Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Pews, Tarps, and Two Little Fish



In a blur of delighted, breathless screams, outstretched arms and pounding little feet, a herd of kids races past, one of our Mission Adventures staff keeping just ahead of them as he weaves and ducks between mothers with babies and 15 passenger vans. It’s day 2 of our 3 day outreach to San Quintin, a few hours south of the Ensenada location. All morning, several teams of YWAMers and JuCUM teens have been stretching tarps over roofs and washroom frames in this dusty, well kept colonia. The JuCUM teens have just presented their evangelistic program, an artistic mix of dramas, mimes, and rap performed by the young members of the group.
Now, clusters of people stand talking in the dirt road. Over by the fence, a line of youngsters waits impatiently for their turn to have a bright rainbow, cross, or flower painted on their cheek or arm, while others energetically wrestle and dance sporadically with YWAM staff. The local pastor we’re working with takes down names of families who would like to receive tarps if we can make a second trip in the future. Two of the JuCUM teens continue to rap to the heavy rhythm blasting through the portable speakers, while a couple teams finish up with their tarping projects.

After a fast lunch and some clingy hugs good bye, we pile in the vans and head back to Impact Ministries facility to shower, change and go set up at a local church, where we’ll be participating in the second and final service of the Youth Missions Conference. Last night, we’d directed a service at another church. The small sanctuary is packed, overflowing with young people from 7 different area churches, faces bright and shy. A worship team led by an Ensenada staff member and supported by Tijuana full time staff and MA staff had begun the service, followed by a presentation by the JuCUM teens and the video Hakani, which speaks to justice for children in Brazilian indigenous tribes. Jonathan Mendez, a former YWAMer and now pastor in San Quintin, gave a message on our theme: missions. Afterward, we had the chance to speak with several different youth about our Discipleship Training School beginning in September.
Tonight, the church youth group directs much of the service. Praise songs in 2 languages fill the large sanctuary. Using their gifts in evangelism, acting, and music, the JuCUM teens present their portion of the program, speaking about using and developing your talents to bring honor to God and leading out in doing it. As the youth group from the church get up and begin reading a scripture together, a few loud pops sound and seconds later, armed youth with ski masks pulled over their faces burst into the sanctuary, rousing screams from the audience, ripping bibles from the shocked youth, and herding chosen people out of the sanctuary. Slowly understanding that this is only a simulation, the captivated audience watch as a girl refuses to renounce her faith at gun point, eventually leading her captor to Christ. He is then martyred by his fellow revolutionaries as she is dragged out of the sanctuary. As the youth group files back in, one member explains that while this was only a drama for us, many churches in other countries face threats of violence like this everyday. Choking back tears, Jonathan gets up to present his message for the evening. “I’m already seeing examples of what I want to tell you tonight,” he begins. “As I sit in my seat, I see an entire service directed by young people leading out in the kingdom of God, using their talents for Christ.” He continues by reading the story of the little boy’s 2 fish and 5 loaves from Mark 6. “God takes what little we can offer Him- a listening heart and willingness to obey- and multiplies it and uses it for His kingdom.”
A Mexican YWAMer then gets up and says that he wants all the foreigners who are in the church to come up. He then thanks them that in spite of the violence and sickness, they are here because of their passion for the Mexican people. He then invites the rest of the church to pray for them. As YWAM staff and former DTS students and the local church lay hands on the embarrassed staff and begin to pray and prophesy over them, tears squeeze from tired eyes and language and cultural barriers fall away. Hugs and handshakes are passed all around. As the praise team plays the first energetic strains of a song, the hugs turn into singing and dancing and laughing. This is the family of Christ- a myriad of cultures, races, languages, and personalities having fun with their Father.
And as we clean up the Impact facility where we’ve been staying, take a few fun hours at the beach, and reflect on the 3 days in San Quintin, a truth remains: This is how we reach a broken world. It’s not the organization or smoothness of the program, the skill or the presentation, or even the hammers and nails. We love each other and offer our little to God, and He uses us to bring life into hurting hearts.



Saturday, June 20, 2009

Practical Application



You remember when you were in high school, the math or science teacher used to hand out these homework assignments that drilled you on formulas and theories? The beginning questions were supposed to help you capture the idea of the principle, and the problems would only have a few factors in them that you had to figure out. I was really good at those questions. You know, getting the theory and figuring out if it was b or +a missing; I could even get excited about it sometimes. It made sense. It was clean and clear-cut. But then at the end of the assignment, there was always this section of problems entitled “Practical Application.” That section always gave me trouble. Instead of the question setting up the problem and you figuring out which factor was missing, there were a whole bunch of random factors or situations in which you had to set up the problem and figure out the answer. Instead of nice little italic letters, there were real numbers and measurements and reactions. You even had to figure out what was supposed to be a factor and what was just extra information. It frustrated me. And you know what the worst part was? Most of the time, my mistakes weren’t in setting up the problem or arranging the factors together. They happened when I was so focused on the major players that I didn’t pay attention to the details. Like addition or subtraction or multiplying right.
Ever since I was little girl, I’ve been enrolled in a class called “The God Thing- Christianity and All that Entails.” Learning the bible verses, going through confirmation, memorizing the books of the bible in order- yep, I can still sing the song. I’ve even been to the seminars and workshops and retreats. Heck, I’ve staffed them. But it goes deeper than that. Hearing someone teach on something I’ve never thought of before or finally having the light bulb go on during worship thrills me. Diving into a passage and discovering what it meant in its cultural or lingual context can have me excited for a week. I get it. But in the last year or so, I’ve hit this weird section of life called “Practical Application,” with an emphasis in surrender and obedience. It’s awkward. It’s messy. I don’t like it. It leaves me groping for the factors and fumbling through situations that weren’t my idea in the first place. And there’s that irritating little note in the instructions that says, “Pay attention to the details.” The ones that are easy to skip over or forget. Like reading what He’s spoken or keeping a leash on my thoughts or meaning what I say when I pray. And as I’m floundering around trying to figure out right from left, the big question comes up: where the heck is my Teacher when I need him?
I don’t know. He doesn’t seem to feel like opening the curtain and showing what He’s got going on backstage. But I know He’s there. I can occasionally hear the echo of His footsteps and can definitely feel when He moves the factors around. Why I can’t look into His eyes right at moment, I’m not sure. But I’m choosing to believe He’s bigger than that. And as much as I hate it, I’m convinced that practical application is necessary part of the class; in fact, I doubt that there’s any part that’s more key. I know there’s going to be mistakes all over my finished product. But I also know my Teacher. And when He finally pulls open the curtain, He’ll have taught me something more beautiful than I can hope for now. It’s because of Him that I’ll survive “Practical Application.” Maybe that’s the whole point anyway.