1 year later.....
I'm home again and 2007 is almost gone and Nicaragua remains to be a 3rd world country. It's been one of the most intense years of my life. Many thank you's to all of the people who have set me up to be able to do this. I pray that every year from now until my death will be this good. An adventure spurred on by a great gift that I could never deserve, yet it's always becoming duty in the moment. I find myself all too often oblivious to my purpose, and the God that inspires me more elusive than ever. I'm certain that this year was my greatest yet. This is true despite it being also the hardest. I'm not sure that I even understand how that could be, but it is.
Bethel, Nicaragua is ultimately the same place it was a year ago and in many ways I'm ok with that, but don't we all want to be heroes in the places where we give our lives? Is this feeling from God? Is it ok to want to be recognized or is this evidence of a part of me that wants to be God? It doesn't matter what move I make, there is tension from all sides. The equation is not simple; many unknowns remain and I certainly haven't fine tuned life.......only complicated it if anything. When I look at the person of Jesus; I remember him asking his father in the Garden of Gethsemane if there was any other way. This tells me that even if a person walks perfectly in this world; the friction will still exist. This tension is not necessarily a problem that we're creating for ourselves; although we're all surely contributing. If the world was perfect; Jesus wouldn't have been so torn that night. His sword continues to divide me as long as I seek him. The only thing that hurts worse is complacency.
As the year comes to a close, I celebrate a God who's goodness I can trust. I also celebrate that there is a non-profit organization representing this God in an obscure part of Nicaragua. They are providing poor people with medicine, financial aid to widows, and jobs to a people who lack training and opportunity. This is a good thing and I hope that you'll celebrate with me.
Grace and Peace to you in 2008!
Credits:
1. Thanks to Delta Airlines for keeping me alive during 4 different trips......and also for encouraging me to leave a surfboard in Nicaragua forever!
2. Thanks to my parents for adopting my illegitimate son Rufio for the past year.
3. Thank you to all my financial benefactors for making missionary work my most lucrative business venture yet! J/k.....
4. Josh Pease for showing me that being poor is cool
5. and finally to Casey McLamb for agreeing to live with me for a very long time.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
Bethel, Nicaragua is ultimately the same place it was a year ago and in many ways I'm ok with that, but don't we all want to be heroes in the places where we give our lives? Is this feeling from God? Is it ok to want to be recognized or is this evidence of a part of me that wants to be God? It doesn't matter what move I make, there is tension from all sides. The equation is not simple; many unknowns remain and I certainly haven't fine tuned life.......only complicated it if anything. When I look at the person of Jesus; I remember him asking his father in the Garden of Gethsemane if there was any other way. This tells me that even if a person walks perfectly in this world; the friction will still exist. This tension is not necessarily a problem that we're creating for ourselves; although we're all surely contributing. If the world was perfect; Jesus wouldn't have been so torn that night. His sword continues to divide me as long as I seek him. The only thing that hurts worse is complacency.
As the year comes to a close, I celebrate a God who's goodness I can trust. I also celebrate that there is a non-profit organization representing this God in an obscure part of Nicaragua. They are providing poor people with medicine, financial aid to widows, and jobs to a people who lack training and opportunity. This is a good thing and I hope that you'll celebrate with me.
Grace and Peace to you in 2008!
Credits:
1. Thanks to Delta Airlines for keeping me alive during 4 different trips......and also for encouraging me to leave a surfboard in Nicaragua forever!
2. Thanks to my parents for adopting my illegitimate son Rufio for the past year.
3. Thank you to all my financial benefactors for making missionary work my most lucrative business venture yet! J/k.....
4. Josh Pease for showing me that being poor is cool
5. and finally to Casey McLamb for agreeing to live with me for a very long time.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
posted by Alan Wilser at 5:43 AM
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