what He’s been teaching me July 2, 2009

its been really cool how God is teaching me things that go along with what i’m learning about the culture in asia. just a quick recap:

when we were traveling in bangkok the first time, i was reading about the rich young ruler in Mark- I journaled for a while about materialism and how easy it is to get sucked into, and then i realized how much more intense that concept is here in bangkok. there are absolutely humongous malls at almost every skytrain stop. i’m talking 5 stories with floors that extend forever. and they are always, always packed. i’m not suggesting that its a sin to go to the mall or to go shopping, but it is a sin to get so wrapped up in it that thats where all your time, thoughts and money are being consumed. and its obvious that that is such a part of life here. jesus says its easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to live a life for him because there’s so much more sacrifice involved. so thats one way i’ve seen that you can pray for bangkok with me.

on to bali. i’m reading the book “humility” by andrew murray (its a definite must-read. its pretty short, but its packed with amazing truth). i was also still reading in Mark, and read the passage where Jesus says that the one who wants to become greatest must become the least. i read that the day before we arrived in bali. when we got there, i got to see the most incredible examples of servitude by the balinese people. they are so kind, so humble, so serving. and the majority are hindu, not knowing jesus. how can their actions mimick him so much when mine dont? it was very convicting, but also encouraging to see a picture of how beautiful humility can be. how much beautiful it would be if it were rooted in Christ and it was His humility shining through rather than humility mustered by mans own strength and will.

lastly,the streets in bali are every single morning filled with the scent of incense rising from the small cardboard offerings placed in front of every store, restaurant, home, hotel, building to keep away evil spirits. i began to read 2 Corinthians while i was there, and came upon verse 15 of chapter 2, where it says that “to God, we are the fragrance of Christ to all who are perishing”. that has become my favorite verse. no matter how powerful the strength of any other force than Christ in any country or culture, the fragrance of Christ is stronger, and it is in us who have given our lives to him.

where it all began June 9, 2009

this morning i went to look at the website of mark and meg,< www.kuzdas.com > the missionaries in costa rica who i visited every year for 5 years. i was looking at pictures of all of the kids and updates from all of the recent teams who have visited and i found a video from a team that went in december. i cried the whole way through it. i still miss it every. single. day.

its been 6 years ago this summer since i went to costa rica for the first time. i know it sounds dramatic to say, but that trip changed everything about my life. god used it to spark a passion for travel that has since continually grown. he used it to show me that he wanted to use me in missions, that he wanted to use me with children, that he wanted to use me in foreign languages. he revealed to me the passions that he’s given me and began to shape my life around them.

when i tell people how much i love costa rica i know that their first thoughts are of beaches and mountains and volcanoes. and they assume that i sat on a beach day in, day out, every trip i ever took. and i do love those parts of the country- they are undoubtedly the most beautiful places i’ve ever seen or will ever see in my life. but its not the beaches and the mountains that my heart misses- its my kids- my family in costa rica. my alexa from the orphanage, my mauricio, ruben, james, anyoleth,  & nicole who have kept in touch with me for 5 years- who have pictures of me in their family album- who included me in their family for birthdays, baptisms, and baby dedications. i miss them.

it was through my travel to costa rica that i also met my friend brittney. we both felt god calling us to missions at the same time. the summer after we traveled together, she and her family were killed in a plane crash. god used that to teach me about heaven, about his glory, about how his plan is so much bigger than our own, about trusting him, about the realization that our every breath is in his hands. a camp was later started in her memory. hundreds of children who live in the slums of costa rica are able to go there throughout the year to escape the violence and poverty in which they live and to learn about the love of christ.  < campbrittney.com >

this is where it started. this is why i travel. jesus has put it deep inside me and perpetually uses it to flip my life upside down.  costa rica will always be the love of my life. i hope jesus leads me back there one day to stay for good. it is in my heart every single minute of every single day. but for now, he’s leading me to other places. and i know he has huge things to teach me there too.

why i’m going June 8, 2009

“”No, life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath… We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn’t it?”

-Donald Miller,”Through Painted Deserts”