I have found myself back in Honduras after 3 weeks visit in the U.S. It was a good time of spending quality time with family and friends. I got to have a nice ride one summer evening in Iowa City on my bicycle. I tried to do everything that I do not have the opportunity to do here in Honduras. I think I was able to take advantage of that pretty well. Hiked in Virginia, met friends over many a cup of coffee or dinner catching up. Orientation, as mentioned in the previous post proved to be a good time of reflection and learning. But I find myself back here where I was sent in the first place, and I feel pretty good about that. It was a little harder in some ways this time around leaving the U.S. knowing it will be a long time till I go back, but I think that is actually good. It can kind of mess with your head when you go back and forth from what you consider home, and where you are supposed to be making your home.
Yesterday I went on a retreat with the nurses here to a retreat center where we went up on the highwires, securely attached of course, but nonetheless, really high up. It was fun, and I did realize some of the things that hinder teamwork, and what hinders me in particular from joining the team that is in place here at the hospital.
I start back into work tomorrow on 3rd shift. I'm finding myself quite tired these days, adjusting back to Spanish immersion. I love learning Spanish, but it can certainly prove to be a challenge, and super-humbling. Also, I have 2 girls from Seattle visiting Siguatepeque doing some work in the area, and are staying at my house, which has been really great company, and just nice to meet new people from a different area of the U.S. with different ethnic backgrounds, and new outlooks. I'm thankful for them being here.
Anyways, I hope that you are finding peace in your lives, and can feel Christ's presence in your life, even if all else is kind of crazy. or maybe that is my wish for myself too. :)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Orientation
I find myself on a Monday, 3rd day of orientation. A lot a lot of thoughts, feelings, and some tears I have encountered today. I am tired, and all I really want to do is sleep, but I'm finding the increasing need to journal, and process the thoughts that were rolling around in my head today.
I was acutely aware of the sacredness of the opportunity we have as we approach assignments abroad in service and missions. I was reminded what missions are about. Well, maybe rightly educated today by a pair of married, experienced missionaries who are very active not only abroad, but here in their own community in Harrisonburg in the world of missions. I will call them George and Mary. George started out their time of sharing with his testimony, saying that it does directly relate to missional approach. In a nutshell, George was called into ministry simply because of the joy and wonder and transformation he had found in his own salvation. It was not out of Christian criteria, or guilt, or obligation, but simply because Jesus had so radically intervened in his life and gave him hope and joy when he had none, when all other resources had been exhausted. After he made the realization, there was nothing else to do but to share that with others who lacked that power source of Christ.
So that first impacted me, as I have lost what missions exactly is. I have lost what "the good news" or the "gospel" truly is. It is nothing more but Christ coming into our lives and conforming us from people without hope, to people with true joy and love. Living in Christian influence my whole life, the post-modern world has certainly had its effect on me. I have faced the questions our post-modern society has proposed and failed to have answers. I have fallen into cynicism when people use words like "evangelism" and spreading the good news, and saving people for Jesus. but somehow I have still held onto this "call" to go abroad. How I got this far with a slightly tainted view of missions, I do not know. I mean, missions are super-complicated and that is for sure. There are a million dynamics one needs to study and consider before doing something like this, but I think I have been working so hard on those dynamics, but have been so badly failing at the heart of the matter. I think the heart of it is this: Christ has impacted my life. If nothing else, I am convinced that Jesus Christ is real, and for whatever reason, Christ has led me to serve in Siguatepeque, Honduras. The process is not a simple one, but I am going to work to serve to the best of what I can, with the guidance of the Higher Power. I don't even know yet what that all entails. But there isn't any other way. As they say, in Spanish. "Ni Modo." There's no other way.
I was acutely aware of the sacredness of the opportunity we have as we approach assignments abroad in service and missions. I was reminded what missions are about. Well, maybe rightly educated today by a pair of married, experienced missionaries who are very active not only abroad, but here in their own community in Harrisonburg in the world of missions. I will call them George and Mary. George started out their time of sharing with his testimony, saying that it does directly relate to missional approach. In a nutshell, George was called into ministry simply because of the joy and wonder and transformation he had found in his own salvation. It was not out of Christian criteria, or guilt, or obligation, but simply because Jesus had so radically intervened in his life and gave him hope and joy when he had none, when all other resources had been exhausted. After he made the realization, there was nothing else to do but to share that with others who lacked that power source of Christ.
So that first impacted me, as I have lost what missions exactly is. I have lost what "the good news" or the "gospel" truly is. It is nothing more but Christ coming into our lives and conforming us from people without hope, to people with true joy and love. Living in Christian influence my whole life, the post-modern world has certainly had its effect on me. I have faced the questions our post-modern society has proposed and failed to have answers. I have fallen into cynicism when people use words like "evangelism" and spreading the good news, and saving people for Jesus. but somehow I have still held onto this "call" to go abroad. How I got this far with a slightly tainted view of missions, I do not know. I mean, missions are super-complicated and that is for sure. There are a million dynamics one needs to study and consider before doing something like this, but I think I have been working so hard on those dynamics, but have been so badly failing at the heart of the matter. I think the heart of it is this: Christ has impacted my life. If nothing else, I am convinced that Jesus Christ is real, and for whatever reason, Christ has led me to serve in Siguatepeque, Honduras. The process is not a simple one, but I am going to work to serve to the best of what I can, with the guidance of the Higher Power. I don't even know yet what that all entails. But there isn't any other way. As they say, in Spanish. "Ni Modo." There's no other way.
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