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Sewing Seeds

Posted on Saturday, April 7, 2018

There isn’t one grand story I am going to tell you in this post. I have spent some time reflecting on the past few weeks and after thinking about a recent talk we had with Avance, I was reminded that evangelism and discipleship are both a process. Throughout the bible this process is often portrayed as a farmer working in his field. In Matthew 13 Jesus is tells us about the Parable of the Sower. We read about the importance of planting seeds in “good soil”, so that they are not burned by the sun, strangled by the weeds or eaten by the birds. Elsewhere we can read about planting seeds to be harvested at another time, sometimes by an entirely different person. Well lately, I have been rejoicing in seeds being sown!

The first came just before Easter and Holy Week. I have been getting to know several members of our English Club and discussing more significant topics with them. But this week we expressly talked about Easter, Holy Week and the Spring. As a result there are three friends who are asking a lot of questions. And they are all a bit different. One friend had no idea. He had heard of Jesus and Christianity before but did not know the significance of Easter or why the cross was important. Throughout the remainder of the club he was full of questions! And while talking after, admitted that he was very curious and wanted to talk more. I’m very excited to begin this road with this young man! Another was confused about communion. He believed communion was a tradition adapted from the Greek religion as a celebration of their god, Dionysus, the “god of debauchery”. He thought that people drank the wine and ate bread as a way of celebrating as you would do at parties to have a good time. The crazy thing was the rest of my group was nodding their heads in agreement! Once he finished speaking I took that opportunity to address the group on the true meaning of communion. A constant reminder of the sacrifice God made to save our lives. He sent his perfect son to Earth in order to suffer a horrible death on a cross after living a perfect life. The bread symbolizes his broken body that took the place we so deserve. His blood, the debt paid for our sins, an opportunity for us to be forgiven and made new in the eyes of our Father. It was so cool to see how closely everyone was paying attention, hanging onto every word. I know the Spirit was at work that day. After this club, I discovered this friend believed in Gnosticism. It’s something I am still learning to understand, but simply put it is a combination of ancient religions and academic intelligence. Being as this man is pursuing his doctorate in mathematics I can see why this religion may appeal to him. And finally a friend at the other campus we attend. He grew up a forced catholic and largely viewed religion as restrictive and a form of enslavement. He had a rebellious season but has since begun to change his mind. During this topic on Easter I was able to express the freedom we receive through Christ! To live our lives, unashamed and without fear because our enemy has been defeated and has no grasp over our lives. I was excited to see him so open to this message, receiving it with curiosity in his eyes and a smile on his face. This young man is very busy, so I am currently working to find some ways we can connect outside of english club to continue these conversations.

The good news doesn’t stop there! I was able to head home for Holy Week and Easter. The highlight of my trip was seeing the little sister get engaged! It was a wonderful week spent relaxing and hanging out with family and friends. While there two really cool things happened. First, some close friends of mine, a married couple, reached out to me about their desire to serve abroad during this time in their lives. They let me know that this is something that have been talking about doing but after reading my blogs and newsletter felt even more curious and excited about the opportunity. How great it is to see our prayers answered by God. We texted for a while and ultimately referred my friend to a few options I knew of. As they are largely exploring right now, it is a little more difficult to take concrete steps. But I will be checking in on them shortly in hopes of helping more! And next, a similar situation, while out celebrating a friends birthday I was able to share a little bit about my time here in Mexico only to discover that this other friend was deeply interested in dedicating her summers to serving abroad as well! Since then I have been talking with my team here and asking around to find a few options for this friend. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that God is using my story to help mobilize others to do his work!

As many of you may know, my spanish is coming slowly. And as a result I often feel less than effective at doing my job. However, I was recently reminded that God does not need me to accomplish his plans. I am merely a tool used to further his desire. I am thankful for this time of reflection as it has revealed to me answered prayers. And shown that God is using me even when I feel less than effective. A friend recently told me, it is God’s power that saves and our job to obey.

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