June 3, 2007 Fellow Pilgrims, It has been so long since I have written that I hardly know where to begin. I am still reeling with the incongruous emotions of longing to be near my loved ones and the joyful ecstasy at being back in Colombia. I guess one with a calling to serve Christ never gets away from this phenomenon: it is the defining mark, I believe of a true pilgrim. We are all sojourners here, residents of a heavenly city; one in which we are not currently living; but with a longing for “home” that will not be satisfied until we finally bid this world and the shell we live in, adieu. So, I am content to live this joy mixed with pain for now, knowing one day that all my longings will be finally satisfied……forever, and there will be no more “good-byes”. We are still in the process of getting settled in. We have spent day after day waiting for someone to arrive at the house that doesn’t come and doesn’t call, but this is all part and parcel of life in Latin America. It is good for the sanctifying work of patience and reminds us who come from a “productive” culture, that there actually are things that are more important than marking things off of our “to do” lists. To give you an example……attempting to be good stewards of what the Lord has so graciously given us, we went to the furniture district to buy our furniture. This is an area of town filled with furniture manufacturers; one store after another. Buying directly saves the mark-up in the stores. So, after walking about a few days, we put in our orders and waited for our furniture to be delivered. So, naturally, on the day of the supposed delivery, we made sure that we were here to receive them. No one came. No one called……and we waited. Then, after almost a month, our furniture began arriving, little by little, but when it did, it either wasn’t what we had ordered, or it was damaged. So, back to the factory it went and we waited some more. And, we are still waiting for some straggling pieces to either be repaired or changed out. Fortunately, we have had a bed and a small card table and chairs since the beginning, so eating and sleeping have been comfortable and here in Colombia, that is a lot more than many of the poor and homeless. We have been attending Cristo Rey since we arrived. Rick is going to the weekly elders’ meetings and a weekly prayer meeting on Thursday evenings. On the Colombian holidays, the church calls a “work day”, so we have been found applying a new coat of paint on the security gates, sanding down wooden plackets and whatever else there is money to do. The church building is old and in need of much repair, but the Colombians are used to waiting and do what they can little by little. There is a part of me that would just like to ask for a special donation and get it done, but we are committed to not enabling them and thus creating an unhealthy dependency which in the long run hinders their growth. And our preoccupation with a beautiful and well-kept building has not taken root here, which is probably for the best. Rick just finished an entire day teaching on the solas for the seminary students here. It is encouraging to see their hunger for spiritual truths. The Church has grown much since we were here before. They who are seeking Him with their whole heart are finding Him. A couple of young women from the Cristo Rey church have asked me if I would meet with them once-a-week to teach them English, so I have taken on this new endeavor. It is quite a different thing to teach English as a second language, but we are learning together. I meet with them on Tuesday evenings after they get home from work. Both Carolina and Rocio are bright, so they are catching on quite well in spite of my lack of experience. We are using a book specifically designed for this purpose based on the book of Mark, so as they are growing in the language, they are also growing in the Lord. I am also team teaching a ladies’ bible study in English, which more than anything is for my own personal growth in grace. I had planned on simply attending, but the lady who had been leading asked if I would help out with teaching it with a young woman from South Africa. It is quite an international group and I am enjoying it immensely. We are elated that Hannah will be coming down to visit us during her summer vacation. This will be the first time she has been back since we left in 2001. I am excited to revisit all our favorite places with her. I could go on and on with more and more stories, but will save those for future installments. Thank you so much for your love, your prayers, your support and for being there. Together we will work to extend His glorious Kingdom and to glorify His Name. A thankful pilgrim, Pam
June 5, 2007 |
Pamela