THOUGHT FOR TODAY: I'm sure it’s true for all of us; we are facing complicated situations with so many variables it's hard to see how everything will work out. We’re not expected to find our own way through the maze. Our responsibility is just to listen for His voice and take the next step. “Take no thought for the morrow…”
We continue to dig out from under record snowfalls here in Tulsa, about 14 inches here in Broken Arrow. This was homecoming weekend at Oral Roberts University. I handed out lots of business cards to interested alumni; there was also a missions meeting where there was a great deal of interest in the Gathering Hearts ministry. I heard back from Eliezar in Venezuela and he will be coming April 8 through the 11th. He has written a third book and wants to present it in Guatemala and Costa Rica on the same trip. Also wants to meet with the Baptist Convention in our region. I heard from Nicholas yesterday. The public schools begin another school year this week and both of our Laurdes friends are in need of help. Laurdes from Lake Yojoa needs a sewing machine and school uniform for her daughter who has gotten a scholarship to another sewing school. Lourdes from Seis de Mayo sent her children over to the mission center to ask for shoes, the uniforms, and notebooks. We want to help, but don't want them to become dependent upon us.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: I'm sure it’s true for all of us; we are facing complicated situations with so many variables it's hard to see how everything will work out. We’re not expected to find our own way through the maze. Our responsibility is just to listen for His voice and take the next step. “Take no thought for the morrow…” It appears I will have to delay my return to Honduras until the 22nd of February. As I don't want to leave Cheryl alone any more than is necessary, I was planning to go down on the 8th, return to Tulsa on the 17th, and then go back again at the end of the month. My schedule change is, in part, because I was diagnosed last week with atrial fibrillation and I probably should avoid any unnecessary stress. One of my greatest concerns in having another delay is that I have a list of things I intended to do after I get there. For example, we are changing lawyers and I need to get our residency files and also our paperwork for tax exempt status from one to the other. I also wanted to meet with Luis Paz about getting the rice processing plant ready to use; put one of the vans on a used car lot; meet with Cheryl's surgeon regarding insurance matters, meet with Marlon about his work plans for the future, etc. I guess one of my greatest concerns was that I thought Nicholas might be getting uneasy about having to handle things in my absence. However, after telling him my revised plans his response to me today was “…no problem, take your time, that's what I'm here for.” I think some of the things on my list could be done from here. For example, I wrote Luis a long letter today trying to find out, without pressuring, how soon we can use the building. Also, Nicholas confirmed that they have a printer there at the mission center so I can write detailed letters to the surgeon, the lawyer, the car dealer etc.
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: A couple of nights ago Cheryl and I were reading in the book Radical by David Platt. In it he reminds us, “… Jesus has commanded each of us to make disciples, and this is the means by which we will impact the world.” Our education, healthcare, construction, and manufacturing projects are important, but ultimately making disciples is our purpose. For some time Cheryl has had a real sense of urgency about seeking out and trying to disciple the group of young men that came forward in a church service way back in 2006. In case you don't remember the story, the Baptist Chapel youth group had come to Honduras on a short term mission. Toward the end of their visit we had an evangelistic service at one of the village churches. We invited Alexander, a former gang leader, to preach the sermon. At the end, when he began the altar call, there were only a few elderly villagers and some small children in the congregation; but when we looked up at the end of his prayer there were 23 young men lined up across the front of the church. They had been standing out in the dark listening to the whole thing. They had taken the first step, but we never really followed them up. It looks like God is giving us a second chance. First of all, we are now seeing it as a priority and are developing a plan to seek them out. Some time ago I provided a home fellowship group from First United Methodist with the names of the young men and they are praying. Then, over the weekend Ron and Donna Roberts brought by 10 copies of the Cross and the Switchblade to be handed out. Yesterday we received in the mail two DVDs from the Nicky Cruz ministry designed to reach young people. Finally, at our last medical clinic I met a young man who said he knows all of these guys. He, Eli Lara, will be our contact person. An obvious question might be “what is so important about this group of guys?” Part of the answer could be that several are involved in gangs and often times those are the young men who have qualities of leadership..
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: When I say, “The answer is yes”, I mean it’s both. Behavioral scientists have noted that when we take action and do what we know we should we come to feel more like doing it again. |