Saturday, November 21, 2015

Learning a new name

I remember a church classroom when I was a young teenager. Hanging on the wall was a poster listing many of the names of God. Different names of God were in various fonts and sizes. Obviously, some were going to draw your eye more than others.

I have heard many sermons on the names or the attributes of God. We are wise to study how God describes Himself if we want to know Him. But maybe, you are like me—maybe some of those parts of God draw your eye more than others.



There are many Hebrew names for God that are some version of El, Eloch, Elohim (which can be translated  “power”) with a second part added to describe a particular attribute of God. God the Creator, God of Peace, God the Provider, God the Healer, God of Justice, God of the Beginning, God of Forgiveness, God of Heights, God who is Near, God of my Strength, God of my Praise, God of my Salvation, God of Truth, God of Eternity, God of Knowledge, God of Heaven and Earth, God who Sees, God who is There, Living God, Holy God, God of gods.
As you read quickly through this list, I imagine a few of these descriptions tug at your heart while a few feel like just words.

As I approached my twenties, (when I knew absolutely everything) I did some reading of “classical” Christian authors. I noticed that in the hymns and  teachings of our brothers from hundreds of years ago there was a much greater emphasis on the sovereignty, awe, might, wrath, justice, and power of God. This contrasted deeply with what the brothers in my time and place were singing and talking about: the gentleness, grace, friendship, care, and comfort of God. Now, I would have confidently answered you that all of those attributes describe God, that He Was and Is all of those things in perfect measure.  Which is the proper “Sunday school answer” and legitimately what my mind believed. But at some unspoken level, I think there was also a part of me that, while not quite able to describe it, felt that those parts of God’s nature so emphasized by historical Christians, was somehow a more primitive view of God. That we, in this modern enlightened time had built on the understandings of those that had come before to know God more personally, more intimately, more fully—and that is why we spend our time singing Him love songs more often than trembling in awe of Him.

And then I wasn’t 20 anymore.  More of life happened. There were all the difficulties and trials that come with the years. I met and loved people from a wider range of backgrounds and learned about their troubles and learned from the many different ways I saw them respond. I lived in some difficult places, places including Nicaragua, where the trials of life aren’t merely internal stresses but physical survival.

And then I lost my daughter.
And my heart was broken in new ways I never imagined.
And I am learning how helpless I am— I can’t change what has happened. I can’t take away the pain my family is feeling. I can’t survive this on my own.

And I am learning why people from very difficult places and very difficult time periods have cried out to the Powerful One.   Living so many years with the deceptive veil of my own agency over my eyes, I never had to confront my need for a sovereign God. Living so many years verbally acknowledging God, but subconsciously believing my own actions are responsible for the situation of my life. Living so many years where it was within my power to choose the temperature of a room, the food I will eat, where I will go, who I will be with, what I will wear, if I’d prefer it to be light or dark…everything about my environment seemed to be with my power. It was so easy to ignore the part of God that is in control of everything and assume I am that part. It was so easy for my understanding of God to be limited to the parts I want Him to be.

But someone living in a plastic shack with their family of 5, is aware every time it rains that they are not in control. Someone watching their neighborhood succumb to war, knows that they are powerless to create the environment they dream of. Someone using all the money they have to buy food for today, without knowing what tomorrow will bring, knows that need to rely on more than themselves. And someone burying their little girl begins to understand how completely helpless each of us. 
I am learning that those verses that seemed like “such a downer” to my younger self, are in fact sources of hope. I am learning that the “negative bits” of passages I previously read quickly past, are the parts that might bring peace. 

Singing to some celestial buddy seems somehow hollow when you are sitting helpless in a nightmare that you can do nothing about. In circumstances so dark that all you want is some glimmer of escape, calling upon a God whose mysterious power is far above this dark world connects, even if only briefly, to a shattered heart.

I begin to feel a little closer to my brothers and sisters who have cried out with Faith through difficulties beyond my imagining. Who worshiped with words that I wish I didn’t, but am learning to understand.
“Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.”

Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see. 
O Lord who changes not, abide with me.

I need your presence every passing hour.
What but your grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who like yourself my guide and strength can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.

I fear no foe with you at hand to bless,
though ills have weight, and tears their bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, your victory?
I triumph still if you abide with me.

Hold now your Word before my closing eyes.
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me. 
--Henry Lyte

  

Monday, August 31, 2015

Summer Update

The Latest Update from the Hollands in Nicaragua

GLOW PLUGS
My truck, a 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, is a diesel. It uses a glow plug. A glow plug is like the filament in a light bulb, except it takes a little more time to get hot. The purpose of the glow plug is to make sure the mixture of air and fuel are warmed so they will ignite. Without waiting for the glow plug to warm up the engine will usually not start. If it does start, it may not run well or may cause damage to the engine. (I got these facts from the Internet. I know nothing about glow plugs – or engines in general, except one has to wait for the squiggly light on the vehicle’s instrument panel to go off before starting a diesel engine.)

The glow plugs slow me down in the morning. Yet without it, I might not run at all. I have to take time in the morning to let it do its job. Sure, I could start the day without it and everything might turn out okay, or I can wait as I should and be secure in how things are intended to work.

When I wait on God’s timing everything works out better. When I force it, things go awry. It’s all about timing and as a confirmed impatient person I need a few more glow plugs to make me pay attention…and wait...and listen.

Lamentations 3:25-26 (CEV)

25 The Lord is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him.
26 It is good to wait patiently for the Lord to save us.
INTERNS

Each year we have interns come and serve alongside us. These are college-aged men and women who provide leadership, muscle and youth that we lack. I cannot imagine trying to make it through a summer without them. In addition to the three contributions I noted above, they are a Godly example and Christian friends. I love them, miss them and look forward to seeing them again. Include a word of thanks to God for Jamie Rea Capri, Jamey Grimsely, Ben Tinsley and Logan Price - living examples of God’s blessings.


GUESTS
Misión Para Cristo has hosted 681 people this year. That is down from last year at this same point but is doesn’t physically feel like it.  J That translates into over 16,000 hours of labor for the Lord. By serving medically, constructing homes and taking the smile of Jesus into many schools, senior centers, maternity homes and day cares. These are doors North American guests open up for our Nicaraguan brothers and sisters to reach into.

VISION CLINIC
Sheila has continued to open the vision clinic each week. She has screened the vision of 578 this year and matched 514 pair of used prescription glasses. That is a success rate of 97.4%.  Nice…very nice!

CHILD VISION SCREENING
With the assistance of many of the North Americans, and one of our gifted translators, Amada Quintero, we were able to go to 32 schools, most of which are in the remote countryside of the Jinotega Department. We have screened 2,529 children. We have referred 143 of those screened and provided 78 pairs of new glasses for children. We are blessed with workers like Amada. She has done this so much of this she could take the equipment and run the program without me!

CHILDRENS’ PROGRAMMING
We continue to work to provide support in both curriculum and more modern teaching methods to churches looking to improve teaching techniques. We are striving to teach methods that are paperless as some old habits have led to a rut in how a lesson is presented. Specifically, the children, who love to color, are often given a color sheet that has nothing to do with, well, anything. We are working to provide items more on topic as well as teach that color sheets do not have to be king of the classroom.  Now, when we use a color sheet it is a vehicle for getting a Bible story into the child’s home.

·         The Apanas community hosts between 75 and 90 children every Saturday for their “Sunday School on Saturday.” In addition to writing (modifying) curriculum for them I work with the 3-to-5 year olds, of which there are normally 20 to 25. It is exhausting! The Girl has made several friends in the community and it has provided some great teachable moments as many of these new friends live in plastic shacks. We are seeing a compassionate side of her develop nicely. The preacher, Juan Carlos, leads with great energy and is teaching about 12 youngsters, ages 12 to 16, to lead the children. He then requires them to stay an additional hour for a Bible study just for them.

·         The Jinotega group currently hosts 55 to 75 each Sunday afternoon. My role with this group is strictly as the disciplinarian, trouble-shooter and financial resource manager. They call me when they need money. They operate pretty much without me and they do so very happily and very well.

·         “Desfile” [dez FEE lay] is the Spanish word for “parade.” At mid-term and at the end of the school year all the children march in the desfile with their school. There is always a host of photographers who, for about $2.50US will take a picture of your child. We do this at no charge and attach an invitation to the back of the photo. When the parent comes to the office, or we find them after school on the school grounds, we invite them to the Jinotega children’s class on Sunday. This week we had two new kids who came as a result of the invitations and three returned who had attended at the beginning, but had dropped out.

·         Sheila and I host from 25 to 45 each Tuesday night for Children’s English Class. English is being taught by way of Bible stories, songs and memory verses. Last week they presented the Spanish and English versions of “Trust and Obey” and quoted verses in both English and Spanish before the Jinotega congregation. We invited parents of the children who do not attend and were joined by eight parents who had never visited before. We are planning to have dinner with them next week.

RIO COCO WITH HARDING UNIVERSITY
I was granted another opportunity to visit the indigenous Miskito people of the Rio Coco. I escorted five Harding University students from the School of Leadership and Ministry. It was a blessing in that I had some insight into a younger generation – their humor, their commitment to God, and their interests in how God is working through us on the Rio Coco.

Here is the dilemma the students witnessed: One goal was to see that children in the six communities we visited received parasite medicines. To prevent parasites the local Ministry of Health has said that one 400mg tablet of Albendazole should be administered every six months. However, many of the children we saw already had parasites. The treatment for an existing condition is one 400mg Albedazole tablet a day for three days, taken with an antibiotic. We didn’t have enough Alebdazole and had no antibiotics to treat existing conditions.  I spoke with the local doctor and told him we need to come back with full regimens of parasite treatments. His response was, “Until you can clean the water, the parasites will always be an issue. And until the livestock can be contained, there will always be parasites in the water.” This is not a new problem nor is it one restricted to the Rio Coco of Nicaragua. It is just the one I have experienced. My charge to the next generation: Use the wisdom that God can do anything and everything and help solve the water issue in places like the Rio Coco.


THE TWO
We are in a holding pattern with the Ministry of Family and the adoption process. Although our patience is again being tested, we really are more at a pace the Ministry told us to expect. I guess we got spoiled by the way we flew through the initial steps.

The Two are improving with their school studies. The Boy is at the top of his class and The Girl made marked improvements over the last recording period. Sheila continues to teach them English daily. The Girl celebrated her birthday with friends, cake, a piñata and water balloon games. A good time was had by all! We have great photos we are anxiously awaiting finalization to share with you. The Two are enjoying the 5 not-puppies our cat had a month ago. The kittens are cute and I am excited that they will have new homes in about a month, but I will miss seeing The Two interact with them.

They also were excited to meet Tia Leanna (Patterson from Scurry, TX) and Prima Char (Charlstie Patterson of Searcy, AR is my sister Leanna’s eldest) who came for a visit the end of June. The Two have also spent some time visiting with the grandparents in New Mexico via Skype.

Other firsts for us since the last update: my first Father’s Day, our first family vacation, their first written words in English, and my first time getting to be the Tooth Fairy.

We are blessed. We know that any children with a history such as these who lived in minimal care homes and group home settings have a lot of adjusting to do. The Two are adjusting extremely well. We are new to their lives. Even though they fuss like all siblings, they also protect each other in unbelievable ways. We are blessed.
Our concert of prayer:
Prayers of Thanksgiving-
·         the rapid adjustment of The Two
·         the monthly financial blessing of so many individuals and families that aid us in our work here
·         the church families in Deming, NM and Eureka, IL who have chosen to include us in the mission programs
·         a dry home during this rainy season
·         small bumps in the road that remind us that our God is so big
Prayers of Supplication-
·         Deylin’s Mom, Cecilia*
·         Continued bonding and development as a family unit
·         A few additional donors to help fill the financial gap our family growth has created, and to cover the changes in the giving abilities of others.
·         Clean water for villages along the Rio Coco

*DEYLIN’S MOM
Meet Deylin. He just turned 10 and is a star pupil in both our Sunday class and Tuesday English class. He is regularly the first to have verses memorized. In the last series he was the top student and was awarded a bilingual Bible. Deylin plays on the Mission’s youth baseball team. In this photo he is wearing the glasses we were blessed to help him get. Deylin is quiet, respectful and sweet. He comes from the poorest neighborhood in Jinotega. We have just recently learned that his mother, about 35 years old, is suffering from cancer, and not just a little. We are proud of who Deylin is and his impressive work ethic. He is a special young man. Please include him, his mother, Cecilia, his older brother and father in your prayers as we minister to them.


APOLOGY…AGAIN
I know this sounds like a broken record and I am sorry to do this again, but…I apologize for the tardiness (which leads to the lengthiness) of this report. I make no excuses, but ask for forgiveness and understanding. So, until the next apology, blessings to you all.

Jonathan, Sheila and The Two