washed clean

Today we went to one of the barrios in Alajuelita - one of the poorest counties in Costa Rica. The neighborhood consisted primarily of Nicaraugians who had transplanted to Costa Rica for a better life. If the poor corrugated metal shacks where a better life for them, I can't imagine what life looked like before.

We had so much fun playing with the kids, but it was extremely dirty. We played in a dung filled, dust bowl with sewage water streaming down in rivers through the makeshift concrete gutters beside the houses. When we got there, children appeared from many of the rusty doorways and quickly ran out to join us in playing with the jump rope, coloring pages and games of tag over piles of abandoned rubbish.

I've been dirty before, but today I felt filthy, from the snuggles with snotty children, to the superfine dust that filled every crevice, I looked and felt utterly disgusting.

It's amazing how I shower ever single day and never appreciate it as much as I do on days like today. I feel like a person transformed. I've come away clean, no longer covered in the stench of this world, but have been made into something fresh, good smelling and sparkling clean.

What a picture of Christ's transformative work in our lives.

"We are all infected and impute with sun. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags." Isaiah 64:7

I once sat,  covered in the mire of my own sins. My identity was wrapped in this barrio of the world when Jesus came and plucked me out of my own filth to cleanse me from my sins.

"Jesus answered, 'unless I wash you, you have no part with me.'" John 13:8

"How lovely are the feet of those who bring good news." Isaiah 52:7

expectancy

Recently I've been looking at the difference of living a life of expectancy and living with expectations. Although they may sound similar they're not quite the same thing.

My life has been filled with a list of expectations, but unfortunately expectations don't fly solo. They always come with an equally big list of disappointments and broken dreams. We dream about how events will be, we want to look forward to certain things, but when life doesn't bring you the list you expected, it very quickly goes from something exciting, to dejection and disappointment. Eventually, I tend to turn to complaining, because things just didn't happen the way I expected.

Expectations are are all about me and the outcome that I want.

I wrap layers of expectations around events, life experiences, and future hopes, but when the wrapping paper is stripped away, I'm faced with the ugliness of the events.

Expectancy comes through looking towards God and the plan that he has for my life. It rests in the hope that I have in a plan that is infinitely more detailed the my own.

God doesn't doesn't cover up the gifts he has for us. Our loving father gives us life experiences in their raw form. Just as they are, good, bad, scary, beautiful, and joyful. Sometimes these gifts come through hardships, and sometimes through the beautiful interchange of another person who culturally is so completely different than you.

Life experiences can color your own expectations. What I look forward to and what my friends expect may look completely different.

As I prepare to go to a new country, I've tried to set aside my expectations to be open with expectancy to the experiences that God wants me to have. I want to experience each gift that he has prepared beforehand for me. I know there will be challenges and joys to experience, but I am fully expecting that God will use each experience to teach me and grow me.

In order to experience this, I have to be open and adaptable to God's plan. I must die to my own plan, and in humility consider myself a tool and instrument in God's greater plan.

So as I pack my bags and prepare to leave to visit a new culture, I want a fresh expectancy for what God wants to do in and through me. I desire a heart filled with compassion and eyes open to ways to serve others. I expect that God will give me the right words to say to the people that I meet and boldness to say the words he gives.

"Do not say, 'I am only a youth;' for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command  you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord."
-Jeremiah 1:7-8

I want to be open to be used in any way that God wants me to be used. Open for activities not going as I planned and adaptable to those surprise, unexpected moments. With arms outstretched in expectancy, I look towards the cross and
the real work that Christ may be doing.

Blessings,

Liz

"Be a learner not a knower. Be a server not a master. Be a listener not a speaker. Go with only the expectations that you are open to God’s plan and you want to be used in any way he wants to use you. Go with the heart that you have been sent by God. Act like a diplomat of God’s kingdom, because you are."

-Mike Pettengill

in a blink

As I begin to welcome in the new year, I fully realize that it's late -March and has been months since I've last written. This past season went in the blink of an eye. One moment, there was snow dusting the ground I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I realized that the dusting had changed to pollen and the daffodils were blooming beside the house.

What has happened to the time? At the beginning of the year, I like to start with a one word resolution, and this year's word was engaged. My desire for this year is to be so fully involved in the world, the people, my job and other things that are around me. I want those "blinks" in my life to be so full of life that it wasn't a wasted span of time where I sat on a couch doing mindless activies, but a moment that sped past because it was so packed with life.

Though time seems to speed by, I've been able to slow time down through the lenses of my camera as I relive those moments.

With my job, my brain has attempted to make some sort of order of the somewhat haphazard schedule I've been in. My brain has categorized the previous weeks by the trips I've gone on and the span of time spent in-between.

In January, we took our group to the farm for a few restful days filled with skeet shooting, sitting in front of the fire and playing card games together.

A week later, we had a heavy snow at camp, so we had a few fun days of playing in it and welcoming several new lambs here at camp.

On January 23 at 4:56 (1.23,4:56) in the afternoon, a group at camp got together for a polar bear plunge.


We went on our biggest trip in February to Colorado and Utah. Part of the trip was academic as we got to learn about the feasts of Israel under Wayne Weissman, a Messianic Jewish man. We spend several days skiing at Winterpark before heading to Utah for an adventure packed week of canyoneering, rappeling, hiking and mountain biking.

Playing Broom Ball at Timberline Lodge

On top of Winterpark with Kristiana

At Broken Arch in Arches National Park, Utah

Each night we had incredible sunsets 

We returned for a couple of weeks of class, then headed to Camp Canaan in Rock Hill, SC.

And in the in between weeks, we've gotten to do a lot of volunteering, the entire group went through wilderness first aid training and have gotten a few other adventures in the mix.

Today is the last day of class before our spring break, then we have a week and our entire group will head to Costa Rica.


How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone.

-James 4:14

Several months behind...

I often find that in life's busiest moments, when I have the most that I could write about, that I lack the time to sit down even for a moment to reflect. I've had limited internet the past four months and haven't kept up to date.

The last four months have been a whirlwind of activities. While I had no intentions of returning to Australia after being in Fiji, that's exactly where I found myself. My bookend Australia trips were much different from each other.

When I travel, I often think that as much as you can plan for a place, it's hard to know exactly what to expect without actually being in the place. I always wish that I could return to the same spot with the knowledge of what it's already like. That's exactly what I got to do.

My life was just as crazy on arrive back in the states. I had a week to catch up with friends, get over jet-lag and pack up all of my belongings before moving back to my hometown, Greenville, to start a new job.

Catching up with my sweet nieces was one of the best things about about returning home.

I'm going to have to write a post just about my experiences at my new job, but I cannot express how much I love it. For the first time in years, I feel like I'm EXACTLY where I need to be. A place where my gifts and talents are truly being used, while getting to experience adventures with other people.

My crew at Max Patch, the beginning of our weeklong hike of the Appalachian Trail.

These are such amazing ladies! L-R: Candler, Me, Rheannan, Abbie K, Bonnie, Abby T., Kristiana, Abby M.(yes, there are 3 Abby's!)

The Harvest is White

This morning I woke up right at 6:00 am to the sound of a honking truck and barking dogs. I'm sure that I was not the only person at the training center to wake up to the sound the sugar cane farmers starting their day before the sun had fully risen.

Taken from my bedroom window bright and early this morning

I was able to slowly drift off to sleep for just a little bit longer, but somehow the slow, methodical whacking of the machete against the sugar canes made it into my dreams and I thought there was a loud clock ticking beside me.

I come from the American south where crops are abundant, so seeing a harvest is nothing new, but I've never witnessed a sugar cane harvest. Sugar cane is able to grow in a dry climate with relativly little rain. When it's ready to be harvested, the tops of the canes get a white fluffy top.

Lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for the harvest.

- John 4:35

"The fields are white for the harvest"

In Fiji, there is no big production for cutting the canes. The land is often owned by a village and the fields are planted, tended and then finally harvested by individual men. There is no fancy machinery to help in the process, just manpower and a machete.

We've been privileged to have the author, Norman Blackaby here with us these past few days. As we sat listening to him teach us how to better study the Bible and get the most out of reading the word, I started thinking about how warm it was inside. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I heard activity in the field beside our training center. The same two men who had been at work since the morning were still out in the field in the middle of the afternoon heat.

I tried to get a couple of sneaky little shots of the process

A couple of weeks back I spoke with a cane farmer and asked him about the process of turning the sugar canes into cane sugar. He could tell me everything about the planting and harvesting, but as soon as the sugar canes were cut and loaded onto the cane train, he had no idea.

From where I stand at the Kennedy Training Center in Malolo, Fiji, sugar canes can be seen in every direction. With all of the fields, there are only a handful of people out in them each day. There were two working the field beside the center all day.

As I've been reflecting on this and the implement in our own lives I'm reminded of the verse, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." -Luke 10:2

As we headed out for another OJT this afternoon, I saw direct ties between our work and the work of the cane farmers. For months, they prepare their fields, plant them and tend them, ready for the day when the harvest is ready. In the same way, as Christians we have prep work to do before we can go out into the harvest. Our preparation looks a little different, but it must be started before the harvest can be brought in.

In our lives we have to cultivate a relationship with the Lord. Just  like a field that's been planted, it can't be done one time then returned to months later and expect an abundant crop. We have to actually know God and this can only come through a relationship with prayer, studying the world and listening to his words spoken to us.

Sometimes we want immediate results, but don't realize that it takes time for seeds planted in our own lives to have an effect. 

Sometimes doing OJT in town can be frustrating when we make connections with people and make plans to follow through, but aren't able to. Our time here is short and we may never see many of the people that we've been able to impact. It's like the cane farmers who see one side of the process, but never see the canes actually turned into sugar.

I want to know the whole process. I want to see lives radically changed wherever I go, but sometimes it's only a seed that will get planted,

I thank God for the work he is doing in my life and the lives of those I have met. As we've gotten to see a harvest, I pray for those who will come behind me and help finish the process. I am so thankful !

God Bless,

Liz

You Said

You said, "Ask and you will receive
Whatever you need"
You said, "Pray and I'll hear from Heaven
And I'll heal your land"

You said, Your glory will fill the earth
Like water, the sea
You said, "Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here, yes the Kingdom is near"

You said, "Ask and I'll give the nations to you"
Oh, Lord, that's the cry of my heart
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your light, as it rises on us

You said, Your glory will fill the earth
Like water the sea
You said, "Lift up your eyes
The harvest is here, the Kingdom is near"

You said, "Ask and I'll give the nations to you"
Oh, Lord, that's the cry of my heart
Distant shores and the islands will see
Your light, as it rises on us

Oh, Lord, I ask for the nations

  -Hillsong