshipprogram/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2100950696583129

Treasures in Heaven

Guatemala is land rich with beautiful weather, forested mountains, and warm, friendly people.  Magdalena is the temporary home of LIFT 40.  It is a quaint village, over 6,000' above sea level, on the side of a mountain with cobblestone streets and colorful houses all connected together.  The LIFT students are split up into groups of 2-3, living in the homes of 13 different families.  They eat breakfasts (cereal, oatmeal, pancakes, eggs & beans) and half of their dinners (chicken, rice, soup, more beans, pasta and fried steak) with their families, giving them time to further learn Spanish.

Last night was the first time since stepping off the plane that the LIFT team had time together without many other people around.  They shared about what they have been experiencing and learning in the past two days at each of their ministry sites.  The overwhelming theme that permeated from the stories told is how each of the missionary leaders from the different ministry sites make it a priority to take time and connect and listen to people.  The focus on building relationships and loving people is preeminent over getting things done.  In fact many times their ministries are intentionally designed to create time to spend with people in training and doing life together at the cost of lacking efficiency or sacrificing performance in getting a task done.  The work at hand is a means to develop loving, lasting relationships.  For Americans who have been raised in a performance-oriented culture, this has been both frustrating and refreshing to experience and adjust to.  They are seeing so much joy in the lives of their site leaders - even those who deal daily with very difficult and dark situations that arise from a broken and sinful world.

As Jesus taught about being citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven he had children on his lap and didn't worry much about where his next meal would come from.  He encouraged people to invest in what really matters and to store up treasures in heaven that cannot ever be lost, taken away, or decay.  Little did they know that he was modeling his business plan to everyone around him as he shared the Father's love with them and invested in the only thing that matters eternally - relationships.

I have been summoned to go join the LIFTers and missionaries as they head to a field to fly the kites they just made to see who engineered the best aeronautical designs.  Kite flying is a big tradition here as part of the religious holiday, "The Day of the Dead", which happens tomorrow. They will participate in cultural tradition a day early as to not be part of the religious undertones associated with it.

More posts will be coming soon as the students submit their impressions of what God is teaching them and how He is working through the ministries they are with.  Stay tuned.

Tim

Vamos a Guatemala!

The countdown is ticking to this evening @ 9:30 when LIFT 40 will launch from CAMP-of-the-WOODS to fly like eagles to the beautiful country and culture of Guatemala.  All of the students have been working very hard the last few weeks preparing for our time of serving with and learning from the missionaries with Students International.

http://stint.com/our-communities/country/?id=4

The students will be in groups of 2 or 3 living in the homes of the people of the small mountain village of Magdalena.  During the days they will be helping with the various ministry sites they have chosen (medical, education, microfinance, social work, appropriate technology, sports, veterinary/agriculture, arts, sports)  and be shadowing a missionary for two weeks, observing and experiencing what it means to live out the mission of God in a cross- cultural context.

Please keep checking in with our blog as we will be posting information every few days to help those of you supporting us to know how to pray.

Please be praying for the team as we travel and interact with the wonderful people with a rich Mayan and Spanish history.  Our hope is to allow our Lord and savior to radiate through our lives as we share his life, love and light with a hurting and broken world - for we all were rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son God loves, in whom we have complete redemption and forgiveness of sins. 

Lord go before us and open hearts and doors to this amazing news so that we may be able to share it clearly and openly as we should.

Tim

Climbing, Closure and Coming Home

LIFTers spent this morning debriefing their experience here in Ecuador and are now using the afternoon to pack for their return trip home starting at 11:30 pm tonight - arriving at JFK around 10:30 am Thursday.  It was a rich time of reflecting on lessons learned and how they saw God working in many different ways.

The camping/climbing trip on Sincholagua went well.  The weather was dry for only a few hours in the morning then broke into rain, hail or snow depending on how high up the mountain the climbing teams were.  Four out of six teams reached the summit.  It was a long hard test of physical endurance and psychological strength.  The Lord watched over every group and kept everyone safe as they ascended through ominous and sinister looking rock formations.  It was said that base camp resembled The Shire and the mountain - Mordor (from Lord of the Rings).

The students are full of energy and eager to get home and have a bit of a break before finishing out the final weeks of the LIFT semester. 

Thank you for your prayers and support.  Be sure to get the full story of all that happened here in Ecuador the next chance you get to talk with one of the LIFTers from this team.

Tim

Reflections on God’s Hand in Ecuador

Mary Farrar - 3/30

LIFT is back at El Refugio, our home base, for another day of work projects. The weather this morning is cloudy and cool as we paint walls, dig trenches, and whack at brush with machetes to clear trails for the upcoming adventure mud race called "Todo Lodo". 

Everyone’s spirits are high today as we feel filled from our time in Oyacachi. The past days spent in El Chaco and Oyacachi were very different experiences, but they were similar because we saw God working in our hearts and in the lives of the people we had the opportunity to work with. It is truly amazing to feel the presence of the Spirit in the churches here in Ecuador. How awesome is it that we can have a different skin color from one another and speak different languages, yet belong to the same God who created us in His image? I have spoken with LIFTers who admitted they are already grieving the thought of leaving this beautiful country in less than a week. I feel the same way. It is still hard to believe that our entire semester of LIFT has been building up to this mission trip and now we are here experiencing Jesus’ love and allowing Him to use us to grant His love upon others.

As it has been mentioned in previous blog posts, some of us have experienced sickness and injury. We are overwhelmed by the amount of people who committed to pray for us during this mission trip. Continue to pray that our bodies would be healed from any unsettling sickness in our stomachs and that those who are injured or weak would have relief from their pain. Despite several LIFTers experiencing physical deficiency in some way, the Lord is using this time to strengthen us spiritually and commanding us to lean fully on Him.

Tomorrow is the day that LIFTers must complete their timed Perimeter hike in order to participate in the summit attempt of the 16,000' peak, Sincholagua. We will also be practicing climbing and rapelling on El Refugio’s outdoor climbing wall and packing our backpacks. On Sunday morning, we will have a sunrise Easter service at El Refugio before embarking for our mountain climb. There will be a short hike to our base camp where will spend 2 nights. The LIFTers who are not able to summit Sincholagua will be able to stay and rest in the beautiful camp while the rest of the group makes the attempt.

Thank you again to everyone who is supporting us in prayer and gave financially. It is a blessing to be used as servants of the Almighty God.

3/31 - Tim's addition:  The hike to qualify for the mountaineering experience went very well this morning almost everyone completed it in the 48 minutes necessary.  Everyone improved their times significantly showing how much their bodies have acclimatized to the altitude already in the 2 weeks they have been here.  There will be about 6 people "holding down the fort" at base camp while about 32 start the climb to the summit early Monday morning.  

The LIFTers had a wonderful time of singing and sharing around the camp fire last night in addition to celebrating Lauren Thompson's birthday.  Today we all prayed for Jared Blizzard and Elizabeth Flannery (LIFT 36 & 37) on their wedding day.  Woot Woot!

LIFT will be having a special Easter service at El Refugio up at a place where a very large cross stands in a mountain meadow.  We will be joining with about 30 others (missionary families from the Youth World ministries in Quito). Tomorrow after our time of worshiping our Lord and Savior together we will drive then hike to our base camp.  We will return Tuesday evening and finish our time here on Wednesday with a day of debriefing and the students giving a test run of the new race course for Todo Lodo.

Oyacachi

Oyacachi

by Jason Krantz

I watched the mist moving with icy and deliberate intent through a yellow valley sprinkled with dark evergreens. Some ten yards away, a sheer drop of deadly distance marked where a mudslide had plunged into the abyss below, all too recently; and would do so again without warning. Giving the edge of the precipice a wide berth went without saying. But the clouds below me paid no heed to such perils, burdened as they were with the highest and most beautiful of callings – the command and guidance of God Himself. I considered what a holy and pure duty we ourselves have been called to – a crusade of life and love. Pure and tender as clouds, on us lay the delightful burden of strengthening the faith of the children of Oyacachi.

My reverie was disturbed by the horn of the bus. Our lunch stop had ended. You may imagine my alarm when the bus began to pull out onto the road without me…

           

I was not forgotten, and in a state of slight embarrassment I huddled against the window, watching the quaint village of Oyacachi creep up around us. Thatch-roofed huts mixed with cement-and-tin structures, and canals of water crisscrossed our path. The people of Oyacachi    (population around 700) were isolated until a about 20 years ago, as no road pierced so deep into the wilderness. Missionaries spread the Gospel to Oyacachi, and at first, almost the entire village became saved. With dark influences of the outside world, the church has shrunk to a still-sizable portion of the small population – about three hundred strong.

           

Our purpose in visiting the village was to help this small church wherever our abilities were needed. LIFT has been visiting this village for a number of years and helps the children by providing Sunday school style lessons, English as a second language lessons, and “high-energy” games, along with some testimonies for the youth and singles, and a few skits.

           

Almost from the moment we got off the bus, there were children everywhere. I was overwhelmed, and could only watch in disbelief as children anywhere from four to fourteen threw themselves into the arms of white strangers, eagerly chattering in Spanish and the indigenous language, Quichua. I was stunned by the unconditional and unprovoked love these children had for us, the total trust in their eyes. Their sweet innocence conquered our hearts.

           

The village itself is a legacy of the Incan Empire, in which the Quichua were a strong and reliable (often abused) work force. Now they work the ground in relative contentment, subsistent except for fear of the occasional mudslide. Wriggling with activity like a child in the arms of the mighty Andes mountains, they are industrious in producing lumber, wood carvings, potatoes, onions, and farmed trout (which we dined on sumptuously, despite the enduring and unappetizing accompaniment of the head and tail).  They also rely on tourisum centered on natural hot springs at the east end of town (a pleasant and all-too-brief retreat on our last day). Some of the wooden bowls and hand-made articles were as beautiful as the scenery around us.

           

Our first night, the older ladies of the church sang songs of welcome, with maracas, drums, and a guitar. Weathered by life on this forbidding and beautiful landscape, in a village perched in the clouds, they seemed to be changeless pillars of tradition and virtue in the face of an expanding and encompassing world. In the morning, volunteers from El Refugio who had accompanied us shared their testimonies – amid which the love of strangers, foreigners, fellow believers from an alien world who could not speak Spanish, and could only love with hugs and smiles, had bolstered their childhood faith and helped shape them into the leaders and strong men of God they are today. They are the soon-coming defenders of the faith, the caretakers of the balance between tradition and technology. They are well on their way to someday standing like those ladies, poised in the gap between Christ and those he calls to follow Him, leaders of the church.

LIFT is the only group “from the outside” that visits Oyacachi, and has been for 9 years. By our prayers, by our work, and by God’s love in us that was shown to the children of Oyacachi, someday God will raise up the next generation of leaders from among them. What a privilege to be part of a new tradition, one in which cultures meet and the sounds and colors of God’s people blend in harmony.  Seeds have been planted and with a few years of growth and our prayers behind them, who knows what these children can do?

Remember to check out our photos of the trip in the LIFT 39 Photo Album on the LIFT Discipleship Program Facebook page.

Christ Our Only Hope

By Mary Farrar

On Thursday, March 22, LIFT traveled from El Refugio to El Chaco. We stopped at El Mitad del Mundo in Quito where the equator is. After taking some photos ,we shopped for souvenirs and climbed into our bus to continue to El Chaco. The drive was several hours long - full of beautiful scenery as the bus traveled up over the mountains then down into the jungle. We reached El Chaco and were able to move into our accommodations. We stayed in a hotel that is owned by a Christian woman, Teresa, who attends the church in Chaco.  The rooms in the hotel are small. We paired up into rooms and all shared a twin-sized bed with another person. There were two toilets and showers to share among ourselves. We ate all of our meals at the church. Some members of the church graciously cooked our food for us and it was very delicious. That day when we arrived, the church (called Cristo El Unica Esperanza - meaning Christ our only hope) held a welcome service for LIFT. Pastor Enrique began by reminding us that although they are from Ecuador and we are from the United States, we are all united under Christ no matter our nationality. We immediately felt welcomed and loved by the people of Chaco.

On Friday morning, we got to choose to go on a jungle hike led by our Ecuador host, Rick Borman, or white water rafting down the river in town. We had a lot of fun exploring more of the jungle that Ecuador has to offer by either hiking up a creek with multiple beautiful cascades or floating on down a wild river in a deep gorge. After we returned from the excursions, our dance team joined with the church’s dance team for practice so they could teach each other new styles of dance. The others got to rest, work on LIFT homework, or go over their lessons for Sunday school the next day. On this day, a few of our students started to feel sick due to change in diet and some were still experiencing altitude sickness. Please pray that our bodies would continue to adjust to the new things we are being exposed to.

On Saturday we had the amazing opportunity to be split into groups and go into homes in Chaco. Pastor Enrique arranged for us to visit people in the community who were disabled, sick, or struggling in some way and in need of encouragement. Many of these people unfortunately cannot attend church for their various reasons. We were able to hear their stories, read the Bible with them and sing songs. We all had unique and eye opening experiences during this part of our time in Chaco. In the afternoon we got to explore more of the jungle with people from the church. We went to a national park of Ecuador and saw the country's largest waterfall. Then we went to another waterfall, Cascada Rio Malo, that we got to swim at. We were certainly lucky to be able to see so much of the Ecuadorian jungle and spend time with people from the church.

On Palm Sunday there was a special service held outside down by the river along the gravel beach. There was worship music and then we were split into groups for Sunday school: kids, teens, and young adults while the adults listened to testimonies from some LIFT students. Prior to arriving in Ecuador, LIFT had been split into ministry teams and prepared lessons, skits, games, etc. to bring to the Ecuadorians. Sunday was a great opportunity for the Sunday school ministry teams to share what they had worked on for the weeks prior to arriving. The weather was beautiful for this day,, an answer to prayers. We praise God for this blessing because it rains a lot in the jungle of Ecuador and it was very likely that we would not have been able to have our service outside. That night the church held a farewell service for LIFT to thank us for the encouragement we had brought to their church. The women of the church had made pillows for us to thank us for our service to them and to remind us to pray for them. Pastor Enrique told us that he forgot that we do not all speak the same language and he felt like heaven had already come with us. The people of El Chaco were so kind and welcoming. They truly showed us the love that Jesus has for everyone.

Today is Monday and we head back to El Refugio to do some laundry and rest before heading to Oyacachi tomorrow (Tuesday). Please continue to pray for safe travels, health, and for the work of God to be done through us and in us.

Be sure to check out the pictures posted under the LIFT 39 Album on the LIFT Discipleship Program Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/liftdiscipleshipprogram/

Better Late Than Never

Tim: Hi everyone.  I finally have reliable internet service and was able to get the blog post Alexa sent me just prior to the trip when I had no time in the office because of packing and last-minute logistics of traveling to Ecuador.  So here is her post a week later but still very informative in helping to understand some of what LIFT has done to prepare for our time in Ecuador.  

Friday, March  16

After much long-awaited anticipation, our trip to Ecuador is finally here! This past week, we were continuing in our preparations, from finishing up lesson plans for Sunday School, to practicing worship music, to working on the skits and dances we have all been planning and practicing with each of our ministry teams. 

Aside from this, we have been spiritually preparing our hearts by spending this week to focus on prayer and fasting. We all partook in the infamous LIFT “rice and beans” week, which is a week where we are challenged to eat only rice and beans for every meal. This fast is designed to remind ourselves that having abundance and variety with food is something we become so accustomed to that we can often take it for-granted. In Kate’s Spiritual Transformation class, we have been learning and practicing the spiritual disciplines and experiencing how they can help us grow spiritually and have better fellowship with God. The purpose is to empty ourselves in order for God to fill us up and to rid ourselves of the things that curb our appetite for God. Some decided to also fast from entire meals, or from things such as social media, or listening to music. Tonight we celebrated the culmination of our week with a time of sharing what we have learned, partaking in communion, and eating a home-cooked meal together (which tasted so good after rice and beans all week!). We were reflecting on what John 6:35 means, where Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” All of LIFT would unanimously agree that this communal fast has been really challenging, but incredibly growing and valuable in helping us prepare for ministry work. Some valuable lessons God has taught us this week has been true reliance on God when we feel weak, discipline and self-control, thankfulness for God’s provision, and an increased ability to commune with God without the distractions of food or technology. 

I ask that you keep us in prayer as we embark on our long trek from the Adirondack Mountains to the Andes Mountains, that travel will go smoothly and safely. I also ask that you pray that we can put to practice everything we have learned this semester and do it all for the glory of God. ¡Adios, America!

Alexa 

Tim: If you like to not just read what we are up to be also see it, I will start posting pictures on the LIFT 39 photo album on the LIFT Discipleship Program Facebook page as we get them. 

Life That Bears Fruit

Day 3 at El Refugio (The Refuge)

Kate Trezise

Weary but excited, we arrived at El Refugio (www.haciendaelrefugio.org) Monday morning around 12:30 AM and settled into our comfortable rooms that would soon feel like “home” to us as we come and go from this base. The morning’s orientation sessions communicate the history and vision of the ministries here. Information taught in LIFT classes somehow penetrates more deeply as we see it lived out in the lives and ministries in this beautiful land on the equator.  The visionary principles of El Refugio, which are very similar to those of LIFT are: *Life from the Source, *Life-giving Rhythms, *Life Together, and *Missional Life.

After months of preparation and almost 24 hours of travel, we see the connections – common principles that articulate the vision where we’ve come from (LIFT at CAMP-of-the-WOODS) and where we’ve arrived (El Refugio).   

Our LIFT team of 33 people gathered at 7:00 AM this morning and read Romans 12 together, focusing on the Apostle Paul’s admonition for humble service in the Body of Christ: that we’ll share our spiritual gifts with others daily in life, but particularly as we look for opportunities to serve here in Ecuador. The catchy song “Montaña” resonated within the loft above our dining room as we sang - in Spanish - Jesus’ words from Matthew 17, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Our morning practice of corporately reading the Bible, singing worship to our Lord, and praying together set the tone for today.

After breakfast and individual quiet time to read and pray, our work projects resumed and will occupy our hands and minds throughout this Wednesday. Our hope and expectation are to know God’s presence and enabling as we do the work he’s prepared for us to do.  These three days working alongside El Refugio staff have helped “settle” us here, giving us a taste of consistency in people and place before we pack and head out to El Chaco early Thursday morning.  As our work projects wrap up at 4 PM, we’ll transition into ministry team sessions to put finishing touches on our planned outreaches. Thanks for your continued prayers for us to experience the Lord’s work in and through us, health and safety effective communication through word and deed, and open hearts to recognize opportunities that we can’t predict in order to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Our next blog post likely will not occur until next Monday or Tuesday, as our internet access will be unpredictable.

    

Tim Trezise - update from Thursday

We traveled over the continental divide today to descend into the Amazon basin and arrive at El Chaco.  We will be here through Monday morning serving with the evangelical church here.  Everyone quickly settled into the small hotel we are all staying at then we headed out to purchase rain boots and other various items while we got oriented to the town.  This evening we were welcomed at the church with a high energy worship service and a time to get to know the church members.  The LIFT group is doing very well and excited to jump into the opportunities ahead of them with serving and ministering through the different teams they have formed.

Ecuador 2018

Hi everyone - we have been busy with no office time since we hit the ground running here in Ecuador.  I apologize for the delay in getting the word out about our travel and arrival - everything was very smooth and things are flowing well.  The LIFTers are busy serving in a variety of work projects to help with the facilities and grounds of El Refugio and helping prepare for a big mud race that will host over 1,400 people here in two weeks.  I attempted to post our first blog when sitting in the Atlanta airport but could not access the file that Alexa emailed me, so we will have to wait on that post. Here is our first post from Ecuador that Rosie wrote while traveling.

Tim Trezise

Following Jesus: A Journey and Adventure

Rosie Robbins

This morning (Sunday, March 18) LIFT 39 woke up with a purpose. We had places to be. For today we begin our mission. After prayer with the full time staff in the basement of Delaware, we piled into vans amidst inky 3 A.M. blackness. The excitement of this day has been ripening since week 1 of LIFT, when Tim began his first Holistic Ministry Practicum class. During that first class, we spent time unpacking the meaning of missions. Tim spoke with passion in his eyes about how we would have the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus in Ecuador.  When the Lord calls his disciples, he is really inviting them on a journey, and a journey with Jesus is not something you want to pass up. When Jesus extends his hand and invites you on an adventure, you prepare your heart, draw near to Him, and you GO. 

Fast forward to week 11 and here we are, currently sitting on a flight to Atlanta. This is the first leg of our trip; from here we will have a 5 hour layover, and then hop on a plane leaving at 6 P.M. to Quito. Once we arrive, we spend an hour on a bus, driving to our first destination, El Refugio. That is one of the beautiful parts of going on a journey with Jesus, every moment becomes an adventure. He invites everyone, but only the feet of those who are willing to trust Him with the itinerary go. In the process of trusting Jesus with the journey, we are slowly shaped to see Him at work in every moment. From safety on the roads, and in the air, to the hands held in prayer… the Lord’s hand is ordering our every step. 

We are not sure exactly what Ecuador has for us, but we can look forward willing to go wherever God has called us as a team. He is our ultimate guide, and knows just how to use us in our unqualified state. He works through the logistics, valleys, and soiled knees. What a beautiful reality and blessing it is to embark on this present journey with Jesus.