Week One: Serving at Misión TEC

What a fun week! During the first leg of my time in Pucallpa, I’m helping out at Misión TEC alongside a group of five other young adults from my church. San Jose, the community in which TEC is located, lies on the outskirts of Pucallpa. I will live about 25 minutes from TEC when I move to the SAM base. I plan to help out at TEC regularly during the year. Our church group has helped with many clubs for kids this week. We love working with the kids. Every hug, smile, and attempt to communicate brightens both our lives and their lives.

Kisses from Katie, a book written by a missionary in Uganda, encouraged us in this as well. Katie says, “I’ve noticed something about people who make a difference in the world: They hold the unshakeable conviction that individuals are extremely important, that every life matters. They get excited over one smile. They are willing to feed one stomach, educate one mind, and treat one wound.”

What does the community in which Misión TEC ministers and lives look like?

Some of them live in houses that look like the one pictured below. We visited a few of the kids’ families to give them food items and pray with them. The poverty level astonished us. However, Cristina, a leader of the mission, reminded us to have a true understanding of poverty. We from North America think of poverty materially and mourn for those who lack. She pointed out that those who live with less see poverty as a relational and spiritual thing; impoverished people lack God and relationship. While God does mourn when His people do not have the means to sustain themselves, He concerns Himself more with the wealth of our relational well-being.

Moments worth highlighting:

- I met some of the students I will teach, their families, and some fellow missionaries at the SAM prayer meeting this week. They joyfully (with applause and all) welcomed me and were glad to hear another teacher had come. They overwhelmed our group with kindness.

- We visited Nueva Era, the Shipibo village our church has connected with regularly. The people welcomed us with open arms, as always, and we gave them greetings from home. I loved seeing a few girls with whom I’ve connected in the past. Real highlight: They asked us to go up front and sing for them unexpectedly. After some deer-in-the-headlights stammering as we looked at one another, we decided to all go up together to sing for them. Luckily, we picked a song that they knew in Spanish, and some of them joined in. We return to that moment as one of the more comical ones we’ve experienced.

- On Saturday, Peru celebrated their 191^st year of independence (commonly called Fiestas Patrias). We walked through a parade in town with the kids from the clubs here…a parade that consisted of walking/marching for about 60 yards down the street after gathering together. Let me tell you, they know how to celebrate (really, they do). We’ve sung their national anthem about four times already as well. Time for me to join in their patriotism! 

Delight -- A focus for living out "mission"

What does it mean to delight in someone or something? It means to be enraptured by something or to take great enjoyment in someone or something (dictionary.com). It means to play together (Proverbs 8:30-31). Picture this: A little boy scampers over to his daddy. He hits his daddy’s leg, wanting his full attention. This little tyke can’t wait to ask for his favorite thing. With unblinking eyes full of anticipation, he asks his daddy to make him laugh. That is his one request: make him laugh. His daddy knows exactly what he wants. As his daddy prepares to make him laugh, the boy's mouth spreads into an unhindered smile, eyes bursting with delight. Shrieks of laughter endlessly topple out of him until he can’t stand up. He delights in his daddy.

This video captures that shrieking laughter of a child delighting in his daddy. My nephew, Jude, loved watching his daddy run, head back and arms flailing. Jude became enraptured with delight (a bit more boisterously than I described in the opening paragraph)…

How does God delight? As I began looking into how God delights in the Bible, I found rich insights into God’s character. He delights in Himself. Jeremiah 9 reminded me that God delights in justice, righteousness, and kindness. He wants to see His order and His kingdom established; He wants to see reflections of Himself. So how does He delight in us? He made us reflections of Himself. Pretty neat.

How do I delight? In Jeremiah, God’s people, while in exile, need a heart change. YHWH wants them to repent, know Him, and share in His victory (Him reigning on earth). His people can share His victory by embracing Him and exuding Him to the nations. If they repented, God would equip them to bless the nations. “‘Let him who boasts boast about this: the he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:24)

In Isaiah 42, God calls for His people to serve Him as bearers of restoration to the nations amidst their exile to the Assyrians. Unfortunately, Israel hadn’t been delighting in God. But as they did delight in God, He would show His delight to the nations through them. They were blessed to be a blessing. What better picture of delight than blessing others as an extension of God’s delight in us. “‘Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.’” (Isaiah 42)

This is not something overwhelming we must obtain, but something we may freely, gratefully rest in through Jesus.

Ready or Not: Orientation with South America Mission (SAM)

Learn and share. That’s what SAM said we’d do during New Candidate Orientation, and they did not let us down.

I drove to South Carolina for a week of orientation with SAM in June. I knew going into it that SAM sounded solid in its mission, vision, doctrine, etc…But I didn’t relish the idea of meeting new people and flipping through a manual for a week (which, for the record, we never did). I thought I’d probably meet some nice people and most likely enjoy my week. I obviously didn’t know this crowd. (And I'm learning to curve my pessimism.) Let me assure you, however, that orientation exceeded all of those thoughts and expectations.

At orientation, members from the SAM staff shared their hearts for the mission. I met beautiful families and wonderful people who want to serve God and enable others to serve God. We heard from various people about discipleship, living a lifestyle of worshipping God, placing our identities in Christ, living as an “abiding community,” and other topics. The main point: worship God and seek to glorify Him in all you do. Would I like to join this mission? Yes, please. I learned important information that week. But, more importantly, I mentally, spiritually, and emotionally prepared to proceed with SAM. In fact, I would have gone straight to Pucallpa after that week had it been possible.

Some highlights?

Friends/Fellowship: I made new friends. I had to leave orientation early, and I hated it. I didn’t want to miss out on the next week of learning alongside my new friends. I miss them, but I also love hearing updates from them. We shared about why we’re going and how we began this process. Some current missionaries shared about the ups and downs of serving abroad. We also shared our life stories, which reminded me repeatedly of God's faithfulness. The fellowship, discussions, and individual conversations helped me process what it means to simply BE God's as I move forward in going to Peru.

Food: Wow. We ate delicious snacks and meals constantly. Yum!

Face time: I met staff who I had only emailed or talked with on the phone. Nothing replaces face time. I’m just bummed that going to Peru does not mean I will spend time with the SAM staff (since they live in SC). 

Teaching: We soaked in challenging teaching. How did they prepare us for the mission field? By encouraging us to worship God and grow in our understanding of who He is.

Cornhole: I absolutely and competitively loved playing Cornhole many times throughout the week. I fully anticipate owning this game at some point.

I fail to take pictures most of the time when I should. That fact did not change. But, thanks to some friends, I have a few pictures I can share from orientation.

My friends, Rachel (left) and Kate (right), who teach in Bolivia

Fellow missionary candidates at the commissioning banquet

(which I, unfortunately, missed during the second week)

It's official!