I'm here

Wow so much to type and so little time. I have just finished my second week and this place is amazing. I love this country so much already. Last week I helped lead groups around the city to teach at different schools. This week was my first week teaching English at the English Institute. It was very challenging but I liked it. I love the kids here. They are adorable. More to come. Sorry this is so short.

Packaphobia

So apparently I have a fear of packing. My clothes have been set out by my suitcase for almost a week and still only half of my two suitcases are full. I have rearranged and folded everything so many times I could be a professional packer. If I could just zip it up, we’d be good to go. I decided writing my last blog from America was more important.
Tonight was my final goodbye to a couple of families I’ve grown to love so much. I didn’t have a true understanding of just how much I cared for them until it was time to part our ways. I am so thankful for them. The next few months I’m sure will fly by faster than I’d ever think they could, but it’s still hard to leave people you care about. I took Chris and Tim for one last ice cream run tonight and asked them if they were going to miss me. Their reply was “Yeah, who else is going to take us to SteaknShake.” Great, that’s what they’re worried about. I love my brothers.
As far as my travel plans go, I leave tomorrow for Miami and then my plane departs for the DR Saturday night. Not sure when I’ll send my first update, but I can’t wait. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and encouragement. Love to everyone.

Micah 6:8

O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

This passage of Scripture has become very prevalent in my life lately. God is calling me to not only love mercy, do justly, and walk humbly, but also to love his people. The fourth should be a direct result of practicing the first three. So, that is my goal no matter the cost. I’ve been so worried about looking too extreme that I’ve pushed away what I know God wants for me. I don’t want that to be my focus anymore. As a Christian, I’m always going to look different than the rest of the world. That’s never going to change. I’m ok with that. I don’t need anything this world has to offer, but what I do need is a Savior.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_yBlnSUalE

Micah 6:8 – Charlie Hall

Verse 1
You could feed the whole world with the crumbs of old bread
Spread the good news through dreams and stones
With a breath of the wind You could raise up the dead
But You ask us to go

Chorus
Help us love mercy, help us do justly,
Help us walk humbly with You God

Verse 2
Forget not the widow, the orphan, and slave
O God please remember the helpless today
Call on Your children repairing the breach
There is no place too far that Your mercy can’t reach

Chorus
Help us love mercy, help us do justly,
Help us walk humbly with You God

For the children who sleep beneath cities at darklet love go and touch them with your Father’s heart

What if...

we made the choice to love unconditionally? What would our world look like if we stopped focusing on ourselves and began to care about the people around us?

This past weekend the youth participated in BFBC’s annual Disciple Now (DNOW). The theme was What if? All weekend we tossed around “What if” questions and tried to uncover the different paths each answer would lead to. These kids always amaze me. Just when I think a concept is too great for them to understand, they seem to grasp it better than most adults. We began to talk about what would happen if we did things for other people. What stops us from “getting off the couch?” Why do we put so many conditions on love? Why do we expect something in return for our love? Does it matter? Ultimately, our love should be an outflow of Christ’s existence in our lives.

This is something I struggle with. I’m always looking for justice. If someone wrongs me, they should pay. Why? Have I paid for all of the mistakes I’ve made? Does God love me any less? Why do I only love the people who are easy to love? Lately, my prayer has been for God to transform my heart and give me the same love for His people that He has. This morning on my way to work I heard Brandon Heath’s song “Give Me Your Eyes.” I want to learn not only how to see the world the way that God sees it, but also to encourage the world to love unconditionally. A big task, but a challenge I’m up for.

Give me your eyes for just one secondGive me your eyes so I can seeEverything that I keep missingGive me your love for humanityGive me your arms for the broken heartedOnes that are far beyond my reach.Give me your heart for the ones forgottenGive me your eyes so I can see