Nazarene Theological Seminary

So, one might wonder what has happened in my life since coming back from Paraguay.  Well, it seems like not a lot, at least not a lot of exciting things.  Adjusting back to life here in the NTS community and in Kansas City has been a bit of a challenge; it is great to see friends and be a part of great classes, but it is just not the same as living in Paraguay.  Recognizing that life is not the same has been a big step for me in adjusting to life back in the States.  And, I need to keep remembering that it is an adjustment, a transition – and that’s okay.  During this blog I just wanted to reflect on a couple of things that I have been thinking about during this particular time of transition.

#1:  Boredom is a state of mind

When I was child this is something that my mom would always say to my brother, sister, and I.  If you have ever spent time around children, you know they are bound to say – “I’m bored…” My mom would always respond to this with – “Well, boredom is a state of mind.”  As a child I found it completely annoying and frustrating, but now I am beginning to understand what she meant.  When we came back to the States, I struggled with finding life a little boring.  No longer did I ride exciting buses that caused a bit of fear and excitement or buy fruit from people on the street or try and speak with people in a language that was not my own.  Paraguay was an adventure, and Ted (my husband) and I were explorers.  However, I had already explored Kansas City and I now had a hard time finding anything new or exciting.  Despite the fact that I have been extraordinarily busy with school, reading, and writing papers I have been a bit bored with life.  However, I have now begun to make it past the comparison stage – Kansas City doesn’t have to live up to my experience in Paraguay, they can both be adventures in and of themselves.  By the way, I did ride a KC bus the other day; it was not the same but still exciting.

#2 Life goes on

The way that we are able to stay connected through technology is amazing.  A few days ago I had the opportunity to chat, via Facebook, with Flavia Ventura about some of the things that had been going on in Paraguay since we had left.  I was shocked!  We have only been gone about 2 months, but so many things have happened.  During the past couple of months:  7 people were baptized, one of the leaders in one of the local churches accepted the call to ministry whole-heartedly, another new church is looking for a pastor, the District Center buildings have been finished and there is now a new up to date kitchen, and General Superintendent Dr. Warwick visited and ordained 3 pastors.  Life, in its abundant goodness, goes on; God is continuing to move and work in ways that we could not even have imagined.

#3 Bloom where you are planted

Spring is coming to Kansas City – yeah! It is such a joy to see trees in bloom and tulips creeping out of the ground. As life has been coming into bloom, I have been reminded of the need to be fully present wherever I am located.  And, to find joy in that location, that place, with those people.  We should not live in either the past or the future, but we need to find joy in the present.  We need to enjoy God and God’s creation in whatever place we find ourselves.  I am learning to intentionally find joy in life – in running in the grass with my 2 year old friend Lukas, sharing food with good friends, and spending quality time with my husband.

So, how have you dealt with transitions?  Do you have any words of wisdom to share?  And, what have you learned from these times of discomfort and change?

During the last two weeks of our time in Paraguay, we had the privilege of participating in and helping with both the district children and youth camps.  The district youth camp focused on training and teaching these teens to be leaders in their churches and on the district.  Because of Christian Ventura’s connections, their Regional Director of NYI, Alexandre de Silva, and Coordinator of Maxima Misión and a professor at the seminary in Argentina, Jim Lynch, came to the youth camp.  These two phenomenal speakers and teachers led several great sessions!  While there were some wild and crazy happenings (some boys decided to shoot fireworks in the bunk room at 3 am, watermelon eating contests, and an Alka-seltzer eating contest), there were some amazing times of prayer and response to the Word of God.  The churches in Paraguay need leaders, people who are willing to answer the call of God on their lives and act on it.  At the end of this weekend, there were 10 youth who committed to taking classes at ETED, Theological Education by Extension – and these youth have followed through with beginning the program!  I know that the church in Paraguay would appreciate your continued prayers for these new and upcoming leaders.

                After about 6 months in Paraguay, it was time for us to come back to the United States so that I could finish my last semester at NTS.  During this time in Paraguay, we had the opportunity to learn a new language, make new friends, develop relationships with local churches in another part of the world, walk many miles, adapt to a new culture, and eat some great food.  When it came time for us to leave, we had just begun to feel like we knew what we were doing – we were able to talk with people, buy whatever we needed, and find our way around the city.  By the time it came to feel like home, it was time to uproot and come back to the United States.  Yet, what a blessing to have made these relationships, to have lived among another culture and people!  Despite the pouring rain, we had some good friends come to say goodbye at the airport; we drank “terere” one last time, shared stories, hugged, and took a lot of pictures. 

                So, now we are back in the States and I am trying to readjust to living in the States.  I didn’t think that it would be a difficult adjustment, but I now see things in a bit different light.  For example – in Paraguay you hug everyone when you greet them; whether you know them or not the traditional greeting is a hug with a kiss on each cheek.  Our first Sunday back in the States everyone at church shook my hand while maintaining proper distance – so strange!  Then, we went to a traditional department store, which had row after row of stuff - even the largest department store in Paraguay was probably only half that size.  It is an adjustment, to say the least.  We have also been going through the “find a job, find a place to live” search, somewhat unsuccessfully.  There have been times of doubt and confusion about how this will all work out, but I am trying to trust and continually place my faith in God.  Sometimes, you just have to wait and rest in God…

“Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.  Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!”

Psalm 31:23-24

At the end of our time here in January, we have the privilege of participating in the District Children´s and Youth Camps for the Central District of Paraguay.  It is interesting how some things are the same no matter where you are, and how some aspects of Children´s Camp were similar to things you would see in the States.  There were fun games, silly leaders, singing, a bonfire, teams, crafts, friendships made, and great food… things that children enjoy in every country and in every language. 

During the camp the children also participated in times of worship; pastors from the District preached, along with my husband (who preached in Spanish for the first time!), and did an excellent job portraying the life of David and the way that he strove to walk with God throughout his life.  The pastors did their best to involve the children by asking questions, getting their help to figure out how tall Goliath was and how much his armor weighed, and using images and props; however, I noticed that the children had difficulty paying attention, participating, and staying awake.  While some may attribute this to lack of sleep, being surrounded by friends, and perhaps even boredom, I think it is much deeper than that.  I am not saying that those things to have an effect on a child, or any person for that matter, but is it not more than that? 

What do we expect out of our children? (I use “our” in the sense of the children in the Church who we all commit to raise and bring up.)  Once a year, during Children´s Camps and perhaps more often during Family Worship times, we purposely think about children in our times of corporate worship.  But, what about all those other Sundays and times when the Church comes together?  Are the children of our churches the last ones we think about, since they are not high on our “need to please” list?  Or do we simply relegate that role to someone else, thinking that “Children´s Ministry” is the role of only a select few.  Perhaps I am being a bit harsh, because I know that children are important to the Church and to pastors… but often this seems more like words than action to me.  In the time that I have spent in ministry with children, both here and in the States, I have been surprised time and again at the gifts that children are able to bring to the people of God.  So often we assume that children can only do certain things, and we limit not only their current abilities but their ability for growth and development with the Church.  And, instead of teaching them what it means to be a part of the Church and giving them an opportunity to participate with the whole church, we allow and even encourage them to leave, and go to a place where they can play and not distract others. 

The Church of the Nazarene has been here in Paraguay for a little over 50 years and is currently struggling with a lack of leadership, both pastorally and within the local churches.  Could this be, in part, due to a lack of emphasis on the raising up of children within the Church over the years?  I have heard pastors say both here and in the US, when asked if children are important in their church, that of course children are important, they are the future of the Church!  Do they subconsciously mean that in the future these children will be important?  Do children have any value and importance in the Church, the body of Christ, now?  How do we, as those who are committing to pastor and be a shepherd to the people of God in our local communities, see children, not in words but in practice?

We were invited to spend Christmas this year with Aldo Genes and his wife Fátima and the Genes extended family.  This is an incredibly gracious family and it was wonderful to be a part of their family traditions.  Some of the unique Paraguayan traditions are: big Christmas Eve family dinners, which usually start around 10 or 11 at night; fireworks; hugs and kisses at midnight; greeting all of your neighbors at midnight with hugs, kisses, and words of happiness; and then relaxing on Christmas Day by sitting around and talking, drinking tereré, and eating Christmas Eve leftovers.  We had incredible time with their family and are thankful for their hospitality towards both Ted and myself. 

Throughout the entire night the Genes´s were asking us questions about traditions in the United States during the Christmas holidays.  It was fun to tell them of some of the different things we do (and do not do, such as fireworks… because it is just too cold!) as well as unique foods that we eat.  It is enlightening to see your traditions through the eyes of someone else.  Throughout this season I have become more aware of how sounds, sights, and smells have defined and helped me to remember certain holidays.  I had never thought much about this before, because I had never celebrated something like Christmas in a different country.  For example, singing Advent/Christmas songs with the church, smells of cinnamon and baked goods and pine trees and the crispness of a good snow, Christmas lights glistening in the snow, scarves, hot chocolate, lighting the candles of Advent, Christmas songs playing on the radio everywhere you go, spending time with family, Christmas Eve services, Walter Wangerin.... for me all of these things made up Christmas.  Now I am not complaining that things were different this year... I just never realized how much I would miss those things. 

Christmas in Paraguay didn´t involve cold weather, Christmas caroling, traditional Christmas song, or the lighting of Advent wreaths BUT it was an opportunity for me to focus on the story of Christ as we told the Christmas story in several different parts with the children with whom we work.  As we journeyed through the story in Luke... with Mary and Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, and the inn keeper I was struck with the awareness of how God called and used the small people, the people who were not thought to have great importance in their society.  I realize that this is a particularly Lukan element; however, this year it grasped hold of me and reminded me of the hope, light, and love that is found within this act of God becoming man, flesh. And now, as we continue to live in the light and season of Christmas I take my place along with the shepherds and remember that I have heard the Word of God proclaimed and am now called to bear that Word, to be a witness!  The shepherds had such excitement as they ran back to their sheep, telling everyone that they saw of the Good News.  At times, I think that I lack some of that excitement, that energy, that urgency.  I often find myself moving in slower and more cautious ways, less willing to step up and make a fool of myself.  We all have our different personalities and ways of going about life- I know that I do- but, at times I have become too comfortable with my way of living and I need to be shaken a bit, forced to feel a bit foolish and uncomfortable.  The Word of God challenges us and calls us to live differently - to live in such a way that is at times uncomfortable and awkward and foolish to others.  And so, I say all of this as a challenge to myself and to you all:  as you hear the Gospel, the Good News, this Christmas season may it challenge you and call you up out of your comfortable surroundings to be a witness for Christ, wherever that may take you. 

While there is still a great deal of Christmas advertising and decoration that goes on down here in Paraguay, it is on a different scale then the US.  Granted, there are many people selling nativity scenes on the streets…and a whole lot of them.  But, somehow it has not infiltrated my life as much as it does in the States.  There are definitely things that I miss, but the crazy consumeristic Christmas hoopla is not one of them. I miss the time of Christmas preparation that goes on in the life of the Church, such as the hanging of the greens, and decorating the Christmas tree, singing Christmas carols and going caroling and then drinking lots of hot chocolate, participating in children´s Christmas programs, church get-togethers, having to put on a winter jacket and scarf because it is COLD outside (but I definitely do not miss the icy roads in Kansas City), and many other little things.  But, it has been refreshing to take a step back from what has “normally” been defined as Christmas for me.

For the 4 weeks before Christmas, what we traditionally call Advent, we have been looking at different people or groups of people in the Christmas story during our children´s programs.  Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds – all bearers and announcers of the Good News in their own unique way.  Some of the children know the story here, especially those whose parents are Catholic, but there are many that do not know the story.  It is an incredible experience to share this story with those with those who have not heard it before!  Of course, some children listen better than others but…it has been a complete JOY for us.  I hope and pray that this story of the birth of our Savior as a baby boy will help them to see their own role as announcers of the kingdom of God.

This Christmas season we have also been able to spend time with new friends.  And not in the frantic kind of way it sometimes gets in the States with Christmas parties, tons of activities, finals, the busyness of finding presents for everyone, traveling, and so much more that by the end of season it was so much of a blur that you do not remember much.  We have been able to sit with people, to take time out of our day for a 4 hour lunch and just enjoy talking with and being with people.  As I have been able to participate in this life in Paraguay and watch others back in the States, I hope not to lose this sacredness for people and relationships and simply spending time with one another.  For me, that is one of the best presents to give and receive – time spent with the people that you love!  May you all enjoy this Christmas season and celebrate the life and birth of our Lord and Savior with those that you find near you during this special time. 

For the past couple of months we have been preparing for District Assembly for the Central District of Paraguay.  Local churches have had local assembly meetings with reports from MNI, NYI, pastors, Sunday School, financial and so forth.  We had the opportunity to participate in a couple of these local assembly meetings and it was interesting to hear the stories of these churches over the last year.  Some churches operated in more of a business manner with reports and typed documents while others simply stood and told stories.  Sitting in the pews listening to these stories, I was made more aware of the struggles of these local pastors and their families, the local congregations, and the communities in which these churches are located.  However, despite the struggles, of which there are many, the pastors and local leaders continued to hold great hope in the Gospel and the power of the Gospel to change lives.  As we have traveled to many of these different churches our excitement began to grow for District Assembly and how it would be to have all of these local pastors and congregations gathered together in one place. 

District Assembly took place over two days and was held in two different local churches, on the first day we met in the Barrio Obrerro church of Pastor Fidelina Ocampos for Escuela Dominical (Sunday School), MNI (Nazarene Missions International), and JNI (Nazarene Youth International).  The day was structured in a way that might seem too organized for Paraguayans, but it was, as always, more of a guideline than anything hard and fast.  As the day went on, with great heat, stories were told, people were encouraged to live as people of the Kingdom, and relationships were deepened.  One of the greatest things that I noticed was the relationships between the churches…you could tell that these pastors worked together and encouraged one another.  When one pastor was having problems the others stood with that pastor, helping him or her in whatever way possible.  Being a pastor is not an individual calling, these pastors realize that they cannot do it without the help of other pastors and without the help of others in their community.  Being a pastor is not about doing everything ourselves, but about being discipled and discipling others.   (This is more of a reality for these pastors than for pastors in the States because the majority of pastors on this district are not paid by the church; therefore, they find themselves working other jobs during the week in order to provide in some way for their families. However, it is still necessary for them to be reminded that one cannot do it all by themselves.) 

One of the greatest storytellers throughout the entire assembly was the wife of the pastor of Makaí.  Makaí is a typical country neighborhood outside of Asunción.  This family has known sacrifice and poverty as they themselves have 12 children.  This woman is uneducated, she does not how to read or write, but she does know how to pray and listen to God.  As she stood before the other local churches she challenged the people to recognize the call to teach others.  She said, “If we are new creatures in Christ, then how can we not be willing to teach others, to teach children?  We need to be working together to build up the Kingdom of God!  Teaching is a calling from God and we need people who are going to love and raise up the children of these communities into the body of Christ.”  She herself recognized that this is a difficult task as she is also busy at home taking care of her own children.  Her family does not have much in terms of money or food or things.  She reminded the local churches that children have needs and we as the body of Christ need to be trying to help those needs; the needs of these children affect all of their being – they are spiritual, physical, and mental.  As the Church we need to remember that we are called to build up the Kingdom of God and this begins in seeing others, hearing their needs, and being in community with them.  The passion that I heard in her voice challenged me, and others, to remember God´s calling on our own lives to be witnesses of the Kingdom of God.  Sometimes that looks different in different places, but it is always rooted in the love and grace that we ourselves have experienced in relationship with God and others. 

During our time here in Paraguay our main assignment is to work in the library at the District Office, developing an organizational structure for the books that involves envelopes, cards, stickers, and lots of glue sticks.  While we spend much of our week days in the library, we have also been given some ministry assignments in the local churches during other parts of the week.  We are extremely grateful to not be spending all of our time solely taping call numbers onto books and gluing envelopes into the back of them.  At this point in time we are involved in the ministry of three local churches:  Lambare, Nueva Asunción, and Fernando de la Mora.  Each of these churches is unique in their history and in what they are currently doing. Lambare is a re-start church with a wonderful group of people who are still trying to figure out what it means to reach out to their community.  Nueva Asunción is a brand new mission, located about an hour and twenty minutes outside of Asunción by bus, and we have been given the privilege of working with these people since the very beginning.  Fernando de la Mora is the site of the Central Paraguay district office and it is the beginning of a brand new church for this district; there is much going on in Fernando de la Mora as they are also constructing a parsonage and multi-purpose building for the district.  So, we are a part of three distinct churches, which thankfully all meet at different times on Sundays, and we primarily assist with the youth and children in these churches.  Children, we 

              A few months ago a new family started to come to the church in Lambare – a family with 8 children!  At this point in time there were not many other children and so a family with 8 children quickly filled our small classroom.  However, these children did not attend school regularly and were not really all that lovable, to other children or many adults.  They had their moments of peace, love, and listening to one another but it was more often somewhat crazy with children running here and there, hitting each other, going places they were not to go, constantly having to go to the bathroom, and hardly ever paying attention to what was going on.  These are fierce kids – they have had to fight for what they wanted, both with themselves and with others, and so this attitude continued to carry over into their interactions with children in the church. 

                If it were not for the love and dedication of one of the local missionaries here in Paraguay these children and this family might have been forgotten by the church.  When the children did not come to church, she went to their house (even though they constantly seem to be moving).  She encouraged them and stood up for them with others when no one else did.  She gave them food and loved them and believed that God could change the way that they acted and thought.  Many people in the church didn´t like these children, in fact there were many reasons to despise the children as they broke instruments, ransacked classrooms, and were constantly trying to steal what little classroom supplies we had. 

                As I have been a part of this situation, I have been thinking about what it means to be a part of the Church with people who you really cannot stand to be around.   I remember reading once that if you do not a part of a church with people who you do not like then there is something wrong.  However, we like to be with people that we like.  It is annoying to be around people who always rub you the wrong way.  It is hard to love people who constantly take your stuff, take you for granted, and hurt other people.  But, as the Church is this not our role… to love when common sense says that we should not, to make sacrifices for people who are unworthy, to be consistently there even when appreciation is lacking? 

                At this point in time, the family is still a part of the church, and now there mother is even coming on a regular basis and volunteering to clean the church.  The children have made small steps but they definitely are not perfect angel children.  But last week I saw a ray of hope… one that gives me excitement for this church and for these children.  We have started having the children stay and participate with the congregation during the time of praise and worship in song.  It was a fight to get the children to stay that first night, they were running here and there, we constantly had to go and find them and bring them back.  I was sure that when we got to the classroom that night they would be moaning and complaining.  When we got to the classroom, the children began singing songs that we had earlier song with the congregation. Many of the words were blurred together, but they had listened and they remembered something.  What hope!  I only wish that the rest of the congregation could have heard the impact that this experience had on the children.  What a blessing it is for the Church to learn from one another, old, young, we all have something to teach one another. 

May we, as members of the body of Christ, continue to be the body of Christ with people In need through suffering, sacrificing, and loving even though we may never know the lasting effects.  

            This past week I had the opportunity to take the 20 hour bus ride to Gualeguaychu, Argentina for the Congreso Nacional de Mujeres (National Congress of Women) with Flavia Ventura, one of the speakers and coordinators for the event and a missionary here in Paraguay.  While the bus ride was somewhat uneventful, although completely different from anything I have previously experienced (the seats recline so that you can sleep and you are given meals on the bus!), the Congress was an exciting and different experience for me.  This was the first time for me to be in a place where there truly were no English speaking persons readily available, which is great for my Spanish but can make a person somewhat nervous and apprehensive.  The Congress was attended by women from various different parts of South America – Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay – the Southern Cone field of the SAM region.  The theme for the Congress was “Vasos de Dios” or “Vessels of God” with a focus on 2 Corinthians 4:7.  While I did not understand everything that was being said, I had the opportunity to soak in a lot of Spanish and I understood the general ideas of all of the speakers. 

            One of the unique elements of Argentina is the amount of “mate” (pronounced mah-tay) that people drink on a daily, and sometimes hourly basis.  After crossing the border from Paraguay into Argentina, our bus stopped at a gas station for gas and bathroom breaks, and in the parking lot of the gas station was a metal rectangle on a cement block.  It looked like the air machines that one sees at most gas stations in the United States for the tires of a car.  However, it was full of hot water for people to fill up their thermos with water for mate.  I actually saw one car stop on the side of the street and a person jumped out of the car, ran up to the machine, filled their thermos with water, and then went and got back into the car!  I wish I had captured that moment on film! 

            Perhaps I should explain “tomando mate” (drinking mate).  It is a complete experience, it is not a simple drink that one drinks by oneself.  Yerba mate is the main ingredient, which is placed within a uniquely shaped container, sometimes made out of a gourd, metal, or glass.  The content is somewhat like tea, although people tend to like their own mixtures of herbs and flavors that they mix in with the yerba mate they purchase at the store.  So, once one has filled their mate container with the tea-like substance and obtains a thermos of hot water, three or four other people gather around.  This is the most interesting part about drinking mate – it is rarely done alone; mate, in my observation, is almost always taken with other people.  Everywhere you go in Argentina one finds groups of people sitting around and drinking mate together. Most people are willing to share with anyone who makes their way into their group, even a foreigner like me. 

            I had the opportunity to share mate with several different groups of people, none of which I knew very well, but all were more than willing to allow me to be a part of the group and drink mate with them.  Drinking mate is a social experience, it is more than just a drink.  It is a time of sitting around with one's friends, and people that you have just met, and sharing a drink.  It works like this: one person is usually in charge of the water and the cup.  The straw that one uses to drink mate is long and metal with a round filter at the bottom and an almost flat area at the top for drinking. The person with the water adds a few sips to the mate cup  and passes it to someone in the circle.  When one is finished, the cup is passed back, again filled with water and passed to another person.  Everyone shares the same cup, the same straw. 

            This practice would be almost unheard of among Americans in the United States, where we are so concerned about germs and sanitizing everything.  I imagine that there are many who would be unwilling to engage in this practice of drinking mate.  But there is significance to this practice of drinking mate – one common cup in which all people share, where people are not excluded but are invited to become a part of the circle.  Each person is given an opportunity to drink from the cup.  Each person is made to be a part of the group.  Even foreigners and outsiders are encouraged to take the cup and drink.  And people take time out of their day to sit down and share mate with other people.  As people engage in this practice, and I have had the opportunity myself to take part, I am continually reminded that people and the time that we are able to spend with those people is most important.  May we as the body of Christ be this open to others, inviting them to come and join us with open hands and lives .... and may we take the time to be present with others and share in the lives of others, strangers and dear friends. 

For the past week, I have been working with a Work and Witness team from the United States.  This particular type of Work & Witness team is called a “Maverick” team because they come from various places in the United States; there are a couple from San Diego, Los Angeles, and one from New York state.  All of these people have come together to spend the week with the people of the Central Paraguay District – helping with a Bible School, hosting a medical clinic, showing the Jesus film, and hosting a puppet workshop.  Their central concern is to bring resources in order to equip the leaders who are already involved in the churches here in this district.   

Spending time with this group has made me think about the motives and reasons behind coming and being a part of a Work and Witness group.  Having never participated in an official ���Work & Witness” trip through the Church of the Nazarene, I am basing these questions and speculations based on my interactions with this particular group.  I do not want to criticize this particular group, but my interactions with this group have brought forth some questions about short term missions trips in general.  First, how do short term missions trips have an impact on local communities in the United States? Is this different when the group is made up of people from various churches?  How can we keep the experience from being only an individual experience? 

Another question – What should be the purpose of the Work & Witness group/trip?  Should the group solely work with equipping local leaders, providing resources that are not currently available?  Is the primary purpose forming relationships and learning from the local people?  Is it the place of the group to focus primarily on converting and making sure that everyone can “go to heaven”?  And, if this is the case, then what needs to be in place after the group leaves?   One of the most positive elements that I have witnessed is the building of relationships between individuals and groups.  Even though these groups of people do not speak the same language, there is great meaning in a shared smile, laugh, hug, song, meal, and much more.  When we all sit together as a group, North Americans and Paraguayans – at morning devotionals, meals, and games of soccer – I am reminded of how much we all have in common.  Perhaps this is one of the greatest lessons that can be learned in short term missions – the love of God for God's creation and our response to this love brings us together.  It is our privilege to have the opportunity to sit at the same table with our brothers and sisters in other countries and share a meal, or a smile, or a testimony. 

I am sure that many of you all have been on Work & Witness trips or even led them – I'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts about this growing trend of short term missions.  I'm definitely not trying to say that I have any correct answers – just a lot of thoughts.  What do you think should be the purpose of Work & Witness trips, both for the sending and receiving congregations?  From your experience, what should be the relationship between short term missions and evangelism? 

            My husband and I had the pleasure of going through our things as we prepared to come and live in Paraguay.  Since we were going to be boxing and storing our possessions, we wanted to make sure that we were only keeping those things that we really liked.  It was amazing how many things that we had that we didn't really need – we took multiple trips to thrift stores and gave many things away.  And then, we packed up what was left – mostly our clothes, a few books, a computer, and some other small things.  This is how we often think of what it means to live a simple life – to have few possessions weighing us down.  This is not to say that this is not part of the picture, but I have been contemplating the keeping of Sabbath rest as a main component of what it means to live simply. 

            I myself had not realized how busy I had been keeping myself in Kansas City until we were here in Paraguay.  With NTS, work in my church, family, and little free time I felt as though I was constantly on the move with little rest and little ambition to make time for Sabbath rest.  For me it wasn't things that cluttered my life, but what I did with my time that made my life more complex.  I was always trying to do more for school, more for church, and more with my husband and friends – which left little to no time for Sabbath rest. 

            I have been reading Marva Dawn's book - The Sense of the Call:  A Sabbath way of life for those who serve God, the Church, and the World - since I have been here in Paraguay.  It is ironic that I couldn't find the time to read it when we were living in Kansas City.  But, anyway in one of the beginning chapters - “Keeping the Sabbath Wholly as a Restful Manner of Life” - Dawn talks about the side effects of stress on people in the United States.  She says that it is the leading cause of death!  We kill ourselves more and more and stress ourselves out as we do it; all the while we are actually hurting ourselves.  “If we want to know our authentic being, if we want to embrace our call thoroughly, if we love the LORD with all our hearts and souls and minds and strengths, then there is no better way to respond to the Trinity's holiness than to enter into the total reclamation, revitalization, and renewal of His holy gift of Sabbath” (Dawn, 69). 

            While in full time studies at NTS, I always thought that life would clam down when I was no longer in school and working full time at a church.  But, if we do not begin participating in this Sabbath rest now and developing this necessary habit and way of life now – will it ever really be a part of our lives?  Can we live simple and content lives without finding ourselves in the rest of God?  Do we really think so much of ourselves and our work to not take some time for Sabbath rest? 

            I know that I did and still do struggle with this.  It is hard to rest and take a break from the busyness of life when one is taught to work, work, work and be ever “productive”.  I have had a difficult time in Paraguay at times because there have been times when I am not busy.  There is down time, there is rest, and I almost do not know what to do.  It is difficult for me to remember that life will still go on without me trying to do everything.  Perhaps it will even be better.  And so, while I am here in Paraguay I am thinking about Sabbath rest and how to make this a part of my life now – as a student, as a wife, as a friend, as a follower of Christ.  Can one live a simple and content life without being “reclaimed, revitalized, and renewed by God's holy gift of Sabbath”? 

            But... how does one do this?  It sounds nice on paper, but even as I am writing this I wonder how this fits along with our lives.  How do we actually put this into practice with all of the demands of our lives?  Perhaps the problem is that we try to “fit it in” rather than allowing this Sabbath rest to be the starting point from which our lives are ordered. 

Dios te bendiga!

            Perhaps you are wondering why I am in Paraguay, a small landlocked country in the middle of South America where few people travel for exotic trips.  Well, at the beginning of the last school year my husband and I started to look at Mission Corps and how we could incorporate (though not officially) this experience into my time at NTS.  So, after going through the application process, training, interviewing, and much more we were given the choice to go to Paraguay and work with Christian and Flavia Ventura.  Christian and Flavia are the Field Strategy Coordinators for Paraguay and are missionaries themselves from Argentina. 

            The reason that we wanted to go to another country is because we feel that the Church today is becoming more and more diverse; therefore, it is important for there to be diversity in our own lives as well.  We cannot simply be Americans who only speak English and expect to be able to reach out to many of the people one finds on the streets of the city.  This is not to say that by spending almost six months in a South American country that we will be experts or that we will have it all figured out.  However, in the 6 days that I have been here in Paraguay, I have learned much about what it feels like to be an outsider.  In college I took some Spanish, but much of what we are learning is in simple conversation with people who are patient enough to talk slowly and repeat often.  Therefore, my husband (Ted) and I are beginning these next six months with great hope that we will learn much from the people of the Church in Paraguay. 

            Within the first few days that I was in the Ventura household, I discovered that the most important place in the house is the dining room table.  Almost every night that we have been here, different people have come by the house and stayed for dinner.  To me, Christian and Flavia show what it means to be hospitable people.  Not only have they opened up their home and their family to us (Ted and I are staying in a “guest house” that is in their backyard), but they have done that and continue to do that with others as well.  They make everyone feel as though they are a part of the family, even when some of these people do not speak their language very well.  We have had the opportunity to interact with many different people, although there has not been a lot of speaking.  One night one of the pastors from Asunción ate with us, the next night the wife of one of the other pastors, the next night two missionaries and a pastor from Argentina. I am continually amazed at their willingness to open their home and their table. They are an example to me, and to their children, about what it means to follow Christ.  It cannot be easy having two American, English speaking, young folk who are desperately trying to learn Spanish living near you, eating with you, and following you around.  But, they never seem upset and are always willing to help us.  I am hopeful that we will be able to learn more and more as we spend time getting to know the people of Paraguay. 

Dios te bendiga!

God bless you!