It's All About Our God

Last year my son, Daniel, was in pre school. Everytime he'd come home I'd say, "There he is--The prince of preschool." Then Danny would correct me real quick by saying, "No, dad. I'm the king." No princes around that place. Only a sovereign. We started a church yesterday. No, Josh, God started a church yesterday. Only a sovereign around here too. And no it didn't start yesterday. It was started over 2 years ago. So, let me be as clear as I can: Yesterday, God used a group of princes (we are children of the king you know) that He gifted (he uses people you know) to launch a church (we are called out as his people you know) that He envisioned (He's the visionary you know) to fulfilll a mission that He gave (He's in charge you know)in order to bring fame to Him (It's all about Him you know). Semantics? Yeah, obviously. But it helps me and us to refocus the praise where it belongs. Paul, the apostle wrote: "For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36)

So I think whenever I hear someone say, "There he is--Josh, the church planter". I'm going to say, "No, I'm just a tool." Wait that didn't sound right!

The Prodigal Son Returns!

While shopping for some fruits and veggies at the market yesterday, I ran into Rodrigo, a friend of mine. I met Rodrigo at a church I visited and he works at the hospital next to my house. Every time I see him, he always goes out of his way to ask how I am and invite me to whatever event is coming up at his church. He invited me and another missionary I was with to dinner at his house tonight. We accepted, thinking it would just be the two of us and his family. Well, after talking to several other missionaries, we realized we weren't the only ones he invited. He had invited 5 other missionaries and several Ecuadorian friends! It wasn't until I walked into his house and sat down to eat that I realized the true reason for the invite.

Rodrigo began by thanking us all for coming and told us a little about how God has been working in his life recently. He gave the illustration of holding onto something tightly in his fist and how God has slowly been prying away one finger at a time. He then said, just like the family of the prodigal son, his family wanted to celebrate his yielding to the Lord and just celebrate God in general. And, we had all been invited to celebrate with him!

Rodrigo pulled out his guitar and we all began singing praises to God. Then, when he started singing "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" all of us "gringos" began singing it along in English. Rodrigo's pastor prayed, his father prayed, and he prayed again. Then, his family began serving dinner. As they served our food, I looked around his tiny house. This house, with no more than 4 or 5 rooms, houses Rodrigo, his parents, and 6 of his 7 brothers and sisters. His family is the definition of poor. And, here they are, serving us plates loaded with chicken, rice, french fries, and vegetables! After we ate, we sang some more. Rodrigo and his mother and father (pictured above) also sang for us in Cichua, a tribal language here. Then we sang "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" in three different languages - English, Spanish, and Cichua. It was an amazing night of just praising God in whatever language we could!

However, the thing I will never forget about this night was Rodrigo's prayer at the end of the night. He prayed for each person there by name. When he got to me, he prayed something along the lines of, "Father, thank you for Beth. Thank you for sending her here. And thank you for her family who was willing to give her up to come here and serve You. Please bless her and help her feel Your love through us." WOW! Words can not explain how touching this was to me! To hear someone, in a language I'm still struggling to understand, pray to the same God I pray to every day, and ask Him to bless me. Thank you, God, for reminding me that you are at work EVERYWHERE and that You can use ANYONE for Your glory.

"Después de esto miré, y he aquí una gran multitud, la cual nadie podía contar, de todas naciones y tribus y pueblos y lenguas, que estaban delante del trono y en la presencia del Cordero, vestidos de ropas blancas, y con palmas en las manos y clamaban a gran voz, diciendo: La salvación pertenece a nuestro Dios que está sentado en el trono, y al Cordero.

Y todos los ángeles estaban en pie alrededor del trono, y de los ancianos y de los cuatro seres vivientes; y se postraron sobre sus rostros delante del trono, y adoraron a Dios, diciendo: Amén. La bendición y la gloria y la sabiduría y la acción de gracias y la honra y el poder y la fortaleza, sean a nuestro Dios por los siglos
de los siglos. Amén." (Revelation 7:9-12)

God's Word is the same in any language!

All morning during church, I couldn't help but think about Crew and how much I miss worshipping with ya'll! The church service I attended this morning was far from the usual service we would have at Crew. For starters, the lady I sat next to was breastfeeding her baby during the entire worship time! Kids were running in and out, asking parents for money so they could go buy a popsicle down the street. Oh, and to point out the obvious, it was all in Spanish! However, there were many things that our churches have in common.

We sang and praised God in very much the same way, except, as I pointed out, in Spanish. We were taught from God's Word, the same Word Crew is taught from every week. And, we had a baptism service that was not the usual for churches in the States. (Kinda like our swimming pool baptism!)

After church, we all loaded up into a big truck like cattle to drive down to the river where four new believers wanted to publically share their faith. As we neared the river, I could see people jumping off rocks and swimming with their family and friends. We all unloaded from the truck and the pastor pulled out his guitar. As we began singing, the divers and swimmers started paying a little more attention to us, noticing something big was about to happen.

One by one, the people who were going to be baptized shared their stories of how they came to know Christ. We sang some more as they walked down into the river. Wow! I can't even explain what an awesome experience this was. To see these people so publically share their faith. It's one thing to get baptized in front of your church. It's an entirely different thing to get baptized in front of a bunch of strangers at a river. What amazing faith!

So, as you can see, my experiences here on Sunday morning are far from traditional. But, the thing that amazes me the most and keeps me going back is God's Word. It's just as much the same here, taught in Spanish, as it is at Crew, in English. I am SO thankful to God for His never changing Word!

Missionary Woman!

September 2, 2006

Dear Friends and Family,

What an adventure these past few weeks have been! It's still hard to believe that I'm finally here, settled into my little apartment in Shell, Ecuador. God has been so faithful to his word: "Behold, I am with you always."

I began my trip in Quito with some good friends of my family, German and Becky Rhon. They were wonderful hosts and really made my first week in Ecuador an easy adjustment. They took me shopping, so I could get some items not available in Shell and helped me get some important paperwork taken care of while I was there. We also spent one afternoon at a place called TeleferiQo. It's an amusement park, touristy place high up in the mountains. I was able to see most of the city of Quito from the top and got some great pictures!

Tinguraugua, an active volcano here in Ecuador, has been giving us problems! The mission board I am with has asked that none of us travel to or through Banos, a town about an hour from here, because of the problems with the volcano. The road through Banos just happens to be the shortest of two ways out of Shell. So many are having to travel the Tena road, also known to us as the "long" way.

School started this week, and it's been wonderful getting to know my students. They are hilarious (as most kids are) and definitely keep my on my toes (even though there's only four!). Our theme for the school this year is "Build Up"- 1 Thessalonians 5:11. "Encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you are doing." My students have completely grasped onto this concept and have been doing a great job of encouraging everyone, especially me.

I want to thank everyone for your continued financial and prayer support. It's been exciting to get e-mails from so many of you. A huge encouragement! I just wanted to share some ways you can pray and praise for me:

• Praise that God gave me safety in my travels - despite an erupting volcano!
• Pray for my adjustments to the language and culture.
• Praise God for the wonderful missionary community He's brought me to. They've been a huge help and encouragement.
• Pray for my adjustments to teaching at a new school under different circumstances than I'm used to.
• Praise for the internet - it"s been wonderful staying in touch with my friends and family!
• Pray for Robby's (one of my students) family. His mother has severe allergies and is not able to live in Shell right now. Robby is living here in Shell with his dad, and his sister is living in Quito with her mom until they are finished with some medical treatments.
• Praise/pray for continued financial support.

Love,

Beth