Hm. Last Tuesday we had swap day-so for the whole morning, my team when to Fletcher and served there. Since it's only two blocks from the largest AIDS clinic in the states (and probably one of the largest in the world), we had the chance to go hand out free snow cones in front of it. It was interesting how many people asked...
"How old are you?" ...Nineteen... "And you know what this place is?" Yes... "And your mother lets you come here?"
Well, I didn't quite know the correct answer to that, since, well, she didn't know at the time, but it's not like I'm going to catch AIDS from them by giving them a snow cone. It's sad that they feel that disconnected from the world.
Hm. What else... well, for one, I am, in fact, still alive. Yes, there was a hurricane. Yes, we were affected by it... but merely in the flooding sense. I kinda liked it actually. I don't think I've ever seen sidewalks underwater before. It was a new experience :P
Friday was probably my favorite day, though. After chillin with our preteens, most people went to Eclipse, but a few of us non-vampirophiles (we're going to pretend that's a word) decided to find something else to do at Gano. God most definitely provided. That night at dinner, we had an excess of baked potatoes, and after a huge lunch out at a nice restaurant, none of us were hungry. So, while most of our group went to their overdramatic movie, we got the chance to hand out our extra potatoes (complete with cheese and silverware) to the homeless walking around Houston. It was pretty awesome. We ended up running into the exact number of people that we had potatoes, and it was cool how they reacted.
I do have to admit, I can now check throwing a baked potato at a homeless man off of my bucket list.. now to ride a ferris wheel..
Yeah. Haha. Well, there was this man..
And he looked so sad, and our housemother, who was chaperoning, wouldn't let us out of the car. In my defense, it landed quite a bit in front of him. We drove back by to see if he had woken up (we did quite a bit of calling to try to give him the potato in the first place with no avail) and the man beside him nicely told us that he was simply passed out (we assumed stoned) and he'd give him the potato. We decided it was a potato from heaven.
I don't know. It did sadden me to really see how they live, how they were rushing to the nearest abandoned gas pump to sleep in shelter for the night, how a couple of them started to raise their hands as if we were after them when we pulled up to their makeshift shelter... I guess it's hard to know what to do about it... but at the same time, I want to do something. I will. (sorry, making decisions as I blog is probably a bad thing... nah).
That night was rather awesome in general, though. When we got back, we roller bladed in Gano's gym, did acrobatic stuff (where Lauren murdered her knee and I jammed my ring finger), then finished it out with a movie. So much better than spending nine dollars for vampires. Just sayin' :)
Saturday was probably one of the toughest days I've experienced here. We were given tours of a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque, and a Buddhist temple. The temples both let us sit in on services, which I won't lie, were kind of creepy. The buildings for both of the temples were gorgeous and intricate, but the insides were simply... empty. The gods they had out in the Hindu temple seemed almost creepy- I can't quite explain it, but in the service they let us sit in on, it just felt... freaky as they chanted. The mosque was probably the saddest part of our day. The families there were probably some of the sweetest I've ever met, and so convinced of their beliefs... but the thing is, our Jesus is not just a prophet, as they believe. He's what all of us need for salvation, and no matter how many sacrifices these people make, how many chants they complete, how many times they bow before their gods, they'll never attain salvation without recognizing and being cleaned by the blood of the cross.
What I don't understand is how people can't desire Jesus. His truth is of freedom, of grace-not by works, but by faith. Where the other religions call for being the best we can be, God gives us the Holy Spirit to give us the desire to obey Him, and no matter how awful our pasts are, He forgives and He's given us His Son. He has already conquered. There's nothing we can do to change that.
I just wish I could change their hearts. Irrational, since it's only by the Holy Spirit.. but my heart just aches for them.
Going on the polar opposite spectrum, we visited a Nigerian church on Sunday. That had to be the most spirited church I think I've ever been in :) It was a BYOI (bring your own instrument) church with a congregation of about 30 at most. Oh, goodness, was it awesome. We sang hymn after hymn, all filled with clapping, dancing, and the beat of a tambourine. As we went up for the offering, we danced to the tune of Oshe Baba, or Thank you Jesus (probably one of my new favorite hymns). Going from such emptiness to such joy was... refreshing. Not to mention, they served us the most awesome African food ever afterwards :)
To complete the awesome weekend, we went to a church for fireworks, food, facepaint, and a free Robbie Seay Band concert that night :) Pretty much doesn't get too much better than that. To top it off, we started the most random Boom Chicka Boom game ever that lasted about half an hour and got us new friends.. lol.
As far as ministry goes, God has been blessing this ministry mightily. We've had around 25 people (adults and children) who've decided they want a relationship with God in the past month, we had people commit to providing Bibles for all of our children, our pantry is full (for now, haha), and we even had Seoul Baptist Church send in volunteers for kids' club this week. Seoul is pretty much awesome. When we ask them to do things, they do it quickly and happily, then eagerly ask what they can do next. It pretty much rocks my socks off. All of these things were just such huge prayers answered. I've never seen the pantry so full, and we were nearly to the point that we didn't have enough Bibles for the new Christians-and a lot of my kids say that they don't even have a Bible at home.
So, God is good (all the time) :)
I guess the last thing I have to say, is my boss is giving me the chance to do interviews! Woot :)
I started today, and basically, what happens, is that to get food and clothing, each person has to go through an interview- taking information down about their family, income, religious views, then witnessing and praying... all in Spanish. It's really awesome, but at the same time.. it's just spiritually exhausting. Most of our community is traditionally Catholic, and most are quite convinced it's by works-"soy una buena persona, entonces, pienso que iré al cielo"- so it's extremely difficult to help them understand otherwise. I was talking to one woman today, and she was saying that she believed in the cross, she believed in the word, but didn't believe she was good enough to get into heaven.
In Luke 5:32, it says, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
It's not about being "good enough." It's only Christ in me that is good; without Him, I'm worthless. I'm unclean, full of mistakes, unable to be in the presence of God, unable to be in Heaven. And the thing is, Jesus was sent for the worst. He was sent for those who need Him-which is truly all, but look at Saul-he was a murderer, everything he was he put towards bringing down the Gentiles- but God redeemed him and brought him up to be one of the most inspiring authors in the Bible.
I guess, after that rant, what I really want to say is that I'd love some prayer for this. As much Spanish that I've learned (by the grace of God), I still found it hard to explain the Gospel in Spanish in such a short amount of time. I just pray that the Holy Spirit will be the one giving the words, not me (for goodness' sake, I forgot the word for forgiveness in one interview), and that the people's hearts will be opened to grace as we know it.
Finally, I'm going to leave ya'll with a passage I've come to love. Gives me goosebumps :)
Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. You meet him who joyfully works righteousness those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name,who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. -Isaiah 64:1-8
That's my prayer for this city. God has a plan for this place-no eye has seen nor ear has heard what he can do here. I believe he can make this city tremble in His presence. :)
Love ya'll and I hope all is well.
gracia y paz
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