Full Maturity or Early Decline?

This is your hippie dippie weather man with your hippie dippie weather...man. It's cold outside!! The old school thermometer that hangs on my back porch and looks like it's been there since the 60's says it's 38 degrees. That is if it works. I think it does. Now you Yanks that read this might not think that's cold. But I just stepped outside and it's cold. The red maple tree that towers in my back yard is red and orange and yellow. At least the south side of the tree is. The leaves from the north side are being blown all over my yard. It's Fall.

I went to the dictionary to look up that word: "Fall". It didn't recognize it as a season other than pointing me to the word "Autumn". So, I went there. It has two definitions. The first is: the season between summer and winter; fall. Ok, I got that much. Boy, that Webster sure is smart. I was looking for a more vivid desciption, maybe a metaphorical one for me to reflect on. The second definition did the trick: a time of full maturity, esp. the late stages of full maturity or, sometimes, the early stages of decline: to be in the autumn of one's life. That one hit the mark! Especially since I've heard the news anchors talking about the trees in our area being in full bloom. I even told my wife yesterday when I heard them say that. "They're in full bloom today, but by this time next week there won't be a leaf on the tree." The tree sort of becomes the symbol of life.

What is true of a tree can be true of a life. When we are at full maturity we can, at the very same time, be in the early stages of decline. It doesn't look like it. In fact, people may applaud our beautiful outward beauty, oooh and ahh at our "maturity", and even come from miles around to see us. But when the winds of winter blow hard the maturity wasn't maturity at all, instead it was the early stages of decline.

David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, the greatest king the nation ever knew didn't "fall" when he was fighting lions and bears and giants. He didn't decline in his days running from the crazy king Saul. Those were days of humility and dependence. Instead it was at the height of his reign as king. When he didn't even have to fight his own battles any more. While his soldiers fought, he could casually walk on the patio of his mansion. (2 Samuel 11--Notice it was the spring of the year. It would have been better for my blog had it been the fall. Oh well, what are you going to do?). It was then in the stage of seeming "full maturity", when sin silently and slowly did it's thing.

It's hard to stay vibrant and strong in the height of growth isn't it? It's somehow easier when the trees are stripped bear and the dead grass is covered in snow to hunger and thirst for the warm growth of spring and summer. I've heard or read someone who said something like, "For every 10 people who can stay strong in the bad times there is only 1 who can stay strong in the good times." You would think it would be the opposite but it's not. The most significant times of growth in my life have been in bad times. Crisis moments. When I taste fear. When the smell of death is in my nose. When I can see my failures. When I hear the insults. That's when I trust easiest.

We have come off a very successful summer of ministry. Crew has grown like never before. While many ministries often experience a summer lull, God gave us a summer explosion. It really did seem like everything we touched bore fruit. I don't want that to end and I don't know that it is ending. I just know it's Fall and I also know that God doesn't always work like that. A man much smarter than me wrote, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot," He doesn't tell us when those seasons end in ministry, but experience and history show that those seasons in a ministry do come and go.

But you know what? Those spiritual seasons in our personal life don't have to come and go. We can always be vibrant and growing and in full bloom in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Psalm 1:2-3 says, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night, He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it's fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." It's like San Diego all year round in our spiritual lives. Wow! Jermiah, who was in a constant state of dependence and who cried so much he was known as the weeping prophet, wrote, "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on the flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush (be careful how you handle that, poly psy majors!) in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; it's leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

Hang in here just a little longer. I want to make some observations about these verses and this season:

1. Prosperity Always Comes, But We Don't Always Experience It. See it there in Jeremiah? "when it comes". It's going to come, but are we going to experience it. While prosperity is on the loose there are a few bushes that stay isolated and dead. Will the times of impact in Huntington be experienced by other ministries while ours feels parched and lonely? Or even while Crew is experiencing prosperity in ministry, I can personally be left out because my heart is depending on my own ability and my own pride. Remembering the days of summer while I wither away.

2. Heat Always Comes, But It Doesn't Always Stop Us. This is the flip side, the contrast, of the first. The verses says, "when the heat comes". The hard days are there too. There are a lot of hard days. It says heat here which brings the idea of drought and scortching. And the point is clear. It is a time of death and decline. Fear and worry. But that doesn't determine our impact either. Because with a confidence in God and an abandoned trust in Jesus Christ I can flourish like any other time. Fear is replaced with confidence. Worry is replaced with a God centered trust. That produces fruit all year round. My fruit. Our fruit. Your fruit will never fail to produce in a season like that.

So, may we trust in God for at least 4 seasons a year. May we never yawn as we pass a tree. May we always grow and grow and grow, even as we smell dead leaves. And may the Season Maker be the one we love most.

Dear friends and family,

As you've probably noticed, life here in Shell is getting busier and busier for me (hence the recent lack of communication!). I am finally settled into a routine at the school, learning how to effectively manage my time for teaching and planning. It seems as though I learn something new every day, and I'm thankful for such a small group of students who are completely flexible.

As you may remember, when I first arrived to Ecuador, Tungurahua, a volcano here, had been active and resulted in the evacuation of several small villages not far from Shell. Many towns were destroyed and families are having start over. Our school felt a burden to help those affected by the volcano in some way, so we started a project called "Child-to-Child". Students (and others in the community) have been bringing in items to create care packages for children who were relocated (soap, toothbrushes/toothpaste, beans). A missionary here has been coordinating relief efforts, and organized the project. It was fun to watch the students get excited about helping and gave them an opportunity to help those in need.

Something else I have been getting more and more involved in is something called "Spotlight". "Spotlight" is an English radio program that airs several times a week for the purpose of learning English. Here in Shell, a group of Ecuadorians meet at the radio station once a week to listen to the program and later answer discussion questions in order to practice conversational English. The missionary that has helped start this program is in the process of stepping back, allowing the Ecuadorians to have more responsibility in coordinating the classes. "Spotlight" recently changed from meeting once a month to once a week. I was asked to help coordinate these classes, which basically includes being there every week and finding other English speakers to be available to speak English with those wishing to practice. It has been a great experience working at "Spotlight" and building relationships with the few "students" we have. As many of you may not know, I am very interested in teaching English and have begun graduate work in "Teaching English as a Second Language." So, this is right up my ally and I'm very excited God's given me the opportunity to become involved!

A couple other single teachers here and I have started a small group/Bible study that meets once a week. Single missionaries, as well as Ecuadorians, have been coming and it's been an awesome experience so far. Because we invite Spanish speakers, we've made an effort to speak in as much Spanish as possible, which has been a challenge. But, it's been good for me to practice my Spanish on a deeper level than the usual, "Hey, how are you today?" vocabulary. We have all been a challenge to one another, and it's been wonderful to have some fellowship with other Christians on a deeper level.

I've said this probably a hundred times before, but I am so thankful for the "family" God's given me here. My birthday was this past week and I have never had so much attention for my birthday in life! I was invited to several dinners and my students' families all had a surprise party for me the Friday before my birthday. My students had worked so hard all week keeping it a secret, and although I knew something was up, I didn't know the details. I turned the corner, walking my class to another classroom, to find the moms of my students standing there with a birthday banner, cake, presents, and a huge balloon hat. My students all made me cards and bought me gifts. The missionaries here made my birthday very special and I am so thankful to God for their thoughtfulness and love!

I also spent the day of my birthday traveling on top of a train through the countryside of Ecuador. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I had a wonderful time. It was amazing to see God's creation here. It was a great reminder of how BIG God is and how much He deserves our praise.

As you can tell, God has been keeping me busy down here, but at the same time, teaching me and growing me a ton. Some ways you can pray/praise for me:

• Praise/pray for A.J., a new student to my class. We are all adjusting well to having a fifth student in our class. (Kirsten said - "Wow! We look like a whole class now!" when she saw the added desk to our classroom.)
• Pray for those who were relocated due to the volcano, as they try to start new lives in a new place.
• Praise that Robby's (one of my students) mom is finally living back in Shell and that their family is back together again!
• Pray for our small group/Bible study - that we will be real with one another and a constant encouragement.
• Praise for YOU! You all are a constant encouragement with the multiple e-mails I receive every day!
• Pray for those involved in "Spotlight" - that through our practice in conversational English, we will build relationships that honor God and grow us close to Him.
• Praise/pray for continued financial and prayer support!

Love,
Beth