A Week of Wonder

"Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder and He gave it to me." -Abraham Joshua Heschel

Close to where I am staying, the lighthouse above, sits perched high atop a hill. No matter where I am, I can see this lighthouse and use it to guide me home. Day or night, this lighthouse is a beacon of hope and direction that has often guided me home.  It serves as a visual reminder of Jesus' words in Matthew 5 of how a city on a hill cannot be hidden. In the daytime the hilltop is clearly visible for miles around and at night the light pierces the darkness as it circles the skies. Like the lighthouse, I have found God's wonder inescapable and always present despite my surroundings.

This past sunday night I was blessed to again visit believers in Buena Vista and after the service the night took a turn for the amazing. We were invited to the house of one of the families for dinner and we graciously accepted. There we talked and ate fresh fish from the father's catch and then left around midnight to meet some of the others from the group back at the beach. In the moonlight we fished and talked about life. As the night wore on we fell asleep under the stars to the sound of the gentle rolling waves and the occasional manta ray jumping out of the water. It was here that I found myself lost in wonder. I felt myself shrinking under the multitude of stars above me and together we speculated how big God must be to be able to create all that we saw. How wonderful it was to know that the creator of the Heavens cares deeply about us and was there with the five of us that night.

Back in Cabo the next day, I found myself again in wonder. Every week, Isaias, a member of the church, holds a bible study dinner at his house and I was blessed to be invited this week. Along with two church members and their wives, we sat with Roberto, a new believer and two non-believers that had been invited. Like the lighthouse, these believers joy and hope were unable to be hidden. For hours they spoke from the heart about the times of hardship and difficulty in their lives. Each story of difficulty was followed by the encouragement that Christ is with us and we have life in Him. As I listened and stirred my glass of horchata, I hoped that the hearts of these two men would be stirred. At times their curiosity was peeked and they asked good hard questions about what was different about life before Christ and now. Roberto responded with the great truth that he now had hope. He now knows he is not alone and that Heaven awaits Him and I pray these two men would know that there is always hope in the Lord. This dinner was a beautiful showing of the church coming together and shedding light in the darkness.

In many ways it has been a full week, and I cannot wait to see what God has in store. I am thankful for the many ways He has given me wonder and for the ever shining light of Jesus.

"Let's Go Do That Together"

"Every day God invites us on the same kind of adventure. It's not a trip where He sends us a rigid itinerary, He simply invites us. God asks what it is He's made us to love, what it is that captures our attention, what feeds that deep indescribable need of our souls to experience the richness of the world He made. And then, leaning over us, He whispers, 'Let's go do that together.'" -Bob Goff

My invitation to adventure comes each day in the form of a rooster crowing to announce the rising sun. This daily display of beauty and consistency urges me onward to whatever adventure the day may hold. I'm happy to report that i've said yes to this adventure and it's been a wild ride. I have really felt that my time so far has been worthy and meaningful. I've enjoyed meeting and praying with faithful brothers and sisters here in Cabo and even got to worship with a small group of believers in a small fishing village a few hours away. A few people have invited me to their homes and I have gotten to talk with them about their faith and we have gotten to encourage one another. Somehow I fooled a brother named Jose into thinking I was an evangelist and he told me about how he really wanted me to meet his neighbors to share the good news with them because he didn't know what to say. As we went from one neighbor to another, I sat back as Jose shared some of the most beautiful gospel presentations I had ever heard. With tears in his eyes, he opened his heart and shared the fullness of his new life in Christ. There was no magic formula, he simply presented the truth and people responded! It was awesome to be apart of and as I left that night, Jose told me he had more friends he wanted "me" to talk to. My days have been full of new people, new places, new words, and even though nearly everything around me has changed, He hasn't. The presence of God is not limited and I was filled with comfort as I realized that I could never be out of His reach. Jonah may not have been as excited about this, but it is very encouraging to know that no matter where we are, literally or metaphorically, God is there.  One of my favorite names for Jesus is Emmanuel because it means "God with us," and i'm glad He always will be.

Setting Out

"Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me."   -Walt Whitman

As I set out for a month in Mexico I resonate with what Walt Whitman wrote. I am taking to a new road and in many ways I don't know what it will hold. My plans do not extend beyond arriving tonight around 8 and returning in mid June. There is much uncertainty to what I will do but I am not concerned because I know God is with me (Isaiah 41:10) and I have been set free in Christ and can now go love and serve others (Galatians 5:13). Despite the uncertainty, I am filled with excitement as I think of all that this month could hold. For this short time I get to be a missionary and it is my goal to spread the hope we have in Christ with all that I meet. My prayer is that I can be useful and effective in loving and serving those I work with and for. I am blessed to be able to have this opportunity and thankful for the journey I get to be apart of for this time. As I walk this new path my aim is to walk with the Lord. Over glorious mountains, through dark valleys, and around unexpected turns I want to walk with God. Micah 6:8 reminds us that this is what He requires of us, to walk humbly with Him and this will be my goal for my trip. I do not know where this walk will lead but I know He will be there. Never do I want forget why I am there and keep my eyes fixed on Him rather than on myself or circumstances. At the end of the month I want to have been useful and effective to our Lord and to have served His people not me or my own ends. I am truly aware that without Him I have nothing of real value to offer anyone and could be neither useful or effective. With this in mind, pray that I could find my strength continually in Him and be filled with His Spirit. Thank you for all of your prayers and support, this wouldn't be possible without you guys.