It's been over THREE weeks since my last blog update. Well, now I'm here to change that.
There are three parts to this update. I DEFINITELY recommend you do NOT miss the video and pictures in part 3!
1. My sister's visit
A LOT has happened over the last three weeks. My sister (Shermeen) came to visit me last weekend, and it was a wonderful time!
My sister's arrival to Halifax! (Full album)
We actually got to talk through a lot of things, and it was good that she came at the mid-point
of project because I got to talk with her about my experience here, and what I've been learning and what she's been learning. One of my desires for Halifax Project was that I would be able to more securely "feel" my faith and relationship with God - that I would have a closer, more immediate sense of God's irrevocable hand on my life.
While I've been here, I've felt, little by little, more secure in my walk with God. I believe it's because I've been able to live out my faith and exercise my relationship with God more, by trusting Him in evangelism, by spending more consistent time with God in talking with Him and reading His Word, by taking leadership and caring about my brothers and sisters in Christ, here. I believe it's really true, the old adage - faith must come with action (see: James 2:14, 26). I expected that God would secure my faith through teaching me new things about the reliability of the Bible, or the historicity of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, or better Biblical interpretation and things like that. But how I think God has been teaching me instead is by showing me that I know enough to act on right now, and so if I trust Him and back it up by taking action that comes from that trust (faith), He will continue to lead me.
Anyways, I just think it's really important for all of us that our faith is something that causes us to change each day, rather than just being a part of our lives that involves singing, worshiping, and going to Church on Sunday. We just studied Chapter 4 of 1 Corinthians, and verse 20 says, "For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power." (ESV) And I believe that the power of God means lives that are more conformed to Christ, each day. (That can be painful, by the way)
2. Paulman, Discipleship Group leader
Anyways, speaking of Bible study (which we call "Discipleship Groups"), my role on project since about Week 4 has been to be the leader of one of the two Men's Discipleship Groups (DGs) here on project. I think of that responsibility in these terms: not that I have to be the most spiritual person in the group (thankfully, or they might be in big trouble), but that it is my role to make sure we are all growing in Christ as much as possible. This means that I get to have Personal Discipleship (PD) times with two of the guys in our DG, Gilberto and Johnson. I've been learning and I hope they've been learning through these times, but you can continue to pray for us guys here on project.
Johnson on Canada Day / Gilberto (middle person)
What I've valued most about the PD times that I've had with Gilberto and Johnson have been the opportunities to talk about "life-truths". Well, what I mean is those things that sometimes takes you half a lifetime to learn (sometimes people never learn them at all), but which are so valuable. Things like how loving a person must not be dependent on whether you feel for them like you used to, but that love means choosing to put someone's best interests ahead of yours (especially when it hurts). That's what it means to care about someone (I don't think it means you always feel warmly towards them).
You might be wondering if this is what people come to mission projects to learn, though. Well, that brings me to another lesson that I feel very strongly about, and it's something that's come up in our DG and also with our whole project, before! It's my firm belief that you are never going to serve or please God in the way that He wants you to, unless your heart is in right relationship with Him, first - unless your character is pleasing to Him. Here's my Scriptural backup:
2 Peter 1:5-8
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV, emphasis added)
If my life could be used by God to see Christians grow in these things, so that our families are safe places no longer filled with fighting, that we are known for the patience and love that we have for one another - so that giving to help the needy and defend the helpless is a natural response for us, and so that we take proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ seriously (leaving the results to God), I think I could die a very happy man. Well, I'm sure I'm leaving a lot of stuff out in my summary (a wife and kids I'm sure is in there, somewhere).
3. Canada Day in Halifax!
I wish you guys could see what a crazy bunch of people we are. Not only that, but this group is filled with quality people, too. It's funny how fun-loving often goes hand in hand with quality. Anyways, here is a video of our crazy exploits on Canada Day, along with a bunch of photos (see the very bottom)!
Prayer requests:
- For me - that I would be able to manage my time between school/research, project, and personal time - all the while growing deeper in my relationship with God.
- For the guys in my Discipleship Group (Gilberto, Johnson, and Ben Harrison) - that God would have His way with us.
Thanks and blessings to you all!
And now, without further ado, Canada Day photos!
2 comments:
i like the 2nd and last photos! they're great! it's good to see that you're growing in different ways than expected.
also, it was great to meet your sister and hang out with her! =) so much fun!
People should read this.
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