Tico Tuesday, March 21st

This past week I had the opportunity to participate in a couple excellent trainings. The first was a week-long conference with Biblical Worldview expert Dr. Darrow Miller. I interpreted for him a couple mornings plus was able to sit in on part of another morning session, though I would have loved to have attended every talk all week. He talked about the need for Christians to adopt and live the biblical worldview. How Christianity isn't just about making converts, but bringing God's kingdom here on earth, how we need to be people of the Book and know and live the whole counsel of God. He gave a fascinating explanation about the impact the Reformation has had on the world and the role of the marital covenant and value of family. North America was colonized through marriages and families. South America was colonized by men who came alone (and then had relations with the indigenous women here). And now look how different they have been! He also discussed the destruction of the family and the lack of dignity towards women and how they are affecting the world on both micro and macro levels. I was very challenged by all this and more.

Dr. Miller gave a great explanation on the need to abolish the separation between the sacred and the secular (that division is why people tend to put missionaries on pedestals). I also loved his analogy of how Sunday church gatherings are like halftime in a football game. The players come in off the field, refocus, strategize, listen to the Coach, regather strength, and get ready to head back out onto the field for the rest of the game. Like I was saying last week, we can't just sit complacently. Christians are God's team, his workforce, his hands and feet in the world, and I don't think I have ever felt more of a need to repent for corporate sins the Church has committed. It has been such an enormous, powerful force, there are innumerable things in history attributed to followers of Christ. I'm not saying Church has been perfect: It has committed atrocities in the past, and it is doing a lot of good today, but I think there is so much more we can and should be doing. We are to be known for our love, not for being bigots and/or hypocrites. Speaking of not being bigots, the other seminar I went to was about homosexuality and the Church. I'd love to tell you more about that too, but this is plenty long enough already.
May God use us to be salt and light in this world and may we do everything out of love for him and others,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, March 14th

When I moved into this apartment in October, I said I would get to know my neighbors. I'd met my upstairs neighbor when I came to look at the apartment and managed to meet the ones next to me somehow (perhaps because our doors are right across from each other--although I didn't realize they had another son in addition to their strong-lunged baby until a couple weeks ago). But, there were still three other apartments whose inhabitants I did not know. It was getting to the point of embarrassment. Then, I decided enough was enough. Shame or not, I would introduce myself to my neighbors. And then the series at church was about to start. Suddenly, I really had no excuses. So, armed with oatmeal raisin cookies (like a good gringa) and fliers to invite them to the series (with a brief note with my phone number on the back), I went door knocking and met a young couple, a family of four who actually left their old church and started attending mine in January (who knew?), and a woman who is 8 months pregnant and I'm pretty sure she lives alone. It was very nice to meet them, even if just briefly. I can even tell you all their names, though I almost forgot one.
For all too long I've been very good at living in the bubble. In college it kind of drove me crazy because it was so hard to get out of it, but at the same time, the bubble is so cozy and comfortable, it can take a lot of motivation to get out and be intentional in showing the love of Jesus to people who might not know much about him. I don't know if any of my neighbors came to church this weekend, but the ones who weren't home when I dropped by came knocking to thank me and I definitely feel more of a sense of warmth with them now.
I've been sensing a lot of nudging from the Holy Spirit lately to be more intentional about reaching out to others. Complacency is not ok. God has been so good to me, how can I keep him to myself? It takes effort, it takes getting uncomfortable, but the joy I felt at just getting to meet my neighbors and show them I care for them--and seeing an opportunity to reach out further to my pregnant neighbor--was sweeter than those oatmeal raisin cookies.
Thanks for keeping me in your prayers as always. Lately I've been desiring them more than ever, so please continue to intercede for me! You are always welcome to write to me and let me know how I can pray for you!
With gratitude,
Carrie

Tico Tuesday, March 7th

"You're going to have your small group at 9 o'clock in the morning?!?! Is anybody actually free at that hour?"
"Actually, yes. There are quite a number of people who can't attend a small group in the evening due to work schedules or having classes at night, or being elderly and taking medicine that makes them sleepy and ready for bed at 8:30pm."

I didn't get a pic of my small group, but here's a rainbow!

I've had this conversation multiple times over the past few weeks. In the series we did last year, I realized what a need there was for at least one morning/daytime small group, and figured I could do something about it. It works well for me too, because this way I am free to visit small groups in the evenings. It worked well for me to start a new group because unfortunately the one I had last year ended up fizzling out. So, instead of having a group for young women, I decided to open it up to everyone and an incredibly diverse bunch of people signed up. Actually, so many signed up, we may have to consider multiplying sooner than later. If everyone sticks with it, we'll be about 11 people, and a) that's getting a bit big for a small group and b) that many people don't fit very comfortably in my living room. Our first meeting on Thursday was delightful though! We took some time to start getting to know each other and I am really excited for what God has in store for us.
This Thursday we'll have one more meeting to bond and build trust with each other before we dig into the series my church is starting next week, "gods at war." This series (based on the book by Kyle Idleman) is about the idols of our heart. It invites us to take several weeks to consider how pleasure, love, money, power, and self seek to occupy the throne of our heart instead of the rightful King and ask him to remove those idols so we can live for and worship him as we ought--and as he deserves.
As you can see, this series is going to be quite confrontational. Please keep my church and all the small groups in your prayers as we enter this time of corporate self-examination and repentance. May the Lord transform us and glorify himself immensely in and through us!
Thank you so much! May God bless you and transform you to be ever more like Christ as well!
Carrie