I realize it has been a long time since I last posted a blog. It has been busy here as we have begun our last trimester of language school. There is a lot of work to accomplish before we can graduate from language school. We have projects to start, finish, and present (all in Spanish). There are sermons to write and preach (in Spanish). Also, we have been asked to help teach some really neat kids in Ciudad Colon. We will be helping one of our professors teach English in her school. Last Friday, we started, and we really enjoyed it. We hope to be able to go every Friday and help teach.
On Monday nights, we have a dinner with some Costa Rican friends. I believe I have blogged about them before. There names are Randy, Nati, and Francini. We were honored to attend the wedding of Randy and Nati back in May. Anyway, this evening Randy told me that our pastor asked him to ask me if we would talk about missions in church one Sunday morning before we leave. I don't know whether to be nervous or excited. However, I do understand what an honor and privilege this is. If you can imagine what it takes to allow someone who doesn't really speak the language to get up in your pulpit and speak, then you can almost understand the privilege afforded to us.
As you take a look at the pictures above, notice the green frog on the left, and the very colorful frog on the right. Believe it or not, they are one and the same. It is an amazing creation by God. It looks all bland and kind of boring as it rests, but when it moves, it has vibrant colors and really looks amazing. In fact, in order to confuse it's predators, it moves quickly and leaves a ghost-like image in the space that it left. This gives it time to escape and survive.
As I look at the pictures, I think about my life before and after following the will of God upon my life. I was leading (what I thought to be) a good life. I was working for U.P.S. (making good money), and we really could have purchased any thing we wanted to. I was like the bland, boring, green frog on the left. I didn't know it, but my life was pretty slow and lazy. After we began the mission's process with the Assemblies of God, our lives changed forever. No longer do we have a normal, routine, easy day. We are in a foreign (to us) country, trying to learn a difficult language, making new friends, saying goodbye to some friends, trying to learn the METRIC system, and eating all kinds of strange and new foods. Our life, my life, is now much more colorful than it ever has been, and we are just getting started.
What is amazing about God is that He never fails us! He always keeps Him promises. Jesus came to earth and promised us an abundant life. Life is not meant to be lived in a normal, easy, lazy, routine way. I thought our life was awesome, and it really wasn't that bad. Now, I never know what to expect, and I love it. Is it hard? Yes. Is it fun? Yes. Is it worth all of the hard work? Yes. Is it worth the time? Yes. Is it worth giving up a good paying job? Yes.
To follow God is to really live. Am I telling you all to quit your jobs today and go to another country to tell people about Jesus? Yes, only if God tells you to. If you do not feel compelled to move to another country, you can still live for and work for God. Let me give you a quick lesson about missions. If you call Jesus your Lord and Savior, then you are a missionary whether you choose to be or not. How? Jesus is the Lord of your life, and He has told all Christians to GO and PREACH the Good News to all the world. I personally believe that the WORLD is wherever you are at RIGHT NOW! If you live and work in a community, then that community is your mission field. If you are married with or without children, they your family is your mission field as well. If you attend a church (if you don't, I recommend you start this Wednesday), then there is another mission field.
God loves you, and He would love for you to be a part of the team. It's football season, and you cannot score a touchdown if you don't get off the bench. Join the team! Support your local church with your attendance, prayers, tithe, and work! Support your missionaries with your prayers and finances! As a team, we can work together to spread the Amazing Message of God's unfailing love all over this world. Your life can change from a normal, green life to one that is full of color. You can be like the frog above. When you move in the will of God and work for God in YOUR world, you can leave an imprint on this world that will confuse the enemy and spread the love of Jesus.
Blessings to all,
Charley
