A Tale of Two Plants

The last few weeks have felt so big to me.

There have been some measurable "accomplishments", some new experiences, and some deeper insights. There have been these long-waited for moments that I can only describe as a feeling of success--teacher trainings, routine and functional vision clinics, long range plans and projects finally "getting off the ground".

And then, in the midst of all this "progress"--today feels like a set-back. Today's little hurdle is for some reason, looming like an unscalable wall.

I wish I knew where to begin. I wish I knew which parts matter. I guess I'll just show you these plants.

Jonathan bought me these hydrangeas on our first wedding anniversary in Nicaragua. They are my favorite flower, ones I grew and carried in our wedding, and ones that in some places, cover the hillsides here. So in August of 2012, he got permission from our landlord for me to take over a small flowerbed inside the hallway that is in front of our apartment in the Mission. He took me to a hillside covered with blooming hydrangeas, and we bought a few of the healthiest plants.

That was, you might say, quite a while ago, and they look exactly the same.

Exactly.

They haven't died.
They haven't grown.
They've never bloomed.
They look the same almost 3 summers later, as they did when they were first planted there. How is that even possible?!? It seems they should, (in the words of perhaps the most over-quoted movie ever) "Either get busy living, or get busy dying."

I didn't actually take this picture. 

Every time I pass these perpetually static plants, I can't help but wonder--is this me? Am I, like these plants just holding on, just maintaining, and never blooming? Do I celebrate their endurance or curse their ineffectiveness?

Then there is the chaya.

Chaya is a common vegetable here--delicious, plentiful, and cheap. It grows on a vine and tastes kind of like a potatoe-y squash.

I didn't take this picture either. You can tell, since it's not blurry.

A chaya in my vegetable drawer was sprouting leaves so I decided to plant it. It went into the same partially lit patch of ground as my hydrangeas--but just one day later, had already sent up a runner almost a foot high.

For the next few weeks it was remarkable--you could literally watch it grow. Pass by at 6 in the morning and mark how high it stood on the wall, and by 8 you'd see another 3 or 4 inches. Just endless, rapid, unbelievable change.

Within a few months it had scaled not only the first floor, but had taken over the third floor as well! Even battling the ministrations of packs of pigeons and sparrows, it has survived and spread.

chaya vine, begins just behind hydrangea

chaya growing past first floor doorway

chaya level 2

chaya--reaches roof of garage area

But you know what? It has never flowered either.  It's never produced a chaya for my table, not even a blossom.

It makes me wonder, for all its vining and growing, is it any different than the homeostatic hydrangeas?

I know there is a lesson here for me.

Every single time I pass these plants I think: "Well, there is an object lesson just waiting to happen."
I have even sat down to write about these plants on more than one occasion, and read lots of verses about endurance, patience, perseverance, and spiritual maturity. And of course, that famous planter and his seeds.
(*insider tip: those tan words are the Bible verses, go click on 'em and read 'em.)

I wanted an easy to swallow lesson (meaning, something I didn't feel I was personally struggling with) that related to bearing fruit and growth, and that would leave me feeling wise and all spiritual-y without having to actually confront my own weakness.

I guess I need a better concordance--'cuz I never found those scriptures.

What I am left with, is that same old lesson again: that God's ways are not our ways.  When I look at these plants, I can't help but notice that while they may appear opposite--one growing so rapidly and profusely while the other remains unchanged year after year--what truly defines them is that neither is fruitful. And see, the thing about God is--that the fruits He tells us to look for in our lives, are not fruits that are easy to measure by human standards.

You know the ones:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
faith, righteousness, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love
(Galatians 5: 22-23  and  2 Peter 1:3-11)

It would be so much easier if "fruits" were the same as "accomplishments". Accomplishments would be such great fruits! I can see them, count them, take their picture, put them in a spreadsheet, analyze them, celebrate them, improve upon them, measure, record and report them.

Exactly all the things I can not do with the real fruits God points me toward.

And just like those plants: my outward appearance and actions have so little to do with how fruitful I am being.

I can rush around, busy with works, putting out vines and growing bundles of leaves--and be fruitless.
I can stay stuck in a mucky rut, persevering through trials, unmoved--and be fruitless.

The lesson I don't want to learn, that I see every time I pass these plants, is that God is not measuring the way we measure. He is not looking for the things we humans want to look for. His definition of "accomplishments" is not the same as the one we use among ourselves.

In fact, you can look it up: When the bible uses a word we translate "accomplish" it only, ever, always is talking about the action of God. Oh sure, I say out loud all the right words about how God is the one doing things and not me. But inside--it feels like, "Yep, today I really accomplished something." Or sometimes, "What a frustrating pile of obstacles today has been."

When in reality, I am just some days the plant whose leaves never change, and other days the plant with millions of leaves crawling up on the ceiling--but the fruit? Yeah. That's something different.

"...remain in me..."

Guest Post: Colette Price

For the last few weeks, I have been blessed by working very closely with a young woman who has recently joined the crew here in Jinotega; Colette Price.

One of the projects we have shared time and prayer over, is One Child Matters. I'd love to tell you all about it, but she's done such a great job explaining the needs this program seeks to meet, I'd prefer you hear it from her.

(the following is taken from her blog, Continually Growing where she has plenty of other great stuff to share)

Cada Niña Cuenta

Okay. So I have mentioned One Child Matters (Cada Niño Cuenta en Español) a lot… let’s see if I can paint a more detailed picture of what that program looks like in Nicaragua. 

First, I want to give a summary from a recent article about education statistics in Nicaragua:

1. On average, half of the teachers are untrained and not certified.

2. Teachers are poorly paid and receive an average salary of $200.

3. Approximately 94% of students entering university are failing the entrance exams.

4. The school infrastructure is lacking with large class sizes and 25% of classrooms are in desperate need of repair.

5. Students are dropping out of school with 4 out of 10 students dropping out before grade 6 and half that enroll in grade six will not graduate.

6. Many school-aged children are not enrolled in school. It is extremely difficult to collect accurate data, because the government seeks to portray the best scenario possible. 

Read the full article at: http://nkboersema.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-context-of-education-in-nicaragua.html 

With this being said. Our students need help! So this is where One Child Matters comes in!

“One Child Matters believes that a holistic approach – ministering to all of a child’s needs, not just a select few – is the most effective method of promoting child development. This is why we carefully and thoughtfully minister to each child’s spiritual, physical, socio-emotional, and mental needs. 

Much like a flower, a child will grow and mature to a limited extent regardless of whether or not each of their specific needs are met. But the degree of nurturing a child receives will determine whether or not that child truly blossoms. By facilitating the holistic development of children under our care, we help a child reach his or her God-given potential. 

One Child Matters is not seeking to westernize our children or merely provide a handout; we do not promote a particular cultural mindset or create a state of dependence. Instead, One Child Matters hopes that by nurturing the needs of the whole child, we are equipping them with the ability to fulfill God’s specific calling on their life.”

Again. More about OCM at: onechildmatters.org

So what does this program look like in Nicaragua?!

·      2 development centers (Jinotega and Apanas)

·      6 hours of mentoring each week (in two sessions)

·      100 students in each center

·      4 staff members at each center

·      3 amazing administrators (Edwin, Ileana and Juan Carlos)

·      1 Faithful Father who makes it all come together

Two weeks ago (March 17-21) was full-on training for 8 mentors and staff. They worked with Edwin and Ileana in the morning; then Sheila and I in the afternoon. We talked about ways to help children learn and grow without thinking “classroom mindset.” Things like having clear expectations, having a detailed plan of the day, different types of activities (individual and group, active and calm) and we even got to have circle/calendar time! Sheila is a wonderful teacher with years of experience in teaching and training teachers. So she was able to give specific direction for these new mentors. I had an opportunity to share some things I learned over the last year working at Kidz Academy and the Havens. By Friday, the mentors and staff were very excited for the program to start.

pretending it's calendar time

Week one in Apanas

One of the mentors working one-on-one improving letter recognition!

While the first week (March 24-28) wasn’t perfect, we would certainly say it was a success! The children came- that was a big answered prayer as attendance is not a recorded thing in Nicaragua. The staff was ready to handle the expected- then dealt with the unexpected. We are so hopeful to see this program thrive and have an impact on these children. The mentors have told us over and over that they want to make these centers a safe place where the children grow and trust them. Please keep praying that this happens. Continue to pray for renewed energy for the mentors and a desire to learn from the children. Continue to join us in prayer that all these wonderful children will be sponsored.

The Incredible Staff.  Such beautiful women of God.

We have weekly meetings on Friday to stay on the same page, see what worked (or not) in the last week and get more ideas for what's coming up. This picture was from our first Friday brainstorming. They came with great questions and triumphs. It's been so encouraging to see their enthusiasm!

Thank you for sharing in our joy, excitement and petitions to the Father!

March Update

Hello All:

We have been busy this month. No real surprise, I guess. We have had three weeks of 40 or more and are hosting 17 now. The groups have been from Texas Tech Medical School, Dothan, Alabama; Fellowship Church of San Antonio and Harding University. Our current group is from Coeur d’Alene, ID. This is a particularly special group because it is the birthplace of one Sheila Clark, a.k.a. Sheila Holland, and because in the group is a very good friend of hers, Katrina Swaim from her Harding days.

Two weeks ago, while TTU Med School was here, we screened the eyes of about 600 children in three different schools. This was made possible because of the purchase of a mobile auto-refractor Misión Para Cristo received via a grant. Last week I spent the week doing follow-ups and referrals. Sheila spends each Wednesday morning in the mission’s medical clinic running vision tests on walk-in clients. She then pulls and fits appropriate glasses, refers others to local optometrists, and sadly, must send some away without any improvement.

We have been blessed with the opportunity to move out of the mission facility and in doing so we will be relieved of some of the 24/7 duties. If everything falls into place, financially and otherwise, we will be able to move in the not-too-distant future. We have found a small house in a nearby neighborhood. The house is new and is adorned in all the typical bright colors of the homes here in Nicaragua.

This past Monday we once again met with immigration in Managua and were assured that the final step for residency is just around the corner. We are to meet again with them on April 14. Upon completion of our residency we, and a new home that could accommodate children, we will be ready to submit all the necessary paperwork to initiate the adoption proceedings. God is blessing us.

Along with these changes comes the need for additional funding. We are not asking our current supporters to give more money (unless you just want to J) but are asking all supporters to pray that we can find an additional $400/monthly, at least until our home in Georgetown is rented again. We would like to find an additional congregational sponsor for the new monthly need, or a way to bank $4,800 to cover the housing cost for a year.

My truck sold this past month so the short term finances are stable and the emergency “get back to Texas” money is available.

This month’s prayer targets:

Prayers of Petition:

·        Spiritual strength for employees of Mision Para Cristo – Many are feeling the attacks of Satan very directly in their lives

·        Direct Funding to better serve and equip those with whom we work in Jinotega

·        Focus to remain faithful to the work to which we have been called

·        Finality in the residency process

Prayers of Thanks:

·        New equipment allowing us to provide physical opportunities to open spiritual doors

·        New home and the tranquility and new opportunities it affords

·        Steps that are getting us closer to residency.