Mark opens with a statement of identity. This is the good news concerning Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God. These may be titles we are over-familiar with, names that we toss about without a real sense of their meaning. They may be titles we think we have rightly understood when in fact our assumptions are misguiding us. Or they may be al- together new to us. In any case, if we are capable of reading Mark’s first sentence without a sense of shock, of joy, and even of anxiety, we must read them again in context. For the opening salvo from Mark asserts that Jesus’ Messiahship is a message of unequivocally good, reality-altering news. The king has come!
The Apprentice: Building Relationships
I can hardly believe that I have been in Arequipa for over two months, the time has simply flown by. This past month I have been praying for guidance, for the people of Arequipa and specific individuals the team has a relationship with, and I have come to know and love. I am excited about Alfredo’s decision, and I remember the excitement in his eyes when he told me about his decision one day in language class. I am exited to see what God has in store for Alfredo, and pray that his wife, Judith will be influenced by the changes she sees in him.
ICDU View: Redefined
Before we ever left the states, we knew one thing about our development work: We had no clue what we were doing. What we have accomplished so far has been a testament to the power of God and to what good people can do with good intentions. However, the fact has not been lost on us that we could do much more and do it better, if we were only more in- formed. Alfredo has been our source of much information and a great networker here in Arequipa, but the issue of knowing how to plan a project from beginning to end through multiple stages is still a problem. As a team we have been praying over this and have recently decided to take a new approach.
Missionary Mom: Rogar
A brief update: I have been taking Spanish classes again the past 3 weeks. I am loving it! And Greg tells me he can already see a big improvement. Poco a poco (little by little). I am so thankful for my new teacher, Nancy, who comes to my home and sometimes teaches me while I have to hold Maggie (she is supposed to be taking a nap during this time). It is life, but we are making it work and God has been very, very good to me. Thanks to all of you that are praying for my language skills. Your prayers have been heard. Keep praying.
Crossing Cultures: No Tears in Heaven
Grief is an odd thing. It is something all people across the globe have in common, but the actual process of grieving the death of a loved one and letting them go is actually a cultural phenomenon. In the US, we have visitations, memo- rial services and graveside services. In some places in Africa, they express their grief dramatically, with loud wailing for long periods of time. In other parts of the world, someone’s death is received as their final honor, and the grieving show utmost respect and value for the lost.
A Word of Prayer
We often pray too generally. Sometimes I think it’s because we respect the “not my will but thine” posture of prayer--why ask for particulars if we’re content with letting him decide what will be? Sometimes I think it’s because we fear the disorientation of not receiving--avoid the whole mess of asking for the wrong thing or wondering if my lack of faith it at fault. Prayer is a complex and untamed subject. My present feeling is one of pragmatic surrender. I don’t know what else to do but ask for what we need. If it turns out otherwise, well, I had to ask. So, let’s get specific.
Mark as Gospel: Introduction
My wife, who provides for me the sensitivity to academic tediousness that I lost somewhere along the way, said that this introduction is like lots of others: “You just have to get through it.” I take that gentle criticism seriously, though I have found no other way to talk about these introductory issues. To those who will simply skip this part: I understand. To those who will, after graciously reading it, wonder whether this is a sign of things to come: I assure you it is not. The study itself will be totally geared for the uninitiated. Think of it this way: The introduction is for you, the evangelist. It is not, however, something I would introduce into the study itself. The body of the study, while also intended to be preparation material for you (behind the scenes in a sense), is written in such a way as to indicate how to present Mark.
The Apprentice: Waiting
I have now been in Peru for over a month. I am almost settled into my apartment (I still lack some furniture) and language classes are going well. I have taken over teaching the children’s Bible class, and have begun planning the curriculum for the children’s events with Megan. As I look back over the last several weeks I have discovered several things. First, being on the mission field for an extended period of time is vastly different from a short campaign or even a summer internship. In my past experiences with short term mission trips there were always activities planned and things to do. While this structure limited my freedom, it heightened the experience and I always fell asleep at night knowing I had accomplished something worthwhile.
ICDU View: Project Planning
During the planning process of our ministry here we decided early on that any project we would implement would be two things reproducible and sustainable. You might say those are the ‘core values’ of our development projects here in Arequipa. Of course our reasons for doing this type of ministry are based in our beliefs on the ministry of Jesus and our duties as his followers, but when seeking to start a new project we always check the project against those core values; reproducibility and sustainability. Our simple definition of these two points is that we do not want to execute any project that can- not be sustained/continued/maintained by Peruvians or reproduced/copied/multiplied by those same Peruvians. Oversimplified? Yes. Important? Absolutely.
Missionary Mom: Fertile Soil
What does evangelism look like to you? I believe that evangelism has many forms. God gives his children gifts, and he expects for each of us to use those gifts in evangelizing others. Before coming to Peru I could not give you a specific name of anyone I had “brought to Christ.” Sure, I am certain that I may have influenced people in a positive way. I attended a Christian college, participated in a Christian drama group, purposefully taught middle schoolers with a Christian attitude and perspective. There were many relationships that I wanted to deepen so that I could connect on a spiritual level, but I fell short of investing the time or energy into it. Since being here in Peru I have changed my view on evangelism somewhat.