It is a brisk Thursday morning as I sit on the bed and reflect on all that has gone on over the past few weeks. I have so many random thoughts that I just wanted to vent. We are more than half way through our furlough and we have seen the results of the presidential elections, met with family and friends, spoken at churches, skated several local parks, and had plenty of good food to eat. Furlough is always like an out of body experience, not that I have had one of those, but furlough is what I imagine that would be like. It is like this weird time warp deal. Things have changed, people have moved on and lives have been altered. We expect to see everything exactly as it was when we left, but we have been gone for five years and life goes on. Sure, in our minds the last memory of here is stuck so we have expectations when we come here that life will pick up just as it was in our memory bank. It is not that way. This happens every time we come back, you think we would not set ourselves up for that.
Living out of suitcases and running around from place to place, isn't necessarily the most relaxing thing to do. The kids don't seem to mind too much having their cloths in a suitcase but it drives Nicole and I nuts. Our kids are good travelers but every couple days they ask can't we just not go anywhere today? On days where we just call it a down day and we go to the beach and hit a skatepark they say, "wow life here is fun!" They don't realize that the life they are living on furlough is not the life we would be having if we lived here. That is something hard for them to comprehend. Their clothes wouldn't be in a suitcase and we would be driving from Santa Cruz to Sonora to Turlock and back to Santa Cruz that same day and then do it all over again the following day because we have to meet with someone else. We wouldn't be able to go to the skatepark at 9 am when no one is there. This would not be our life. This is not only a thought the kids need to know, this is something that I must remember as well. There are moments when we are here and I think to myself, life here is what I am use to. This is the way I would like to live (not the running around, just the location), but then the Lord gives me a little nudge. "This isn't your home, this isn't your calling, this isn't what I have for you and your family." And believe me, I am so grateful for what the Lord has called us to do. There are just these moments.
My parents posted a blog just yesterday (there is a link on the home page of this blog). It was wonderfully written and expressed what is happening in the ministry the Lord has entrusted us with. I was so encouraged when I read that. At times, I need to be reminded of how faithful the Lord is and what He is doing. It is exciting, but at the same time so difficult. As was said in their blog, we love Cajamarca and all the people the Lord has brought into our lives. To be honest, I have prayed more on this furlough and prayed more fervently and heart felt in a long while. I find myself just pleading with the Lord for Refugio and the people. I have said this trip will be a good test for Alvaro and the church, but I think the Lord had in mind that it would be a good test for me and my heart. Refugio is the Lord's church and He is the one who has built it and the one who has led it. And He has done that in spite of me! I have made so many mistakes and yet the Lord continues to work just showing and proving that it is all by His grace. As my favorite line goes, "I am just a knucklehead, but God loves to use knuckleheads." It is the Lord who builds His church and He will continue to build His church in Cajamarca.
In April we have a wonderful team coming down from Halfmoon Bay to continue in that work! The Mud and Miracles group. About 30 people have signed up and are planning on making the trip. Last night we got to go up there and I shared a short message from God's word and then we talked about Peru and answered questions. It was such a blessed evening. We love our church in Halfmoon Bay and we love this team. We are praying that the Lord would do a radical work in each of their hearts.
This past week, some of our close friends has us over for a lunch after church. It was great time of fellowship and relaxation and the food was straight up nothing less than amazing. Miguel killed it!!! It was such a blessed time with all of them. We love getting together with our loved ones. The Gibby's have of course been blessing our socks off. They are our peeps, like for reals. There are certain people the Lord brings into your life that you wouldn't ever have expected and they bring out the best in you and Gibby's are that for us. They are some of the most special people. The Wise family is another and they have been beyond amazing to us and our love for them is beyond expression. I can't even express how much it means for us this love and support we get. Speaking of that, CCC has an incredible fundraiser for our move to Chile. They went above and beyond. It was evident how much they love our families. They are so invested in what the Lord is doing. It would not be possible to do what we have done and are going to do without them. So many people came out and listened and talked and caught the vision. ALL of us are eternally grateful.
As our days are coming to a close on this furlough, we still have several things going on. My speaking schedule is still pretty booked. I will have one Sunday off and one Wednesday off. We have several close friends we haven't had the chance to get together with yet, but we will in this remaining time. Nicole's parents have purchased Disneyland tickets for the whole family! When I say the whole family, I mean for them, us, her brothers and their families and her sister and her family. We are looking forward to this time. The kids are excited and it will be fun.
Well thanks for reading through my venting and what has been going on!
Soli Deo Gloria
Good is faithful brother!
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