A Mom’s a Mom, wherever she may live…

2 Mar

On Tuesday, my bus crested a hill overlooking La Carpio, a impoverished barrio in San Jose, Costa Rica and I watched as women sent their children off to school–the first full week for many students here. Although the photo you see on the left is not a photo snapped by my camera ( this Latina mom is dressed far too nicely) – it may invoke the emotions I felt as a bystander, seeing five or six moms gathered alongside the school bus, hugging, then waving, then air-kissing, then running feverishly alongside the bus wishing their children a safe journey and a wonderful school day.

That picture remained embedded in my subconscious and churned my emotions that entire workday, as I saw women in clinic. Women barely able to afford the expense of one modest meal of rice and beans, let alone the nominal fee charged for a lab exam or consult. Wow. Women live in vastly different environments- urban slums, rural African villages, suburban lives with urgent demands to make ends meet , cross-culturally as missionary mothers wondering how the experience will affect our families, or on small farms with huge responsibilities.
I pondered the same image as I rode the bus home, discussed it with my husband, and prayed that evening for the moms I share life with, the moms who visit the clinic weekly, and moms I’ve never met facing unthinkable challenges – Christian, and non-Christian, young and old, newlyweds and empty nesters.
All moms are needy, tired, and wanting support from others in this demanding role from time to time. God has placed us where we are at just this time to encourage one another. And for those of us fortunate to have access to a computer and internet, to extend ourselves across continents or just across town and to share God’s love tangibly.
How can we be the incarnational hands and feet of Christ today, tomorrow and every day?

Natural tension, intentional safety

25 Feb

God not only designed our natural skills and tendencies, he also designated the environment and culture that would influence our outlook on life.  Our ReachGlobal Latin America/Caribbean leadership team has a number of natural tensions that become advantages for accomplishing vision when there is an intentional environment of safety where these tensions can be expressed.  In our team we have members along these continuums:
·        Outspoken ——–  Pondering
·        English mother tongue —— Spanish mother tongue
·        North American worldview —– Latin American worldview
·        Theological frame of mind ——- business frame of mind
·        God has spoken —– God still speaks
These and other tensions keep us on our toes.  Team members are likely to be challenged if they make broad statements as if they are universally accepted.  It is incumbent on the leader to ensure the team has a sense of safety in challenging one another.  Toes can be stepped on and tensions can rise.  However, in an environment of grace and mutual respect the team knows that these tensions can lead to amazing breakthroughs in vision, strategy and tactics. 
¡Vivan las diferencias!

Really? I can do all things?

25 Feb

During the Christmas season, I was given a small devotional book entitled A Taste of Believing God, by Beth Moore. Of course, like most of you, I didn’t get around to actually reading it until the company left, the house was cleaned, and the routines of life returned to “normal”. Timing like this was not accidental. I needed to read every word of this particular chapter because my life is going to change drastically in the next few months. Yes, we are returning to the United States to raise additional support and share our stories with individuals and churches and I would rather stay in Tres Rios, Costa Rica. Why? Because what was once “foreign” is now the “familiar” and what was “different” is now my new “normal”.

In Chapter 4, Beth Moore explains that all of us are significant in God’s plan, and that often fear, discouragement, or plain old stubbornness keeps us from walking in faith and doing extraordinary things for God. My weakness, placed willingly in the strong, capable hands of a loving Creator becomes a thing of beauty and grace. All of us have ordinary lives that are capable of doing extraordinary things–equipped by the Master to do what only He envisioned.
The woman that left Matthews, North Carolina forty months ago who wondered how God could call a family of six from comfortable suburbia was just like you. I was not a Bible scholar, nor a church planter, but a chocolate-craving, Target-loving woman.
That same woman is now wondering how returning to a fast-paced life in the U.S. for more than a few weeks could be a good thing. A limited supply of Costa Rican coffee and Lizano sauce? No cafecito or gallo pinto? I know now. Some of you are living ordinary lives and God needs you to accomplish something extraordinary. As my husband says “Hang on- it’s a wild ride,” but worth every minute.
Phillipians 4 :13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Inviting the lions

23 Feb

We recently held four days of meetings here in Costa Rica with the ReachGlobal area leaders in Latin America.  Each of them has extensive experience, knowledge and credibility in their areas.  Each has a driving passion to see God’s work done in Latin America.  And each of them is willing to share their opinions whether they are popular or not.  That doesn’t mean they are not diplomatic, but “speaking the truth in love” is still speaking truth.  And that can lead to hurt feelings if we do not have a humble attitude, open to hearing those things we may not want to hear.  Do I want a team of people who agree with me all the time, build up my ego, tell me I’m doing a great job?  Honestly, that would feel nice.  On the other hand, it could lead to disaster, or worse, complacency.  As our meetings concluded I thanked God once again for the lions I’ve invited into this team.  As C.S. Lewis said in describing Aslan, “Safe? ‘Course he’s not safe.  But he’s good.”  God has blessed the Latin American division of ReachGlobal with leaders who are hungry and passionate.  They don’t follow blindly, but they do value and respect each other.  The only bruises I get are where my pride sticks out.  So in building the team that will take on the leadership for the work God has given us in Latin America, I have to ask myself what kind of people should be on that team.  Should it be a group of people who value agreement over truth? Pleasing over challenging?
Bruises will heal.  I choose to wrestle with lions.  

A color only the grateful could love

31 Jan

"Aqui vienen las camisas verdes!" (Here come the Green Shirts!) That's something we hear frequently and in many languages as TouchGlobal staff and church teams come to work with people in crisis. Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and other disasters are open doors for us to share God's love in very practical ways. Though not wearing the well-know shirt, Mark is standing in front of one of the homes TouchGlobal built in partnership with a family of six. The new homeowners get to choose what color the paint should be. In a drab and colorless environment, it's no surprise what this joyful homeowner chose. TG green…maybe Sherwin Williams ought to expand its selection.

A child again

31 Jan

Brenda and Stephanie….of course, the way they pronounce their names is a bit different from what you and I would expect. But even so, these two young girls are no different than any other young friends who enjoy each other, enjoy posing for a camera, and find adults, particularly middle-aged gringos, completely hilarious. Giggling is the same in any language. These two live in conditions we would consider pretty desperate…no running water, no bathroom, no grass in which to play, poor nutrition, no accessible healthcare and certainly no access to good education. Yet they love life because they recognize as do children the world over, that life is an incredible gift. Joy exudes from children if they even have half a chance to let it out. They don't know what life would be like with the resources found in many other places, but to them it really doesn't matter. Jesus blew his disciples' minds when he stopped them from shushing the children who were loving life while he was teaching. He said, "And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Really Jesus? Silly, fun loving, not taking life too seriously? Playing and making noise? Friendships just because?

I have the privilege to travel to many cultures and see many ways of living, but one constant crosses all cultures, and all cultures can easily understand what Jesus was saying. This kingdom of God is going to be a blast for those who come with a simple faith and trust like kids, and be a real difficult transition for those of us who can't.

Earthquake forgotten?

30 Jan

On August 15, 2007 two earthquakes over 8 magnitude separated by two minutes struck a large area south of Lima Peru. Three and a half years later there is still evidence that life can never be the same. It is a sad fact that headlines drive not only the public's attention, but also the focus for relief agencies who respond to crises. Three years ago there were many NGOs and crisis response groups focused on the earthquake impacted areas of Peru. Today in Chincha, one of worst hit areas, there are none to be seen. Yet God still has people doing his work, bringing hope not only for physical recovery, but also for renewed spiritual hope. Slowly homes are being built. Slowly people begin to trust those who bring both physical and spiritual help. We have eight teams coming to Chincha this year but more are needed. Teams bring hope, friendship, and a clear message that these people are not forgotten. Interested?

From The Birds and the Bees to A-B-C…

30 Jan

My family and friends know that the more I have crammed into my schedule, the more effective and happy I become, in all spheres of influence–family, ministry, relationships, work…you name it. There was a time, just after language school when I wondered how my being here mattered. Sure, I had a hubby to encourage, and he and the kids needed food and love, and those under the age of 18, legally needed educating as they were not attending school outside our home.

I had friendships, but little ministry or outreach in the community, and although I encouraged the Reachglobal women living here in Costa Rica and elsewhere, I felt strangely useless. As I often do, I poured out my sentiments to God, explaining that I was perfectly content to be homebound and involved with the most pressing of needs, my household, but that my giftings and passion for women and children were withering away. Unbeknownst to me, God did have plans but simply desired my willingness to do what He desired, no matter what that entailed. In those moments my cries were heard and now I cherish those days I am actually home.
Clinic days filled with caring for and educating Carpio’s women, womens’ groups in Spanish and English, family and ministry responsibilities, and most recently teaching English content for the Bachillerato (equivalent of the U.S. GED), homeschooling and training for a second half marathon vie for my attention. I am happy, healthier than when we arrived, and thriving. I wonder how we’ll fare while on home assignment and ask God to provide financial and prayer partners even now, so that our time in the States will be “just enough”, and we’ll be refreshed and ready to return to our neighborhood, community and church home here in Costa Rica willing and equipped to do what He desires.

Ben’s homework: write a poem using twenty of your assigned vocab words:

22 Jan

A Blade Of Grass

The dissonant sounds came from afar
not dissimilar to the sound of bees in a jar
A noise of dissent rose up in the air
disquiet and distraught cries of “Beware!”

A duet of distorted disputation dwindled
as a distention of sound distilled into fear kindled
our efflorescent varieties dissipate into edible form
as the dreaded mower approached with effrontery as its norm

its domination slicing through every blade
the remaining donees have now paid
the dissolution of our duteous growth
causes an effusion of diurnal oaths

Careful of what I say

17 Jan

A partner church here in Costa Rica asked me to preach on missions yesterday….in Spanish. In my role I work with people in four languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese and Creole. So fluency in Spanish is not a requirement but it is a personal goal since I do live in a Spanish-speaking country. In the end I decided to use a translator because I didn’t want my limited language ability to detract from the message. Yet as I was preaching I found myself slipping into Spanish, much to the chagrin of my patient translator. Eventually he just stepped back and I charged ahead, getting smiles and very few looks of confusion as I spoke.

God is moving on the hearts of Latin American Christians and they are waking up to a new sense of the need for missionaries to come from ALL the world to ALL the world. We defined a missionary as simply as possible: a person who crosses cultural lines to build God’s kingdom. I used an example of a silly cultural difference between our home country and Costa Rica. Here it is very important to keep your car clean. I mean, REALLY important. Someone may have a twenty year-old car but they wash it regularly. Parts may be falling off, but doggone it, those parts will be CLEAN. In the USA however, this is not such a big deal. Sure we like our cars clean, but not enough to wash them every other day. This got a big laugh, and some joker left us a message on our car when we left church: Lavelo, meaning “wash it”.

Maybe I’ll get around to that this week sometime. Meanwhile, I think I’d better be more careful about the illustrations I use.

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