Resting on God

O God, most high, most glorious, the thought of Thine infinite serenity cheers me, for I am toiling and moiling, troubled and distressed, but Thou art for ever at perfect peace. Thy designs cause thee no fear or care of unfulfilment, they stand fast as the eternal hills. Thy power knows no bond, Thy goodness no stint. Thou bringest order out of confusion, and my defeats are Thy victories: The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

I come to Thee as a sinner with cares and sorrows, to leave every concern entirely to Thee, every sin calling for Christ’s precious blood; revive deep spirituality in my heart; let me live near to the great Shepherd, hear His voice, know its tones, follow its calls. Keep me from deception by causing me to abide in the truth, from harm by helping me to walk in the power of the Spirit. Give me intenser faith in the eternal verities, burning into me by experience the things I know; Let me never be ashamed of the truth of the gospel, that I may bear its reproach, vindicate it, see Jesus as its essence, know in it the power of the Spirit.

Lord, help me, for I am often lukewarm and chill; unbelief mars my confidence, sin makes me forget Thee. Let the weeds that grow in my soul be cut at their roots; grant me to know that I truly live only when I live to Thee, that all else is trifling. Thy presence alone can make me holy, devout, strong and happy. Abide in me, gracious God.

Taken from “The Valley of Vision: a Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions”

Unimaginable

I came to this semester wanting to be challenged and stretched. So far, I’ve gotten what I came for, in more ways than I imagined! God is transforming how I see missions, the church, non-believers, and myself. The structure for most of these changes is taking place in the church history class. For the first time, I feel like I’m truly beginning to grasp what was going on in the struggle between the Catholic Church and the reformers and why it was significant. Being in this city, where so much of church history has unfolded throughout the ages, gives a vividness to what I’m learning that I have never experienced before. Last Tuesday for class, we went to the Holy Steps and saw what caused Luther to start questioning the Catholic Church: people trying to work their way to heaven, one step and one recited prayer at a time. It’s something that simply can’t be taught in a classroom or read in a textbook. It brings a vividness not only to the historical reality, but to the present reality of the millions of people who still don’t know that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone.

Barriers?

My clumsy fingers fumbled over the Braille cells as I simultaneously attempted to translate my teacher’s instructions, given in Spanish.  My eyes squinted in discomfort and effort behind the blindfold that covered my eyes.  The blindfold represented the only barrier that existed as I crossed every cultural barrier that had ever defined my life.  Moments like this characterized my six months as a foreigner living, studying, and working in Chile and Peru.  During my time, I learned to be comfortable with the uncomfortable as I developed a sense of adaptability.  This adaptability became my most valuable asset as I constantly confronted and transcended language and cultural barriers during my six-month pilgrimage in South America. My ability to acculturate enabled me to communicate with the young girls at the orphanage where I served in Chile.  It also moved me to compassion for the disabled individuals with whom I connected during my involvement in a ministry center to the differently enabled in Chile.  And it cultivated within me a deep love for the children at the orphanage in Peru with whom I worked for the summer, in the months following my semester abroad in Chile.

Ariana, Spring 2011

Welcome to Rome!

I had a great time with Leonardo DeChirico and his family yesterday! They invited me over for lunch, and when I said my roommate, Carol, wanted to come to church with me, they invited her to lunch as well. It was wonderful to hear their testimony, how the Lord prepared them for each other and for the work they are doing now. They told God that they wanted to give Him everything, and He took them up on it. What an amazing family! They are a living example of how God blesses those who are willing to trust Him fully.

At church Carol and I met people in all sorts of different ministries. The hardest part is going to be deciding which ministry we want to get involved with in our short time here! The Evangelical church in Italy may be small, but it is alive and vibrant with people who are serving God faithfully in the face of many challenges — small numbers, limited financial resources, and hard work with little visible payoff. But the joy in their faces clearly testifies to a faith that seeks to please God, not men. It is both convicting and encouraging.

Laurel Kuntz, Trinity International University

Top Reasons to Study Abroad with Veritas

10. Travel with Veritas on excursions all over your host country.

9. Experience a new culture and learn about your own.

8. It’s a great way to learn a new language.

7. It looks good on your resume.

6. Your faith will be stretched.

5. Make new friends from the US and abroad.

4. Serving others for the glory of God in another culture is awesome.

3. You will experience life in ways you never could at home.

2. You could discover a new life mission.

1. W.W.J.D.?

Ministry in Sevilla

This is Chanelle and David Acton and our bible study that we have been meeting with once a week! Chanelle and her family are missionaries here in Sevilla and she has been so sweet to meet with a group of us weekly for bible study. We went to their church where David preaches and have been able to get involved in a few of their other ministries. One of the biggest blessings of this trip by far! We helped out at their church one day with a day camp to teach kids english and afterwards went to the Acton’s house where Chanelle made us a full blown American meal. You would have thought we hadn’t eaten in a week if you had seen our reaction.

Sharing Lives In Sevilla

Tonight Sarah Beth and I just finished dinner with our familia (Ada and Ana). We learned that Ana was adopted from Russia when she was 10 years old. I asked Ada why she wanted to adopt. She answered that she wanted to do something for other people and take the focus off herself. She said it was necessary to serve others. It was really cool to go a little bit deeper with them despite the huge language barrier. SB and I both came back to our room filled with happiness knowing that God can do anything. He can overcome language barriers. We can really see our relationships with them growing already. A few days ago, I read this verse and really soaked it up…

“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well because you had become dear to us.”  1 Thessalonians 2:8

It has just hit me lately that to share Christ with others is to share life with them as well. We can show God through our own lives by building relationships with others. God can do amazing things with us if we let Him. He wants us to be in community with others while He is at the center of it all. God is so good. I just feel so blessed to be here.

I know it’s not much, but this is what has just been on my heart recently.

Much love from Sevilla.   (Catherine, Sevilla Summer 2011