The weather has been cooling down these days! YAY! It hasn't been as hot or as humid as when we first got here, and my face feels drier (almost as dry as it feels in America). There have been less mosquitoes and less bug bites... Feels like my body is slowly getting more and more used to the Paraguayan lifestyle.
We started our respective church ministries this month. Joe is the "keyboard man" every Sunday and helps out with the Reunion de Jovenes on Saturdays, and I help out with a children's ministry at a church plant called Ytororo and Sunday School at Marangatu. This past week was our first weekend serving in all these ministries and to be honest, time seemed like a train, travelling at great speeds, not stopping for anyone. I found myself in situations that required me to talk more and although a little stressful, these moments challenged me to break out of my comfort zone. These days, I have been learning that it's okay to look stupid and have been trying to embrace mistakes and failures.
It has been raining a lot these days. A couple days ago, the power went out for a little while and Joe and I were sitting at the dining table, eating crackers in the semi-dark. Good times. But I give thanks for the weather!
These past few days, I have been realizing that I can be really hard on myself. One of my close friends reminded me of these two passages the other day via Skype.
"And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, 'You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.' But he denied it, saying, 'I neither know nor understand what you mean.' And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, 'This man is one of them.' But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, 'Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.' But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, 'I do not know this man of whom you speak.' And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.' And he broke down and wept." Mark 14: 66-72
"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Feed my lambs.' He said to him a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Tend my sheep.' He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to Him, 'Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.' (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this He said to him, 'Follow me.'" John 21: 15-19
There was so much grace for Peter. Even after he denied Jesus three times (which Jesus already knew before Peter did so by the way), Jesus recommissions Peter to feed and tend His sheep. I am so prone to forget what Jesus Christ's death, resurrection and ascension means for us. Honestly, being in Paraguay has exposed many sins that have been laying dormant in my heart. Often times, I wonder why God would have chosen me to come to Paraguay and convince myself that I am just "no good" to do His work. But, oh how God's grace embraces me and reminds me over and over again of my identity in Christ! That even in my failures, mistakes, weaknesses, God's power is made perfect in weakness. That His grace is indeed sufficient for me.
We started our respective church ministries this month. Joe is the "keyboard man" every Sunday and helps out with the Reunion de Jovenes on Saturdays, and I help out with a children's ministry at a church plant called Ytororo and Sunday School at Marangatu. This past week was our first weekend serving in all these ministries and to be honest, time seemed like a train, travelling at great speeds, not stopping for anyone. I found myself in situations that required me to talk more and although a little stressful, these moments challenged me to break out of my comfort zone. These days, I have been learning that it's okay to look stupid and have been trying to embrace mistakes and failures.
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| David Lugo speaking at Ytororo |
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| Sunday School at Marangatu. Making crafts: "eyes to see, ears to hear." |
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| End product! LOL |
It has been raining a lot these days. A couple days ago, the power went out for a little while and Joe and I were sitting at the dining table, eating crackers in the semi-dark. Good times. But I give thanks for the weather!
These past few days, I have been realizing that I can be really hard on myself. One of my close friends reminded me of these two passages the other day via Skype.
"And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, 'You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.' But he denied it, saying, 'I neither know nor understand what you mean.' And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, 'This man is one of them.' But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, 'Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.' But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, 'I do not know this man of whom you speak.' And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.' And he broke down and wept." Mark 14: 66-72
"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Feed my lambs.' He said to him a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' He said to Him, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Tend my sheep.' He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to Him, 'Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.' (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this He said to him, 'Follow me.'" John 21: 15-19
There was so much grace for Peter. Even after he denied Jesus three times (which Jesus already knew before Peter did so by the way), Jesus recommissions Peter to feed and tend His sheep. I am so prone to forget what Jesus Christ's death, resurrection and ascension means for us. Honestly, being in Paraguay has exposed many sins that have been laying dormant in my heart. Often times, I wonder why God would have chosen me to come to Paraguay and convince myself that I am just "no good" to do His work. But, oh how God's grace embraces me and reminds me over and over again of my identity in Christ! That even in my failures, mistakes, weaknesses, God's power is made perfect in weakness. That His grace is indeed sufficient for me.
1. ytororo! i love the eye/ear project.
ReplyDelete2. good reminder of grace for myself as well
3. LOL i can imagine you and joe sitting in the dark eating crackers. LOL. and you saying something along the lines of, "well. this is fun."
always thankful for these blog updates.
^ ditto to everything sarah said. :)
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