First, the good.  This book is definitely enjoyable to read.  It presents a clear challenge to the stereotypical lazy teenager, but also to anyone shackled by low expectations.  Brett and Alex Harris (brothers of Joshua Harris, of I Kissed Dating Goodbye fame) explain that, nowadays, teenagers are expected to goof off and mess around and not do all that much with their lives and they rise (or fall) to these expectations.  No physical constraint keeps a teenager from doing big things with their lives.  Only the mental chains of low expectations keep teens on their couches all day.

They go on to explain three different pillars of doing hard things: character, competence, and collaboration.  If you possess these three qualities you can go on to do five different types of hard things:

1) Things that require you to get out of your comfort zone

2) Things that require you to go beyond what is required

3) Things that are too big for you to do alone

4) Things that do not have an immediate pay off and take time

5) Things that go against the popular opinion

Character, competence, collaboration, and doing hard things are not bad at all.  In fact, I wish I had read this book when I was a teen.  Maybe you do too.  Maybe you have a lazy teenager son or daughter and Do Hard Things is just what the doctor ordered.  For these things alone I would recommend this book. 

But despite the good of this book-even the great of this book-it has one glaring weakness.  The book does a fantastic job of outlining HOW to do hard things.  Yet the WHY it provides is lacking.  The book pretty much says: "Do hard things because you can.  There is nothing stopping you.  Rebel against low expectations."  This is true.  There is nothing stopping a teen from doing hard things.

Yet this answer is insufficient.  It is good to do hard things, but what ultimate good is there if the glory of God is not front and center?  At Lighthouse we understand that our lives are bigger than ourselves and our plans.  We have learned that our ultimate aim in life is not to do hard things-it is to worship God.  Every aspect of our lives should worship our God and Creator in some way, everything we do should say "God is great." 

It is not as if the Harris brothers make zero mention of God.  The appendix is entitled "Do Hard Things, the Gospel, and You."  Unfortunately, the gospel does not really come in to the equation until after the book is over.  Alex and Brett even write that you do not have to be a Christian to benefit from doing hard things.

And that's the problem, because what is the ultimate benefit of a life not devoted to Christ?  What does it matter if a teen ventures out of his or her comfort zone, leaps beyond what is required, does big things with others, patiently waits and see beyond immediate the immediate payoffs, and fights the popular opinion if he or she are not living for the glory of God in light of the gospel?

This book has a gripping premise and would be great for any teenager, lazy or hardworking.  I would recommend giving it to your teen, or if you are a teen, to read it.  Yet be sure to remember the why-we are to do hard things because of the gospel, for the glory of God.  Our lives are bigger than ourselves.

Regardless of what form our struggles take, what a blessing it is to know that the Bible gives us one bit of wisdom to guide us through all of them.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do you lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." 

Proverbs 3:5-6 is a passage of Scripture that many of us learned in Sunday School when we were children, but just because we learned it long ago doesn't mean that this passage isn't relevant to our struggles today.  Living as a Christian means living as a child of God and trusting in our heavenly father.  It means trusting that our struggles are opportunities for spiritual growth that our loving Father has allowed us to experience so that he can use them to mold us more into the image of Jesus Christ.  It means trusting that God's plan for our lives will bring him glory and is what is best for us. 

Many times we are so caught up in our struggles that we forget this one simple command to trust in the Lord.  We get too focused on trying to come up with our own way out of the situation or what we can do to improve our situation.  We get bogged down with worry or stress.  We turn to sinful habits or addictions in an attempt to escape from the situation.  This passage tells us to do exactly the opposite.  We should not take matters into our own hands, but instead should trust in the Lord with every ounce of our being.  The "with all your heart" part of v. 5 is where trusting God gets difficult, but this is the key to persevering through our struggles.  It's easy to trust God a little, but this passage is telling us to trust God 100%.  If we aren't trusting God 100%, then, we are still trusting in ourselves and leaning on our own ways.  God wants us to trust in him with all of our hearts through all of our struggles, for he is glorified in our lives when we put our hope solely in him.

King David understood the importance of Israel coming together during different feasts.  This truth is the centerpiece for Psalm 133, especially verse 1.  It says, "Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!"  David knew the impact a unified people could have as an encouragement to the nation and as an evangelistic tool to the non-believing nations around them. 

The people of Lighthouse Community Church come together each Sunday in unity to praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The truth that we as Christ's disciples are unified is an important aspect for us to remember.  Our unity in Christ is overlooked when we mistakenly think we are unified because of common past experience, or live in proximity together, or being part of the same ministry.  We are unified because of Jesus Christ and only because of him. 

When we remember we are unified because of Christ, then God will be able to use us for different purposes.  One area is in evangelism.  Non-Christians will be able to see what true unity looks like.  The Apostle John wrote in John 13:34 and 35, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." 

Another purpose in remembering our unity in Christ is when we may have differences or disagreements with one another.  We all understand that when sinners, even forgiven sinners congregate, there will be disagreements and broken relationships.  When we remember the unity that we have in Christ Jesus, then it is good and pleasant. 

You can apply this truth of unity through Jesus in two different ways.  One way is to contact someone in our congregation this week and encourage them to remember and savor Jesus.  You can encourage them through writing a letter, sending a card, sending over flowers, baking them cookies, or just visiting them.  Tangible things will help to unify us.

Another way you can apply this truth is to prayerfully meet with someone who you may have hurt or you may have been hurt by.  Broken relationships or relationships in conflict must be dealt with in ways that are truthful, loving, and kind so that God may be glorified.

I hope that the Lighthouse church family will understand the truth of how good and pleasant it is when God's people are unified as one. 

I really like the illustration used here which is that of a courtroom scene. The term "advocate" literally means one who comes along side, but the general view is that it has in mind is a courtroom scene in which a lawyer comes before God on our behalf.

I used to enjoy courtroom dramas and as I would watch I would imagine what it would be like to be certain characters in the story.  Sometimes I would be the prosecuting attorney trying to bring some criminal to justice. Other times I would be the judge trying to be a beacon of justice. Other times I would be the plaintiff trying to win a case against some evil corporate entity. But in the 1 John scene, realize who the characters are. God is the Judge, Jury, and Executioner who is the epitome of justice and has the right to judge and deal out punishment. Jesus is the defense attorney. Who then is the criminal in this story? We are! But don't imagine yourself as some marginalized citizen looking for a break. In fact the trial is over and the verdict is in. We are guilty and deserve the court's greatest punishment.

So, using a little sanctified imagination, try to picture the scene putting yourself in the place of the convicted criminal:

Setting: The scene opens with your head on the desk. The Judge has asked if you have any words in your defense. Do you have any words to offer the court to explain the life you have lived? You just shake your head... after all, what could you say? In the presence of perfect justice you have no excuse for any one of your sins, must less a lifetime of sin. So you are silent. Jesus, the Advocate, then stands up. He is the hero of the story. He is the righteous One, so He can stand and speak to the righteous Judge and even make requests of Him.

Advocate: "Judge, I am here to plead for mercy on behalf of this criminal. I know he is guilty, but I am asking for the court to dismiss the charges and declare this lawbreaker innocent"

Judge: "Your love for this person is great, but you know that I cannot do that. This court is just... I am just. So I cannot just dismiss his offense, it must be punished. Death awaits him."

Advocate: "You love him like I love him. Is there anything that can be done?"

Judge: "You know there is only one thing that can be done. Someone must die in his place. Someone must take the punishment that he deserves. A propitiation must be made. But herein lies the problem. Every one of these other persons in this courtroom is also a criminal. None of them have lived a perfect life. None of them has a righteous life that can be credited to your client's account. In fact they are waiting their own judgment and you can be assured, each one of them is guilty and each one of them will be convicted."

*[Then the Judge and the Advocate take a sidebar as your life hangs in the balance. That is when the Advocate comes back and says the words that are stunning.]

Advocate: "I will do it. I will die in his place. I have lived the perfect life. I am the only one who doesn't deserve punishment so I will bear Your wrath for him."

Judge: "Understand what this means. I am going to credit this sinner, this criminal with Your life. In the eyes of the court, he will be innocent. It will be as if he never sinned and as if he lived Your righteous life. On the other hand You will be credited with his life. Every sin is Your sin and You will be treated as if You lived his life. You will bear my full wrath and the wrath of this court. There will be no mercy for You, there will be no reprieve. It's Your life for his."

[There is a moment of silence, you can't even fathom that Jesus would even consider such an unfair proposition.]

Advocate:  "He has nothing to offer me, but he does trust me. He knows that apart from me, he deserves the full brunt of Your wrath. But I will be his Savior. I will take his place."

[You watch as Jesus is led out of the courtroom to go to the cross and die in your place. But the story doesn't end there, there is a twist that we read later in 1 John 4:10, "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."]

[There is a flashback to the courtroom scene and we hear the contents of the sidebar in which the Judge talks to the Advocate.]

Judge:  "Son..."

[There is a pause so that people can take in the unfathomable fact that this Advocate that is being led to the cross is the Judge's Son.]

Judge:  "I want You to do this. You need to give Your life for his. My love for You is perfect, but I also love him very much. You know that I am a just Judge so payment must be made, this is the only way. You have to die in his place. "

[Screen fades to black.]

            If this were a movie, you would be speechless. This is not only because it has the twist to end all twists, but because it is a demonstration of love that has never been seen in all of eternity. But this isn't just a movie. It is the picture that John paints about when Christians come before God one day. It is our Advocate coming before the Judge and saying, "My life for his." The amazing thing is this, one day when we stand before God to be judged, no longer must we remain silent. When asked if we are guilty, we can now stand up in court and say these simple words, "Christ died for me and so my guilt is His guilt, I am innocent because He was innocent." In a sense, this is the most amazing court room drama of all time and we are a part of it, and because of Christ, though we are guilty, we are declared innocent.

                The Roman Christians wondered if it was permissible for them to eat "unclean" meat.  Some thought perhaps it would be better to eat only vegetables.  Others disagreed.  Which made you more holy? For Paul, eating or not eating the meat in question was not the real issue.  What mattered most was that their decisions followed certain guidelines that honored God.

                Here is a helpful set of guidelines from Romans 14 regarding grey areas.  This list was compiled by one of my seminary professors:

1) Be convinced of what is right and wrong for you and live accordingly (14:5, 22-23)

                When it comes to issues without a clear right or wrong, be convinced in your own mind what is right and hold to that conviction.  Others may not agree with you 100%, but the important thing is that you determine for yourself what is best and follow through with it.

2) Don't judge others (14:1-4)

                Whatever you decide to do in regards to a questionable, minor issue, don't judge or look down upon others that may disagree with you.  Be careful about being haughty.  Your convictions may not be for everyone.  Have a spirit of humility towards those who disagree.

3) Don't cause another to stumble (14:13)

                Whatever your stance happens to be, make sure your freedom does not cause another person to stumble.  Although you may have the freedom to act according to your convictions, you should never use your freedom in such a way that harms another's faith.  Love must always be paramount when acting out of your convictions.

4) Seek peace with, build up, and accept one another (14:19, 15:17)

                Whatever your decisions are regarding grey areas, make sure you live at peace with all those in the body of Christ.  There will always be minor differences within a body of believers.  The church body should always accept each other despite such little differences.

                So let's look at an issue in today's world.  As an adult, can I watch an R rated movie?  The answer is possibly yes and possibly no.  If it's your conviction that your watching a particular movie is God honoring, will not cause you or someone else to stumble, will not harm the body of believers, and will not make you judgmental of those who choose not to watch the movie, then by these principles it would be fine.  On the other hand, if by your watching a particular movie it causes you or someone else to stumble, makes you arrogant, brings division in the body of Christ, or goes against your convictions, then what you're doing is probably sin.  The same principles can be applied to drinking alcohol, gambling, and other questionable areas.

                Christians will disagree on many issues of personal liberty.  Paul didn't expect everyone to perfectly agree on every grey area.  What matters is that each person's choices follow the aforementioned principles. God is honored when we carefully make decisions with the intent of honoring Him above all else.

But apart from all of those wonderful things, it was such a good time to serve the pueblos in San Pablo and San Felipe. We partnered with Pastor Rolando, who has been working hard in the rural areas of Oaxaca to bring the gospel to the people. Many of the smaller towns in Oaxaca are either Catholic or don´t believe in God at all, so it was quite an experience to do Vacation Bible Schools at both sites.

At our first site on the first day, we had more ADULTS than kids, but Denisse said that each one of them could find their ïnner child¨and bring him out to play. We did crafts, puppet shows, a Bible story and lots of games and all, the kiddies and grown-ups alike enjoyed it.

The second site was at Lorenzo and Yolanda´s home. Throughout the week, we got to know them and found out that they had just recently become new believers! Their story of what Christ is already doing in their lives is amazing. When Lorenzo was living in Chicago to work, he used to drink, party and argue a lot with his wife, but now God has saved both of them and has been changing them. =) So exciting. Please continue to pray for them because Lorenzo will be going back to the U.S. to work for a few years. Please pray for him and his wife, that they´ll continue to grow in their faith in the Lord!

Hm... I had so much more to write last week, but my mind is blank right now. We´re just touring the city and seeing the cultural sites. The World AIDS Conference is in town and we´ve run into a lot of people in our hostel who are attending the conference. Apparently Bill Clinton is one of the guest speakers. Heh.

On Sunday, when we were meeting together, we talked about the summer and read Galatians 5:19-23 together:

¨Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.¨

We realized that for most of the summer, we hadn´t demonstrated the fruit of the Spirit... but as we continued to pray and talk things out, we begin to reconcile relationships. Unfortunately and sadly, not all are all mended, so please continue to pray for those who are holding onto things. Only the Lord can completely heal brokenness in relationships.

Anywhoo, my teammate needs to use the computer, so I gotta jet. Thank you so much for YOU. Yay. Until we meet again!

Kaycee

I've probably committed a cardinal sin of devotional writing by titling this piece with two heavily technical words, but it is nevertheless appropriate in describing Paul's response after a thorough unpacking of God's plan for salvation in Romans 9-11. After talking about Jews and Gentiles and their respective parts in God's plan for redemption-a subject that is not the focus of this devotion-Paul is moved with a proper fear of the Lord, that reverential awe that returns to the simple truth that "from him and through him and to him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36).

There is as much to learn in Paul's worship than in the scholarship of the preceding chapters. Martin Luther wrote that Romans is "the most important piece in the New Testament," where one finds "the richest possible teaching about what a Christian should know: the meaning of law, Gospel, sin, punishment, grace, faith, justice, Christ, God, good works, love, hope, and the cross" (from Luther's Preface on the Letter to the Romans). And how does Paul respond as he is considers the profundity of the truths he details? He marvels at "how unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways" (Romans 11:33).  This is not merely throwing up his hands exclaiming, "I give up God! I don't get it!" Instead, it is the reverence of a man, one to whom God has revealed much, as he realizes and celebrates the fact that we cannot possibly know the mind of God.

This leads to another observation: this inability for our finite minds to comprehend God's ways is not a stumbling block for faith, but is rather cause for praise. So many today say they cannot believe in a God that does not make it clear what He is doing, or they refuse to follow God because things happen that do not make sense. First, many people are really saying that they will not serve a God who does not handle things the way they would-which is pure pride and ignorance. Second, this is such a limited view of who God is: He is much bigger than that; He is a God who declares that "my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (Isaiah 55:8).

Having spent the past Bible study season looking into The Joy of Fearing God, this topic is hardly new to anyone. Yet, to see Paul practice that reverential awe, and to practice it in the midst of perhaps the greatest exposition of the Christian faith is such an encouragement to us.  So, studying God, His character, His purposes, and His plans, should never be an academic exercise in isolation, but should lead to proper worship. And the inverse is true as well; namely, proper worship should be based on considering the totality of God and not an empty emotional experience. Can it be emotional? Absolutely. In fact, Paul's use of "O" to begin the doxology communicates an emotional crying out to God. However, emotion for emotion's sake strays from the proper worship God desires.

As you continue your study in Romans and beyond, let Paul's model of theology to doxology be instructive. May you sit before our God, awestruck at who He is, what He has done, and what He continues to do.

King David was a bonafide celebrity in the nation of Israel. As the prolific general who would garner victory after victory on the battlefield, as the talented musician and lyricist, as the able king who expanded the realm of his rule beyond anything his nation had previously seen, David was the word's most beautiful, talented, and wealthy. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel catalogue his meteoric rise to the top from humble shepherd to trusted aid to victorious king. But as many celebrities are wont to do, David suffered his own tragic fall. Second Samuel 11-12 record the infamous account of the king's affair with Bathsheba, the resulting pregnancy, and the subsequent murder of Bathsheba's husband Uriah.

Thank God the Bible is not a tabloid. God does not use His Word to drag His people through the dirt only to leave them shamed, crushed, and hopeless. The Bible goes beyond merely reporting the tragic downfall of a king, but illuminates the glorious redemption of God in the life of a sinner.

David penned Psalm 51 after his sin had been revealed and condemned by the prophet Nathan. The fallen king's divinely inspired words offer hope, not just for his own life, but for all who have ever failed God. The Psalm paints one of the richest pictures of repentance and forgiveness in all of Scripture. He pleads for forgiveness on the basis of God's covenant, steadfast love and abundant mercy (v. 1). Despite the immense relational damage his sin has wrought, David recognizes that God is the primary one who has been sinned against (v. 4). The psalm reaches its climax in the verse 10, where David pleads that God "create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." The king realizes that the source of his sin was his own sinful heart, and the only solution to his sin is a heart that has been cleansed and made new by a gracious God.

How could such a sinner like David be forgiven? How could such sinners like you and me be forgiven? God's answer to David's Psalm 51 and to our own cries for mercy came at the cross, where Jesus suffered the penalty of our sin in our place. He died for King David, for this David, and for all who trust in Him for salvation. May this week be filled with gratitude to the God who forgives "according to [His] steadfast, according to [His] abundant mercy" (Psalm 51:1)!

I only have 6 more days how in Davao, Philippines and I will be heading home early Monday morning! I'm sad to leave here since I feel that my time here is so short, but I'm also excited to go home.

I just finished my assessment for my missions trip that I will be presenting to the team during our team meeting this afternoon, and I've been able to do a bit of reflecting on all God has done this past month. It is truly humbling to see God work and it has been a privilege to labor for God. Even though a lot of the ministries here requires long term perspective, I am glad that I was able to a small part of their work and a minute part of God's perfect plan. Overall, I've gained a greater perspective of God and His work in the urban poor communities. Most importantly, I am constantly reminded of my purpose in life- to glorify God. I've also come to experience the power of the prayer and the centrality of the gospel.

Just to fill you in:
I'm still working with the two different preschools for the last week that I'm here. I've come to understand some of Bisaya so I can somewhat communicate with the little kids. They are bundles of joy and energy!

We have our last health day this Friday at another Muslim community. The first two went well, I was surprised how much the kids retained from what I taught them about hygiene and the importance of brushing their teeth.

I'm been doing tutorials with the street children three times a week. Even though it's difficult to get them to concentrate, we've seen progress in some of the kids and it is truly a blessing. I just love spending time with the kids and being able to hold them and love them. We've had complications with one of the homeless families because of some "signs"of child abuse, so continue to pray for wisdom for God as the team decides what is best for the family take initiative to help them. PRAY PRAY PRAY!!!

Yesterday I had a great hour and a half conversation with one of the street youth named Bryan. He is a 15 year old boy who was in an orphanage for 4 to 5 years and because of some conflict was asked to leave. He has been on the streets for two years with his biological father, and he dropped out of school a couple months ago because of other "complications". As our conversation got deeper, he shared with me some of the things he learned from the orphanage and a lot of his hopes for the future. This 15 year old boy has the same dreams as most of us when we were 15 and growing up in VERY blessed homes compared to him. I found out he likes to read and so I asked him what he likes to read. He told me he has read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and he wants to be able to read more. Then our conversation took a turn and I was so encouraged to hear the hopes that He has in Christ. Most of these street youths are truly searching for something in life and some, like Bryan, still hope in Christ. I was able to chat with him some about the Bible and about the significance of the Gospel. Pray that I can continue to build on our conversation as I return to the park everyday this week. Pray that even as I leave (and some of the other short term workers leave) that God will move the long term workers to continue to build on these relationships.

That's it for now. Time for lunch and meeting! Hope to hear from you all soon!!!!!!! (I'll be seeing some of you in a week or so!)

Blessings,
Berry

The weather here is currently rainy.  We have quite a ways to walk back to the house we´re staying at, but maybe we´ll take a cute little moto-taxi (they´re about 1/2 the size of a VW Bug.  Fun!)

Oh the Joys of Camps!

Last Friday, we finished up the week of ministry at Dios Es Amor for the kiddie camp and youth camp.  What did I do?  I played ´cafeteria lady´and served the kiddies their food (hot dogs, cereal, spaghetti, pancakes-- a very American menu, although we did have beans and rice for a few meals.  Haha), tried to explain the crafts in Spanish, played with the kids and... well... yeah.  The group from Corona was pretty self-sufficient and didn´t need much guiding, so I just helped out whenever and wherever I could.

My favorite highlights of the week were:  1)  Getting to know Pastor Jesus Vera, pastor at Dios Es Amor.  He reminds me of a clean shaven version of Santa Claus, with a big booming voice and jolly laugh.  Haha.  He is such a wise person and a funny funny guy.

2)  Serving with the youth and getting to know them-- I felt pretty welcomed and at home amongst the youth, despite the fact that I´m not a native Spanish speaker.  They have big hearts to serve the Lord and the kiddies.

3)  Getting to chat with some of the CCAC (Johnson, Christine, Allen).  I was quite sad I didn´t get to staff for their group, but it was so good to see them down in Mexico, serving!

Adios Ensenada!

Brian, Joy, Diana, Diana & I left Tijuana at 1:45 am on Sunday morning to fly into Oaxaca.  I was sad to leave my second home (Ensenada), but it´s also nice being in Oaxaca.  It´s very green and rainy at times.  Interestingly enough, I felt homesick on Monday night, but I´ve been doing better since then as I readjust to being down here.

What excited me the most was the arrival of the group from Guadalajara!  Pastor Raul, his wife Elena,  plus 2 other youth came to serve with us this week.  THeir oldest son, Raulito, had to stay behind because he´s paralyzed from the mid waist down =(  Their family continues to encourage me everytime I see them... The Lord has always provided for them, although it hasn´t been easy.  They still lack a wheelchair sufficient for Raulito´s needs and a few other things... Please continue to pray for their family, for strength for all of them and for continued patience and faith in the Lord.

The VBS Marathon

This week, we´re working with a missionary couple,  Amerigo & Norma.  Interestingly enough, Amerigo is from El Salvador & Norma from Mexico... and they met in the United States!  Haha.  I´ve been running into a LOT of people who either have family up in L.A. (Santa Monica or Whittier area) or who have been to the U.S.  Anywhoo, Amerigo is the pastor at 3 missionary churches in the area.  It´s been fun getting to know them and playing with their kids, Ruth & Julian.

And so, our assignment this week:  2 teams, 4 Vacation Bible Schools-- Woo hoo!  On Monday we started our week of VBS.  The group that I´m in is in 2 locations-- Tlacolula (try saying that 10x fast!) in the AM and San Miguel in the PM.  I was super nervous going into the week because it was just me, Diana Monrroy and 2 of the Guadalajara youth for VBS (Joy & Ann are doing Women´s ministry) and well, this is the first year that I´m not with Camilo.  God has been so faithful and good.  I´ve had to lead the game time a few times, but I just run out there with the kids and they come up with the games I just roll with it.  Haha.  In San Miguel, it was pretty hard for the kids to warm up to us.  The culture is very Zapotecan and conservative and there were a few cultural barriers that even the Mexicans had to adjust themselves to!  But it´s been so much fun to play with the kids.  =)

I´ve had to remind myself many times this week that I´m here to serve the Lord, not myself.  Duh.  But ít´s so easy to go about the day, being selfish and complaining to oneself¨, "I´ve got so many bug bites and they´re killing me... I´m so tired... It´s not going the way I planned... etc" and forget that the Christian life wasn´t meant to be easy.  When I complain, I complain against GOD and what He has done for me and blessed me with. 

Heya, how are things on the U.S. side of the border?  Let me know!  =)

Take much care.  Thank you so much for praying for me... for reading this emails and... yes!  Let´s go grab a cup of Mexican hot chocolate and pan dulce when I get back!

Hasta luego.

Kaycee

In Acts chapter 20, we find the Apostle Paul in such a situation. Here he is giving his last words before he would leave behind the people and Church at Ephesus whom he dearly loved. Luke gives us the touching recount of Paul's final departure from Ephesus in verses 17 to 38. Paul was very beloved as a spiritual Father to the Ephesians and they were very dear to him. You can imagine the emotionally charged farewell as it took place. Paul had poured out his life to the Ephesians while he was in Asia, but would never see these believers and the Church there again until he saw them in glory. Verse 25 reveals as much to us.

We probably have a hard time imagining how hard it must have been for Paul. But even in that trying, difficult, and emotional time, Paul's final personal encouragement for the elders of the Church in Ephesus was ultimately to follow his example in their lives and leadership. The same call to emulate Paul is relevant for us today.

Paul served the Lord with humility v.18-21

First, Paul served with humility. Through tears and trials Paul did not think highly of himself, but highly of those whom would profit despite his pain. His leadership was marked by valuing others more highly than he valued himself.

Paul suffered for the gospel v.22-24

Secondly, Paul suffered for the sake of the gospel and for teaching about repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Previously, Paul had been subject to much criticism and persecution. More astounding than that is the fact that Paul knew by the Spirit of God what awaited him in Jerusalem - torture, pain, bonds, affliction, and ultimately death. Yet he did not consider his life or his comfort important, but rather the ministry and the grace he received from God. Our lives are not as important as we naturally think. A life poured out for the sake of the gospel is truly precious.

Paul preached, taught, and admonished with love v.25-31

In verse 31, Paul reminds the Ephesian elders of how he taught and admonished each one of them "with tears." Paul taught and corrected the Christians in Ephesus with great affection and conviction. In fact, all the ministry done in the Church at Ephesus was done according to the great love Paul had for the saints there. Paul did not shrink from declaring the whole purpose of God and likewise asked the elders of the Church to not shrink from their duty of guarding the flock with great love and care. When we shepherd others, when we disciple children or teach one another, we must do so with love and care to the point of crying. As Christians, Christ has called us to love one another.

Paul lived an obedient and generous life v.33-35

Finally, Paul lived a humble life of obedience and generosity. Paul worked hard and ministered to the weak in obedience to Christ. Even though he was an apostle, Paul took the call to follow Christ in his personal life seriously. The Ephesian elders were to remember how Paul lived his life and then live their lives in the same manner, understanding the truth that it is better to give than to receive. So must we if we are to honor God in our leadership.

That Paul could tell the leaders and believers at Ephesus to simply do as he had done is a testimony to God's wonderful grace that was at work in his life and ministry. His parting words are such an encouragement and yet so piercingly convicting at the same time.

Each one of us will eventually say goodbye (at least for a while) to every person we have known on this earth. What will be the goodbye message that we give? Can we say as Paul did to "follow my example?" Will the recounting of our lives be enough to encourage believers to grow in their faith and commitment to Jesus Christ?

In our families, in our fellowship groups, and in our friendships each of us will leave behind a memory of how we lived.  What example will you leave behind?

Ultimate Fulfillment in Eternity

As the Gospel is preached throughout the world, God's elect from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages are translated from death to life and heaven awaits them all! The picture given in Rev 7:9 is in many ways a startling one. For whatever reason, the typical Christian vision of heaven has some element of conformity and uniformity. Perhaps that is because of the striking image of the white robes of the innumerable multitude (Rev 7:9), or because we think mainly of our Christian friends and family who tend to be culturally similar to us when contemplating heaven. There is often an unstated assumption that in heaven we will all be one people who have the same culture, the same nationality, the same ways of thinking, even, perhaps, the same style of worship and the same taste in music. On the other end of the spectrum, we sometimes say with tongue firmly in cheek that there will be an organ section, a rock band section and another area where the older saints will be playing their lyres and lutes. There seems to be an unstated understanding that there will either be a complete unity (which tends to put me in mind of the clone army from Star Wars - white armor, perfectly synchronized march and all!), or a full expression of individual preferences with complete understanding (or is it tolerance?) from everyone else.

However, John's vision of heaven is quite different. As glory is given to God there is indication that there will be distinct nations in the eternal state. Other than the specific mention of the varied nations, tribes, peoples and languages in the context of the multitude who worship God in Rev 7:9, Rev 14:6 mentions them in the context of the ones to whom the Gospel is proclaimed. Furthermore, there is indication that God is glorified as different nations come in worship in the eternal state. Rev 21:24 and 26 gives a snapshot of heaven where the nations, complete with kings, walk by the light of the New Jerusalem. Rev 15:4 indicates that it is all nations who come and worship and give glory to God. Similarly, Ps 86:9 reads, "All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name" (author's emphasis). Interestingly, in Rev 21:3, the word commonly translated people is in the plural (laoi), rendering the verse, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them as their God,"[1] indicating that the final state will be one where distinct people groups will exist.

The human residents of heaven, the ones who were made to fulfill God's purpose for creation by fulfilling their ultimate purpose of worshipping and glorifying God, are more than just the people of God. The innumerable multitude are the peoples of God, who are gloriously united in their declaration of praise to Him. Interestingly, in the book of Revelation, we are constantly told the words of praise that the multitudes declare to God, yet we are never told what the melody is. Can we truly expect believers from all tribes and tongues and nations to only express their worship in just one way? Are we then to say that our own way is the way this is to be done? Of course not. It is the identities of those who declare the worship and the state of harmony that they have under the Gospel and the rule of God that completes the restoration of all things, adding another glorious facet to an already immensely majestic chorus of praise. It is here that Babel's curse is finally and fully broken, when the disparate notes of many people and nations join together to form one glorious harmony.

Imagine the parade of nations that opens the Olympic Games, each in their finery. Now replace athletes with believers from every nation from every walk of life. Add to this the thousands upon thousands from each nation, from all of history. There is the converted African militia man, the Chinese martyr, the American mother and the Romanian orphan. Each with their unique stories of grace, the testimony of God's unyielding love that brought them to their knees. See them come together, the innumerable multitude, standing before the throne of God. People, saints of God, further than the eye can see. There is excitement in the air, there are those who just stand in awe, others who are dancing in celebration. The murmur of the crowd is deafening. But suddenly, as one...

They begin to sing.

As New Jerusalem resounds with the majestic declaration of praise, a harmony grander than earthly words can describe, hear the distinct parts: the jazzy improvisation of an American believer, the deep beat of the African tribal music, the hauntingly beautiful Chinese harmonization, the joyful strains of Irish folk songs and the steady voices of ancient chants. Each different, yet each the same. They declare the same glory, praise the same God. There is no discord, only perfect harmony. Thousands upon thousands of voices raised in united praise, each unique, each distinct, building together into one glorious, majestic harmony:

"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns!"

In that eternal moment, as the multitude in heaven raises its voice in thunderous praise, part of that worship is an implicit wonderment that acknowledges God's reversal of the curse of Babel. Once, man was united in language and nationality, yet also tragically united in rebellion against God. But God has worked gloriously in, through and in spite of man's Babel-tainted rejection of God and anyone who is different from himself, bringing a unity that is deeper than anything language, nationality, culture, or race could ever hope to achieve. God transforms fallen man at his deepest core, indwelling him with His One Spirit, and in doing so produces a bond between the regenerate that transcends every worldly distinction. This is done not to make everyone alike, but to have a Body of many varied members. What is the glory in making an multitude of clones? Is there not greater glory in uniting that which was once at war, bringing forth peace and harmony from strife and chaos? Is that not the story of Redemption?

What the greatest minds and mightiest political leaders have strived for centuries to achieve, God through the Gospel has succeeded in doing, and infinitely more! The visions in Revelation are a celebration of cultural distinctives within the unity of the Spirit made possible only through the blood of Christ by the will of the Father. While there is good indication that this will be an aspect of heaven, we cannot be absolutely sure.  But, there are two things we know for sure; 1) that it will be greater, grander, better and more glorious than anything we can imagine, and 2) that the nations will rejoice as one, as many, as God's people, as God's peoples for all eternity!

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,

and let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"

- 1 Chr 16:31

[1] Piper, Let the Nations, pg 184.

Church service at Pastor Martin's starts at 12:00 pm (late, eh?), so we have some time to kill. =)

Presentin' da 2008 AIL Team- wooo hoo!
Workin' in close quarters with people is an experience. We laugh together, pray together cry together, get on each others' nerves, insult each other and offend each other, but at the end of the day, we all know that we're united by Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us. Here's a little breakdown:
1) Becca- my team leader from Idaho; teaches during the year and does AIL during the summer; she's fantastic; please pray for her as she coordinates ministry things (been workin w/ AIL for 10+ years)
2) Dave- executive of AIL; like a 2nd dad to me while I'm down here; please pray for wisdom as AIL continues to branch out to do other ministries in Mexico
3) Brian & Joy- both married, living in Las Vegas & workin as HS teachers; Brian translates for us and is the muscle for the team of primarily all girls; Joy- my prayer partner this year, very sweet and good to talk to; please pray for them as they serve the Lord together as hubby and wifey
4) Diana Monrroy- just graduated H.S. in Ensenada, Pastor Chava's daughter; good at teaching the kids at VBS; funny gal; please pray for her as she teaches the kids
5) Diana- 1st timer from Oregon; going to Gonzaga next year; brings a new dynamic to the team; please pray for her-- she's been homesick and has some other issues that have been bothering her
6) Camilo- been workin' w/ AIL for a few years coordinating Children's Ministries; from Ensenada; married to Reina & has a little girl, Diane; please pray for him as his family moves to Oaxaca; please pray especially for his marriage and his wife-- it's hard being a wife of a man in ministry.

4th of July Exists in Mexico (and so does the 5th of July and 6th of July... haha)
We had our own little 4th of July party with Pastor Martin & Marine (they're 2 of UCLA AACF's favorites... hehe) and Hermana Rebeca and her fiance! If I haven't already told you, Hermana Rebeca, who has been our faithful cook for AIL for the past 11 years, is getting married this coming Saturday!! Her husband to be is none other than... her former husband! They were separated for a few years and she's been praying long and hard for him to be saved. About 2 years ago, he started coming to his daughter Marine's church and... the Lord saved him and changed his life =) My teammate commented that they are the cutest 'old people' couple that she's ever seen and ain't that the truth. I've never seen Hermana Rebeca so happy and.... gah, it's just so cute.
Yesterday, we went over to the house she'll be living in to give it a paint job (it's a lovely lavender color now) and just enjoy the day with her and her fiance, Alfredo. These are the times I enjoy the most, sitting around and chatting with our friends and family down here.

WA-CA-OR
A combo group from WA, OR & CA came down to do VBS/Bible Olympics over at Pastor Chava's church (he's also a favorite of UCLA's AACF). What a week! The group was big (40+ people), but my, they have such servant's hearts. They were fantastic with loving the kids over at Pastor Chava's and they served the Lord with all that they were. They were also fantastic with workin' on the new building for Dios Es Amor Church, the big project' for all summer long that all the American groups are going to have a chance to work on. :)

I don't feel like I'm "on a missions trip." It feels just like I'm at home, except that everyone speaks Spanish. Haha. But yanno, that's okay. God has called us to be 'on mission' all the time, no matter where we're at. We are to be "lights of the world" and let our good deeds shine before ALL men so that they may see our good deeds and praise our FATHER who is in heaven. My life down here for the next 2 months is to be the same as my life during the other 10 months of the year. So, serve God wherever you're at right now-- work, school or at play-- because that's where he's placed you. =)

Thank you MUCHISIMO for praying for me and for emailing me. I'm sorry that I don't have time to reply to your emails, but I got them =) Take much care and let me know how I can pray for you. Take much care!

::Kaycee::

P.S. Lighthouse is coming this week to serve! YAY!!
--
PSALM 145:17- "The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works."

We often think of the Psalms as songs of praise and adoration, but they can be quite instructive as well. Psalm 1 tell us how we can live a blessed life; let's take a look.

V1 "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;"

First we learn how not to live a blessed life: associate with the wicked. When we let the ways of the world (who have rejected God's truth) influence us, we lose out on blessings.

V2 "but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he mediates day and night."

There's the secret! That's it. To be blessed, we must delight in the law of the Lord. That means we are to live out and obey God's Word not out of mere obedience, but out of joy. We don't see God's law as a bunch of do's and don'ts, but as a path to true blessings. And so we immerse ourselves in his Word. We study, mediate on, thirst for it day and night.

V3 "He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither."

Like a continually refreshed tree, we will be filled by God's word and yield abundant, lasting fruit. That's blessing!

V4-5 "The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;"

God's word allows us to stand firm both through the trials of this life and the final judgment to come. More blessing!

V6 "for the Lord knows the way of the righteous; but the way of the wicked will perish."

Finally, God will know our way. He will walk with us intimately as our guide, sustainer and refuge. He will not allow us to perish.

If you want to live this life of blessings, of fruit, of walking with the Lord, then ask yourself - how do you view God's word? Is it an outdated, out of touch, only somewhat relevant guide? Is scripture something you think you know pretty well from years of being a Christian, and now you turn to only occasionally or once a week at church? Or do you read a couple of chapters because you know you're supposed to and feel satisfied that you've done your daily duty? Or is it the living infallible voice of the Lord that is sufficient for all things, that sustains, directs, teaches, convicts and transforms your life? Do you truly delight in God's word and meditate on it continually? I pray that you do and enjoy a life full of blessings.

I'm sitting here in downtown Ensenada, a bit sad, but at the same time, so thankful that God let me spend the week with the Lighthouse kiddos. It was refreshing to serve alongside of them and hang out. One of the lovely blessings is that just as the Lighthouse Youth Group was leaving, 4 of my UCLA friends came down for Hermana Rebeca's wedding. When they go home tomorrow, friends from Community Christian Alliance Church will be coming later in the day to serve for the week. Yippie!

Building relationships (and buildings too):
In the mornings, Lighthouse worked on the Dios Es Amor church building for a few days, putting up drywall on the second floor. They worked with such gusto. Hehe. And in the afternoons we all went to Guadalupe, Pastor Claudio's church, to have a VBS for a few of the kids. Man-- it's just so cool to work at the same sites over the years because you see the kids grow up. I've known some of the VBS kids down here in Mexico longer than I've known.. some of you! Crazy to think about, eh?

The youth group continued to build relationships within the group and within the AIL staff and within the church at Guadalupe. I absolutely loved seeing them work hard and give their all in whatever they did. Some dressed up as clowns- heh heh. Others cleaned the boys and girls' bathrooms (which isn't an easy task since the used toilet paper goes in a trashcan next to the toilet, ick). But they did it cheerfully. I miss the already, but I'll be seeing them soon. :)

Taking up Your Cross:
I was reading Matt. 10:37-39 this past week and pondering it. "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Hm... so as I live life and make decisions, are they based on loving other things, loving comfort, loving other people more than God himself? Please pray for me as I fight to love... Jesus alone!

Well, that's all for this edition of Chocoflan. I hope you'll tune in next time. The team splits up this week, as we host 3 different churches. I'll be staying at Dios Es Amor with 3 other teammates for a week of kiddie camp. YAY! Then we'll be off to Oaxaca next Saturday for 2 weeks of ministry there. Crazy!

Thank you for your friendship and support. Miss you guys. Come visit me and I'll feed you tortas and tacos and fill you with Manzana (apple) soda.

<3 kaycee

--
PSALM 145:17- "The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works."

Wow, I'm almost at the 2 weeks mark since I've arrived in the Philippines. A lot has happened in the last two weeks and since my last update about a week ago. Time passes by so fast here and in another 2 weeks I'll be returning home.

What I have been doing:
After one week of orientation, meeting the team, joining in on all the team meetings, and sitting in on all of the different ministries/projects, I've started picking up a few of my own ministries this past week. Every morning I teach preschool English at a muslim community from 6:30am to 8:30am, and then I travel about 30 minutes to another muslim community and teach another preschool class from 9:30am to 11:30am. It's been amazing working with the little ones even though I don't understand them and they probably don't understand me. haha The language that they speak here in the southern philippines is called Bisaya, and it's different from Tagalog. A few of the words are similar to Spanish (which I can semi-understand), but for the most part I just nod and smile. I've been going through the alphabet with the kids, and teaching them how to write them, pronounce the letters, and we're also working on writing the first 5 numbers. The best part about teaching the preschool classes is that usually I try to arrive a bit earlier and stay a bit later so I can talk with the teachers. Hopefully through my interaction with the teachers that I can build relationships with them and to be able to show Christ's love. The condition of the preschools is not the best, but they make do with what they have. The kids are so delighted when someone different comes in to teach them and play with them. Hopefully I'll be able to spend more time with the teachers and really have meaningful conversations with them.

I'm also coordinating 3 health days for the kids in three different muslim communities for the next two weeks. I'll be doing a general health education with the kids and some of the moms, teaching them the importance of hygiene and eating healthy. A few of the other short termers (ServeAsia workers) will be helping me with teaching the kids to brush their teeth, comb their hair, clean their nails and clip them, wash their hands. These may sound really basic to us, but a lot of the children in these communities do not have access to any of the things above. Toothbrushes and nail clippers are too expensive for them to buy, and many of the families do not have direct access to clean water.
Two of the communities are built here the beach, and the tides mixed with the rain create floods underneath their houses. Many of them use that water for everyday living. So as a team we are providing all of the material for the health day and hopefully they will be able to carry on some of these practices at home.

Every Wednesday and Friday night, Kimmie and I have been participating in the night walks. What we do is we go out around 8pm and we go to a park in the downtown Davao area to play with the homeless children and hang out with the homeless adults. It has been eye opening to see their living conditions and what they call home. Many of them have so much to say and so many stories to tell that it just breaks my heart. There has been ongoing tutorials for the homeless kids to help them with their school work, and I am helping out on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday afternoons. Many of the homeless kids are either repeating first grade several times already or have given up in school and dropped out altogether. Some of the other SA workers (some are here for one year) have been trying to work with them to get them motivated to go back to school. After playing with the homeless kids we then move over to the street youth several blocks down. Many of these boys live on the streets and they work by parking cars for people to make money to buy food. I met a 18 year old Daduon who parks cars all day just to make p40 to eat one meal a day. Then we walk several blocks down again and try to talk with the men in sex trade (MIST) and the gays in sex trade (GIST). These are the two groups of people that break my heart the most. It's hard to understand why they are engaging themselves in such dark professions. They are trapped in the sex trade because this is the only way most of them can make a living. A lot of the MIST have families and children to feed. It's a long process to try to work with them to find alternatives and to rebuild their lives. The capacity to do so for all of them is very limited, but PRAYER is the one thing that I can give...

All in all, this is a place that needs the light of Christ. It's interesting yet puzzling to know that more than 90% of the Philippines is "Catholic" but most by tradition, yet there are muslim communities, homeless communities, and sex trade communities that have never been reached. Even though I'm only here for a short one month, many of the long term missionaries here are giving their lives to show the love of Christ to these people.

Prayer requests:
1. Pray that I will continue to rely on God as I serve Him the next two weeks. It's been busy and tiring, especially when I have to get up so early every morning. Many of the night walks go until 1 or 2 am and I have to get up at 6am the next morning to teach. Pray that I will rely on the strength of God even when my physical body may be tired.
2. Pray for the long term missionaries. Our "host" family has really been so gracious and caring to us, and they are really making us feel at home. Kuya Emo is one of the funniest people I have ever met, always cracking jokes here and there. Ate Kathy is so sweet and very motherly to me and kimmie, so we are so thankful for that. I've been having good conversations with Ate Kathy just about her life and her work on the missions field.
3. Pray that I will continue to be disciplined in the Word. I've been spending time with the Lord daily to reflect on His goodness and my time here serving Him. Pray that I will continue to meditate on the Word and love the Word.
4. /Pray for my grandpa. I got an email from my mom today that grandpa back in LA had to go to the hospital. My mom wasn't too clear in the email, but something about hurting his eye and having to rest for a few days. /

That's it for now! Thanks for all of your prayers and your emails.
Thank you for some of your encouragements via email especially to help me figuring some things out and understanding the different concepts
here on the missions field. Let me know how I can be praying for you
as well. Hopefully I'll be able to update again before the end of next week. ;)

In His grace,
Berry

I just wanted to update you all on any news and such.

We had a health day with the homeless moms and I got to watch all the kiddies. :) I got to use my super skills, courtesy of working in the pink room, and put a diaper on a sleeping baby without waking him up! haha

ANYWAYS, the plan for the rest of my stay...

I will continue helping in the preschool and teaching my english class with the women in one of the Muslim communities.

I will be helping another SAW (serve asia worker) with her dance class.

And I will hang out with one of the homeless girls.

Hopefully through these programs, I can reach them and have wonderful conversations.

Some things you can be thinking about:

-good health

-being a good leader

-humility

Alright... I'm running out of time.

Thank you to those who have emailed me :) I really appreciate it! It's nice to hear what's happening in your lives too!

-Kimmie

From Kaycee, written on June 28...

Hola, friends and fam!

After returning yesterday afternoon from family vacation in Mammoth (hooray!), I unpacked my suitcase only to repack a giant backpack bound for Mexico. I leave in just a few hours-- oh my! But I wanted to thank you for sending me off again this year. God has been so good to bless me with you guys to encourage and partner with me & Adventures in Life (AIL) to ALL go forth TOGETHER to tell the people about the hope we have in Jesus Christ!

The bare essentials:
- My thoughts: I'm feeling a bit of excitement, mixed with a dash of... apprehension? Yeah-- it's my 3rd summer going and I should be used to going to Mexico, but I 'don't feel ready' and I'm sad to leave behind Torrance for a few weeks. But despite how I feel, I'm still going because well, this trip ain't about me. This 'missions trip' exists because of God and for God to give honor and glory to God because He is God... Hm... please remind me of this.
- Departure : 10:00 am-ish from "mi casa" in Torrance.
- Transportation: Well-- my dad and I are packing up our bags and roadtripipng to Ensenada. Please pray for a safe trip to and from Ensenada (my dad's driving back solo after he drops me off).
- Week 1: I believe a group from Brush Prairie, WA is coming down on Monday for a week of VBS and construction??? I'll find out for sure when I get there.

Muchisimas gracias to all. I shall miss your smiling faces (hahaha) for these next few weeks. Have a marvelous weekend.

Till we meet again,

::Kaycee::

Mexico Update: Arrival

From Kaycee, written on July 6...

G'mornin friends and family!

Church service at Pastor Martin's starts at 12:00 pm (late, eh?), so we have some time to kill. =)

Presentin' da 2008 AIL Team- wooo hoo!
Workin' in close quarters with people is an experience. We laugh together, pray together cry together, get on each others' nerves, insult each other and offend each other, but at the end of the day, we all know that we're united by Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us. Here's a little breakdown:
1) Becca- my team leader from Idaho; teaches during the year and does AIL during the summer; she's fantastic; please pray for her as she coordinates ministry things (been workin w/ AIL for 10+ years)
2) Dave- executive of AIL; like a 2nd dad to me while I'm down here; please pray for wisdom as AIL continues to branch out to do other ministries in Mexico
3) Brian & Joy- both married, living in Las Vegas & workin as HS teachers; Brian translates for us and is the muscle for the team of primarily all girls; Joy- my prayer partner this year, very sweet and good to talk to; please pray for them as they serve the Lord together as hubby and wifey
4) Diana Monrroy- just graduated H.S. in Ensenada, Pastor Chava's daughter; good at teaching the kids at VBS; funny gal; please pray for her as she teaches the kids
5) Diana- 1st timer from Oregon; going to Gonzaga next year; brings a new dynamic to the team; please pray for her-- she's been homesick and has some other issues that have been bothering her
6) Camilo- been workin' w/ AIL for a few years coordinating Children's Ministries; from Ensenada; married to Reina & has a little girl, Diane; please pray for him as his family moves to Oaxaca; please pray especially for his marriage and his wife-- it's hard being a wife of a man in ministry.

4th of July Exists in Mexico (and so does the 5th of July and 6th of July... haha)
We had our own little 4th of July party with Pastor Martin & Marine (they're 2 of UCLA AACF's favorites... hehe) and Hermana Rebeca and her fiance! If I haven't already told you, Hermana Rebeca, who has been our faithful cook for AIL for the past 11 years, is getting married this coming Saturday!! Her husband to be is none other than... her former husband! They were separated for a few years and she's been praying long and hard for him to be saved. About 2 years ago, he started coming to his daughter Marine's church and... the Lord saved him and changed his life =) My teammate commented that they are the cutest 'old people' couple that she's ever seen and ain't that the truth. I've never seen Hermana Rebeca so happy and.... gah, it's just so cute.
Yesterday, we went over to the house she'll be living in to give it a paint job (it's a lovely lavender color now) and just enjoy the day with her and her fiance, Alfredo. These are the times I enjoy the most, sitting around and chatting with our friends and family down here.

WA-CA-OR
A combo group from WA, OR & CA came down to do VBS/Bible Olympics over at Pastor Chava's church (he's also a favorite of UCLA's AACF). What a week! The group was big (40+ people), but my, they have such servant's hearts. They were fantastic with loving the kids over at Pastor Chava's and they served the Lord with all that they were. They were also fantastic with workin' on the new building for Dios Es Amor Church, the big project' for all summer long that all the American groups are going to have a chance to work on. :)

I don't feel like I'm "on a missions trip". It feels just like I'm at home, except that everyone speaks Spanish. Haha. But yanno, that's okay. God has called us to be 'on mission' all the time, no matter where we're at. We are to be 'lights of the world' and let our good deeds shine before ALL men so that they may see our good deeds and praise our FATHER who is in heaven. My life down here for the next 2 months is to be the same as my life during the other 10 months of the year. So, serve God wherever you're at right now-- work, school or at play-- because that's where he's placed you. =)

Thank you MUCHISIMO for praying for me and for emailing me. I'm sorry that I don't have time to reply to your emails, but I got them =) Take much care and let me know how I can pray for you. Take much care!

::Kaycee::

P.S. Lighthouse is coming this week to serve! YAY!!

From Berry, written on June 26th . . .

This will be the last Pre-Philippines update because my flight into Manila is in 10 hours!

Thank you for your prayers for my preparation and for the people of the Philippines.  As Oswald Chambers said, "prayer does not equip us for the greater work- prayer IS the greater work."  It's amazing and daunting at the same time to know that I will be serving our great God overseas for a whole month.  The idea of God's glory and His love for His people is overwhelming at times.  Nevertheless it is a privilege and my joy to use my life to serve Him. 

Here are some things to pray for:

1. Kimmie- Kimmie left a few hours ago from LAX and she will be flying into Manila at 5:30am PH time (which is... 3:30pm Monday US time).  Pray for a safe journey and also for her heart preparation.  =)

2. God's glory- Pray that God will be glorified and magnified in our love and our service.  May I continue to ask myself "Do I love Christ SO MUCH that I must and am compelled to serve and tell the people about Him?"

3. My heart- Pray that my single desire is Christ and Christ alone.  Pray that my heart will be set on God and His glory, and that my eyes are always looking up to the Source of grace. 

4. Humility- As stated in Micah 6:8 "What does the Lord require of you?  To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

Some thoughts before I leave:

I do want to encourage you with Psalm 145 as it has encouraged me today.  Live every moment of your life for the glory of our God for He is good and He is faithful. =)

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name forever and ever.

Every day I will praise you and extol your name forever and ever.

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.

They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

All you have made will praise you, O Lord; your saints will extol you.

They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splender of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 

You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and loving toward all he has made.

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.  Let every creature praise his holy name forever and ever.

Please email me and let me know how you are doing.  Let me know what the Lord is doing in your life and how I can be praying for you specifically.  As you pray for me and Kimmie, I am also praying for you.

Blessings,

Berry

Philippines Update #1: Arrival

From Kimmie, written on July 2nd . . .

It was a rather long trip, but without many problems at all. It has been rather rainy at night. I was even cold the past two nights, and I had to get up to get a blanket or sweater or something! That was rather unexpected.  Bug bite count: 0! woot!

We are in the middle of orientation / training. So far, these past two days, we have just been resting and learning about what goes on here. And things are going quite swimmingly.

Some things you can be thinking about:
- Team dynamics: Learning to lead effectively without actually spoon-feeding my teammates.
- Future programs: How I can get involved in what is already going on. I'm rather unsure of what to do and things like that.
- New friends: Coming back and seeing familiar faces, help me think of ways that I can continue what was founded last year.
- Jet lag. It's hard. Enough said. 
- Wondrous thanks: Just to be back and healthy

That is all for now!  Just wanted to send a quick update now that we've arrived :)

-Kimmie

From Berry, written on July 3rd . . .

Hi everyone!

Our team has arrived in Davao City, Philippines safely!  Praise God. :)  The weather here has been kind: warm during the day and raining at night.  Since we haven't had to go out at night for the past two days, we stayed in for some good ol' team bonding while it was raining outside.  BUT... the down side of rain is that it brings a lot of bugs... A LOT OF BUGS.  I've gotten 7 bug bites since I've arrived, so that's not very fun.

Overall, we have been resting for the first full day that we're here, getting used to the environment and the weather.  Kimmie and I got a chance to walk around the subdivision that we will be staying in for the month and I got a chance to see the housing around this area.  The public transportation here is quite interesting- we rode the "jeepney" to the mall to exchange out money.  The Jeepney is pretty much a jeep that has no doors and two long benches for people to sit on in the back of the jeep.  That is the main source of transportation here in Davao.  We also got a chance to eat Filipino homemade bread with homemade pineapple and mango jam. :)  Kimmie and I got a chance to help make dinner last night, and we had a chance to get to know the people who work at the SPTC (OMF team center).

Today, we had a full day of training (we're on break right now so I can email an update).  We went through culture and what to expect working with the Muslims in the Philippines.  We learned a lot about the different Muslim tribes and how we can connect with the people here.  We also got a chance to get a better understanding of the different ongoing projects that are set up here in Davao and the many opportunities we can serve in.  We will be mainly working with two couples who are long term missionary workers here: Ben and Cheche, and Emo and Kathy.  They are very warm and welcoming people, and they have made our stay here a smooth transition.  Tonight, we will be meeting with Ben to go through the street and homeless ministry orientation, so I'm looking forward to that.

Please continue to pray that God will be glorified through us as we learn to open ourselves to the people here and open ourselves to see God work.  I've been continuously reminding myself to preach the gospel to myself daily, for it is the gospel that can transform my heart as I reach out to the Muslim community and as I learn to love as Christ has loved in his ministry.  I am thankful daily for the grace of God and for the hope that we do have in Him.

Thank you for your prayers.  May we all continue to live our lives worthy of the gospel and worthy of His calling.

Until the next update... :)

Blessings,
Berry

God's Work of Restoration

Throughout history, God was neither silent nor inactive. Even as the world rebels against God in our fallen state, trying to render Him irrelevant, attempting to usurp the throne which is rightfully His, God still lovingly works to restore man and bring Himself the glory He desires. From the moment of the Curse, He speaks, promising redemption in the form of the Serpent Crusher (Gen 3:15) as He declares the proto-evangelion. As history progresses, God in His sovereignty chooses Abram from amongst all the people of the earth and sets about making him the channel of blessing to the nations (Gen 12:2-3). As God brings forth the nation of Israel from Abraham's line, He institutes laws and statues so that Israel will be a "light to the nations" (Isa 42:6), taking particular care to ensure provisions for the alien (Ex 22:21; 23:9; Lev 19:10; 23:22; 25:6; Deut 10:18-19; 23:7; 24:14, 19, 20-21; 26:11-13; 27:19) and the proselyte (Ex 12:48). Even in the Great Commandments, the mandate to love God and love one's neighbor is a command that holds within it a measure of the reversal of the curses.

Yet Israel projects the "spirit of Babel" instead of living out its call, division, war and unrest being the norm. As Israel is sent into exile, it turns inwards, becoming an insular community and remaining so until the advent of Christ.

As God the Son steps into history, a large part of His ministry can be seen to involve the reversal of curses. As the death of Christ reconciles man to God, it is also efficacious for reconciling man to man, thus reversing, the curses of Eden, in part now, and in full upon His return. However, there is another aspect to His ministry. The account in Acts shows the Kingdom inaugurated by Christ during His earthly ministry transcending national, racial, cultural and linguistic borders. As the Gospel goes forth from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth, Christ reverses the curse of Babel, bringing the scattered nations together once again as God's people under God's rule. The result of Babel was the sundering of nations. The result of the Gospel is their unification under Christ.

It is also interesting to note the New Testament does not speak of forcing worshippers into a certain mold or mode of worship. There are general guidelines for worship, a prescribed form of church government, even very specific doctrinal and theological truths that believers must affirm. However, the New Testament writers do not tell believers to change their culture in order to "fit in" with a prescribed method of worship or a single system church culture[1]. Rather, Paul says that he has "become all things to all people, that by all means [he] might save some" (1 Cor 9:19-23). This is particularly startling in light of just how deeply racial tensions ran, especially amongst the Jews. By declaring that, "Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all" (Col 3:11), Paul was introducing a radical change to the socio-political climate at the time[2]. He was advocating culturally contextualized applications of God's truths while retaining the absolute nature of that truth[3], celebrating of the uniting power of the Gospel and the reversal of the great estrangement.

This is not to say that all aspects of culture should be retained. The measure of what stays to be celebrated and what is put aside is the Gospel, which never changes. God's word to His people never changes. The things that change from place to place are the ways in which these truths are expressed. For example, the Chinese believer in the underground house church will not express their communal worship in the same way as we do at Lighthouse. However, they will retain and maintain the elements of the ministry of the Word, prayer, praise, singing and the offering. They just do it in a different way. They sing different songs, pray at different times (and probably more than we do any given Sunday). That does not make them somehow less spiritual than western believers. We call them brother and sister, embrace them as our own, identify with their suffering and share their joy. Under the unity of the Gospel, any who truly heed the call of Christ, regardless of their ethnicity, their culture or their social background become "our people". That is the reversal of Babel's curse.

No more do we divide because of cultural or ethnic differences. No more do we hold others at arms length because of national or social boundaries. There is one Gospel, one Savior, one Way, one Father. We are one nation, one priesthood and one people (1 Pet 2:9). We are, as people were before Babel, united in a greater cause and by a greater power. We are, as Adam and Eve before the fall, people of the Kingdom, whose home is not of this earth (Phil 3:20). We await the Day, when our countrymen from all tribes and languages and tongues will worship with us, and all will worship Christ, giving glory to the Father.

Heaven awaits. There is yet glory to come.

[1]  Robert L Saucy, The Church in God's Program, (Chicago: Moody Press 1972), 105-106, 118-119. While the New Testament describes a Congregational form of church government, and prescribes certain activities for the time of meeting, it leaves the finer details of that form for the individual congregations to work out.

[2] Andreas J Kostenberger, Peter T O'Brien, Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission, Ed: Don Carson, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press 2001), 153-157

[3]  Patty Lane, A Beginner's Guide to Crossing Cultures: Making Friends in a Multicultural World, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 135-137.

The Old Testament tells us of a man named Job who suffered through many trials and tragedies in his life.  Job lost his sons and daughters when their house collapsed in a storm.  He lost his livestock when enemies stole them and killed his servants.   Job lost his personal comfort when his body became covered with sores.   Through all of these difficulties, Job could have turned against God.  He could have cursed God.  He could have turned to sinful pleasures in an attempt to escape his circumstances, but Job chose to glorify God in the way when the going got tough.

Job 27:5-6 tells us that Job declared, "Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.  I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go."  An earlier chapter in the book of Job tells us that Job lived a righteous life before all of the trials and these verses show us that he was committed to continuing this righteous living even in the midst of the worst time of his life.   How might he have done this?  My guess is that Job probably spent time meditating upon God's commands and the words God gave to his people (23:12).  He probably spent a significant time in prayer, asking God to deliver him from these trials, but also asking God for the grace to live in a way that brought him glory.  I believe that Job was sure to purge his mind of any unrighteous thought or desire that popped up.   Holding fast to righteousness means not dwelling on those thoughts or desires and not allowing them to develop into sin.

If you are going through tough times, I pray that you will glorify God when the going gets tough.  I pray that you will seek God's grace so that you will not put your integrity to the side.  I pray that you will seek God's grace so that you might live righteously. 

The Purpose of Man

The Westminster Shorter Catechism states that "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever"[1]. Jonathan Edwards also writes, "The great end of God's works which is so variously expressed in Scripture, is indeed one; and this one end is most properly and comprehensively called, The Glory of God"[2]. In fact, all of creation, mankind included, is directed towards worship, giving God the glory He deserves as Creator, Sustainer and Master. It is man's supreme task, as the ones uniquely made in His image, to render unto his Creator the glory due to Him (Isa 43:6-7).

To this John Piper adds, "the chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy Himself forever"[3]. God Himself desires His own glory and has made man to fulfill that desire. However, He chooses to be glorified not through the mere existence of man and the cosmos, but through relationship with Him. Paul picks up this eternal truth as he speaks to the men of Athens in Acts 17:26-28: "And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being.'" God, the eternal, all powerful Creator and Sustainer of all things, wants to be glorified through being in relationship with those He made in His image! He has created us in such a way that we, in our finite intellectual, spiritual and physical nature are somehow able to be in relationship to the infinite God. We bear His image not necessarily in the relationship itself, but in the ability to have such a relationship with Him[4].

Therefore, glorifying God is infinitely more than an option incidental to our existence, but is the very core of what we are and should be. This is a task that the sovereign, almighty God is desirous of, that transcends any introspective quest for purpose or goal, making any deviation from it not only sinful rebellion, but a deformation of the very essence of human existence.  Yet this is exactly what happened.

The Corruption of the Fall and the Rise of Nations

When Adam and Eve were first created, they were in relationship with God, with each other and with the rest of the Creation (Gen 2:23-25). Made to be God's vice-regents over the earth under God (Gen 1:28-30), man uniquely was created in the image of God and given an aspect of relationship with God that was not given to any other creature: Man alone would be able to know, understand and love his Creator, and in doing so would glorify God as he was created to do.

However, the fall broke this relationship between man and God, as well as their relationship between each other and the rest of creation. The Curse of Eden bears this out as the ground rebels against man, Adam and Eve are set against each other, Eve against the serpent and even against her own body (Gen 3:14-19). Blame shifting and the shirking of responsibility become the first few manifestations of the fallen, sinful state, passing down from generation to generation to this day. As Bart Simpson puts it so eloquently, "I didn't do it!"

The subsequent murder of Abel was the further outworking of this accursed state, as mankind, "Claiming to be wise... became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things" (Rom 1:22) and "exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator" (Rom 1:25). The estrangement had begun, and things just got worse from there.

Even after the flood, the Curse still bound mankind. They retained the same language and culture (Gen 11:1), and evidently had some measure of unity amongst them under the rule of Nimrod (Gen 10:8-12). In their fallen state, mankind desired to reclaim Eden, to recapture a measure of the eternal life that they lost at the fall by making a mark on history. The problem was that they desired to do so on their own accord and for their own glory. Calvin describes the fiasco of Babel well:

"...indeed, is here noticed, except their mad ambitions and proud contempt of God... We see the design and the aim of the undertaking. For whatsoever might happen, they wish to have an immortal name on earth; and thus they build, as if in opposition to the will of God... To erect a citadel was not in itself so great a crime; but to raise an eternal monument to themselves, which might endure throughout all ages, was a proof of headstrong pride, joined with contempt of God."[5]

The result was the sundering of the people as God confused their language, giving rise to varied cultures and nations[6]. From that time forth, the evil of nationalism and racism emerge in the form of wars and racial hatred. Nation rose against nation, and people gathered according to their languages, their family groups, and formed ever more varied cultures. Throughout the rest of history, even leading up to the present time, we continue to see the fallout of Babel. In each and every part of the world, people draw distinctions based on language, culture, race, geographical area, religious belief, and every other factor that they can find. Nation, tribe, people and language have become things by which people separate themselves. Wars, rivalries, national hatred, racism are merely the entropic deterioration of the great estrangement that began at the fall that was further exacerbated at Babel and has plagued mankind ever since.

Thankfully, God never left the scene.

[1] Westminster Shorter Catechism, Question 1, Christian Classics Ethereal Library website, http://www.ccel.org/creeds/westminster-shorter-cat.html, accessed 4 Apr 2008

[2] Jonathan Edwards, ‘A Dissertation Concerning the End for Which God Created the World', Chapter 2, Section 7, http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/works1.iv.iv.vii.html, accessed 4 Apr 2008.

[3] John Piper, Let The Nations Be Glad!, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic Press 2005), 21.

[4] Millard J Erickson, Christian Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic Press 2000),  520-536. There are many people who do not have a (good) relationship with God, yet the bible still views them as bearing His image (cf Gen 9:6). Therefore, relationship with God is not the marker of the image (which is known as the Relational View of the Image), but must be a result and outworking of the image. The Image of God must therefore be inherent in something deeper, in the substance of what we are as human beings, in our spiritual, intellectual and physical make up (aka the Substantive View).

[5] John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol 1, entry on Gen 11:1, trans. Rev John King, (Grand Rapids: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 1996), http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom01.xvii.i.html, accessed 4 Apr 2008.

[6] Henry M Morris, God and the Nations, (Green Forest: Master Books 2003), 44-45.

Acts 9 records a man named Ananias that we do not know anything about.  He is an ordinary Jewish believer living in the city of Damascus, but Jesus calls to him and gives him a mission.  His mission is to go and give Saul of Tarsus a message.  Sounds easy, but we must understand who Saul is.

Saul of Tarsus was a feared man to those of the Christian faith for he was far from ordinary.  He was educated under one of the top rabbis, he was from a prestigious family, he had prestige as many knew of him, and he had power to enforce Jewish law, even to the point of death. 

A contrast between two different characters is established in verses 1-19.  One thing we can gather from these verses in Acts 9 is that human accomplishments mean nothing before Jesus.  This is why He uses an ordinary guy like Ananias to be His own personal messenger to Saul.

God may call you to do something special.  Will you be willing, more importantly, will you be obedient?

Jesus said to Ananias, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight."

"But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.'"

Ananias balked at the command he was getting from Jesus.  We may want to balk when we are called to do something by the Lord that is a step of faith.  It could be that nervous feeling right before you share the gospel with a family member, it could be starting to be a spiritual leader of the house by initiating a time for you and your wife to pray, it could be a time to share a biblical truth with a co-worker, or it could be willingness to volunteer for a ministry that you have no experience in.  Has God called you to do something "special" recently?  Did you balk?

Let us learn from Ananias.  He had a special message from Jesus for Saul and even in the face of danger he feared the Lord more and obeyed.  Sometimes obeying the Lord takes faith, but we know that it is always the right thing to do. 

We must understand that God uses ordinary Christians to carry out His plans.  The lesson is to be obedient when God calls you to do something.  Remember, for without the obedience of Ananias, Saul would not have heard his new calling and purpose for his life, plus, he may have gone blind for the rest of his life!  Be an ordinary obedient Christian!

It has captured the imagination of many godly souls through the ages, and much ink has been spilled in describing its splendor. Yet, as Jonathan Edwards comments, "all we can say by our best rhetoric is really and truly, vastly below what is but the bare and naked truth"[1]. Nevertheless, many great men of faith have endeavored to describe the glory of the eternal state, the splendor of the New Jerusalem, the majesty of the angelic host, and the blessed bliss of being face to face with God Himself. However, while there is much that has been written on the contents of heaven and the nature of its inhabitants, it is more difficult to find much written about the identity of those inhabitants. It is generally and readily accepted that there will be "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing