Last day with readers, last LST party

Hello everyone,

I hope you have been able to read a bit about some of our readers. Today is our last day working at the church, and it is a rainy day. The air is clean, and the snow on the mountains fresh.

As we do on every Saturday, we finish at 5pm today. Already we are beginning to look back on the mission, to think of how far we've come with some of these readers, and we are amazed at what God can do. I often doubt (I'm embarrassed to say) that God's word is sufficient. I tend to think that people need to hear God's word in a certain way, in a certain circumstance in order to really listen and then obey. But I have been reminded throughout this mission that God's word alone is powerful. God's word goes beyond language barriers, it goes beyond cultural understandings and expressions. It is true that God often uses people to proclaim His word, and yes, He carefully selects these people with intentions of whom they are to minister to. However God does not need people to bring other people to salvation. He doesn't need human beings for anything really. He chooses to use us and to share His love with us and through us, allowing us to be part of something amazing-- the restoration of a beautiful relationship between the Father and His children. I am grateful to Him for allowing Corey and me to be part of this process. He provided the opportunity, the funds, the support, the love and prayers... He provided everything we have needed for this mission trip. How I thank Him!

I would like to tell you some about another reader of mine, Macarena (Maca). She is a young woman who is currently attending one of the universities here in Chile. She has become a good friend of Corey and me because of her humorous personality and her willingness to help out. Since we began classes, she is one of the students who has progressed tremendously. As we were reading through the book of Luke, she told me last week that she needs to know more about this Jesus. We were reading the story of the woman who cleaned Jesus' feet with expensive perfume and dried His feet with her hair. She was touched by that story. On that day we had a two hour long conversation, in which I told her about Jesus and how we need Him in our lives. At the end of the session, we prayed together. She asked Jesus into her life on that day. It was a most beautiful experience. Minutes after our session, the intern at the church, Claudio, told her that he noticed something different about her. And because of that he invited her to a Bible study group that he is part of. I was amazed and so happy to hear that. God works wonderfully! The next time I was able to speak with Maca, I told her that she needs to be part of a community so that she can keep growing, and I encouraged her to get baptized. She told me that she thinks baptism is a big decision, and she wants to consider it carefully first before going for it. I pray that God may work in her through the Bible study sessions she'll be attending and through the people at this church. I don't want her to draw back from Christ after ardently seeking to know Him.

Please pray for Maca and other readers who are on the verge of getting baptized and becoming full members of the kingdom of God. These readers need a lot of encouragement and prayers. Please join us in praying for them.

Two days ago, on Thursday, we had our last Let's Start Talking (LST) party. We had fewer attendees than the previous party, nevertheless we had an awesome time. The theme was Hollywood. We were so blessed to have the help of the Manualidades group (the group of women who meet every Wednesday to make pottery or to create art crafts). They helped us make stars like the ones on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood and we wrote the names of the readers on the stars. The stars looked so legit! We also made cards for all the readers and regular LST party attendees. In each card, we glued a picture of the person and an LST member or the person and other church members at one of the parties or outings. It was NICE. The friends who came to the party really enjoyed the stars and the cards. During the party, we divided the guests into two groups: Men vs. Women. The main activity was guessing what the name of the movie is by watching 30 seconds or so of the trailer. I will purposely not say who won so as not to create dissension in your households hahaha... =)

A couple of our readers have decided to come to the Bible study class tomorrow morning. It will taught in English. I am very grateful to know that they're coming because this provides us the opportunity to see them once more before we leave.

We leave Santiago Sunday night. We'll be heading towards Texas, where LST headquarters are located. We'll have our End-meeting there and debrief on our mission. We leave Texas on Tuesday evening (I believe), so we should be home Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. We are excited to go home and share with all of you how great our mission was, but at the same time, we wish we could stay here longer and get to know these people better. Bittersweet moments...

Thank you for praying for us. Please continue, we depend on these. The progress we've had, the impact we've made has not occurred by chance, but as a direct result of prayer. I believe in the power of prayer because I am tasting the fruit of prayer. And it's sweet and rewarding. It's refreshing like nothing else. Thank you all for praying for us!

We love you,

Linda

Pictures

Javier

Sorry to be blogging the day after but i was too tired last night to write an effective blog. SO, I am doing it now.

Javier is a student of mine who is a very successful 30 something year old in the engineering world. He has a patient intelligence about him and uses little to no body language when he talks. He sits completely in a neutral stance, one leg crossed over the other, and pulls the book of Luke over to him rather than lean over the table to read. In other words, i have trouble reading him. Being intelligent, he is looking more for the deeper issues of the bible rather than the surface level norms. Yesterday, i was talking with him about this and that and he bluntly asks me, "why are you so spiritual? Is it something that was passed on to you or self promoted?" This question took me off guard and was followed up by more inquiries into the reason why I am so different from other people he has met. During this time, he broke his neutral stance with a quick cross of the legs and even a slight lean of his torso in towards the table. I had captured his attention and used by telling him my story and asking him about his. I was able to tell him that although my parents are christian, my faith is my own and proceeded to tell him why. I then invited him to the continuation bible study that is happening for our readers once we leave. The first one is this sunday right before we leave so Linda and I are able to attend. I told him that it is a place for God, but also, it is a place for answers and for deeper though on how to live a quality life. A lot of my readers confuse God with restrain when I tell them that it is quite the opposite. It is freedom for the traditional lifestyle. For me the most effective way is to show them the themes of God in my own words and when they become curious about how i acquired these ideals I show them where in the bible they are located. Simple and easy, but more importantly it makes the reader comfortable and eases him into the concept of God.

Hey everyone,

The days are winding down for us here. As we're getting ready to finish our mission here, we are encouraging readers to become part of the church community. We have already introduced some of our readers to the missionaries and other members of the church.

I had to say goodbye to one of my readers yesterday, because his last session was yesterday evening. It was quite bittersweet. This reader had challenged me in a way that other readers did not because he was open about his atheism and yet willing to hear and debate on my Christian beliefs. Usually when we would meet up for session, I would ask him to read some text from the book of Luke in the Bible, and then we would talk about it. Our conversations did not often focus long on what we read, but rather on other, broader subjects like justice, evil, and self control. He has told me that he does not believe in evil, at least not in the abstract sense. To him, evil is tangible. At our last meeting, I was very upfront with him. I asked him to read some of Luke, and then after, I told him straight up that I feel as though we could read and read the Bible, but to him it will remain only a piece of good literature. I told him that I sincerely wish he would see deeper into the text and actually believe what he reads. As I spoke to him, I did not hide my sadness at the fact that he was so rooted in his mindset that although he could appreciate a different mindset, I doubt he would readily receive it for himself.

He replied that he did not want me to feel as though I have failed. He said that he knows that Corey and I work so hard, that we gave up part of our summer break to teach people English in a different continent. He told me that he has been inspired by me and he wishes me only the best. He asked me not to lose my joy because it is the one thing he has seen in me and in Corey that has struck him.

I was amazed that he, a person who does not believe in God, would encourage me in my faith. He told me that he doesn't believe, that he doesn't know how to believe. As he explained, I could see that something in him wants to believe, wants to have faith. But he says, "I can't...." I told him I would pray for him, and for that he was grateful. I told him that I want him to have a joy in him that cannot be suppressed. I want him to have a joy that is vigorous and aggressive, one that will not settle. And I pray this for him, in Jesus' name...

One of my other readers has been reading with Corey for the past two weeks, and has now signed up for some sessions with me. She is hard working, thoughtful, 34 year old woman who is quite independent. She lives alone and provides for herself. She tells me that she likes knowing that she can take care of herself and that she doesn't need to depend on other people for things. We had a wonderful session yesterday, a 2 hour talk really (because the reader after her did not show up). We talked about church attendance and why it is important. She admitted to me that she believes in God, but doesn't like going to church. She doesn't see the need for it i her life. As I tried to convey to her the importance of community, a Bible passage came to mind. In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon (the person whom we believe wrote the book) talks about how "Two are better than one...if they fall down, they can help each other up...one may be overpowered, but two can defend themselves..., a cord of three strands is not easily broken." This is found in Chapter 4. My reader had never read that before. I found her a spanish bible in the room, and we read these verses in spanish. She was touched by how profound the words were, and how well they applied to her. She told me that she doesn't mind being alone, but through these verses, she understands the need for community. We read more from Ecclesiastes, about wealth and poverty, wisdom and foolishness, and about chasing after the wind. This sister is a thinker, and she told me that she would think more about this.

Today when I saw her, she told me that she spoke to her mother about Ecclesiastes. Her mom has always encouraged her in Christ, and so it made me glad to know that she spoke to her mother. I don't think her independent mindset will necessarily change overnight, but I believe that she will come to understand the importance of two or three or more, as opposed to just one.

Another reader I have, is a young girl of 14 years. She is my youngest reader. She inspires me. She told me that she had been in a Catholic school when she was younger and had received some teachings from the Bible. But soon after, she was pulled out and has not since received a solid religious education. Because she speaks English quite well, we have been reading directly from the Bible, without having to use the textbooks which are better fit for those who are beginners and or adequate English speakers. When we meet, we read verses from the book of Luke. Today we read about Jesus healing a paralyzed man. Usually when we read, we read in sections and then stop and discuss what we have read. She has been blessed with wisdom and usually her comments provide me a new understanding of the scripture we are reading.

Another thing that I do with this sister is I talk to her about the Old Testament, and share with the stories of some of the main Old Testament characters. We started with Adam and Eve, and now we are at Moses and the 10 plagues. We have read some chapters in Genesis, and a few so far in Exodus. We learn about the characters and discuss them. Her eagerness to learn and the joy she receives from our classes really inspire me to invest more time in teaching her and other brothers and sisters. I cannot praise God enough for having opened her heart and her mind to His teaching. My prayer for her, among other things, is that she continues to be the good ground, the kind that hears the teachings of God, obeys them, and patiently produce a good crop. She is such a blessing to me, God completely takes over our sessions!

On another note, the missionaries are starting a Sunday morning Bible Class in English for anyone who is interested. I spoke of this to the readers I had today, and many of them showed keen interest in this class. I hope that all of the readers who can make it, attend, so that they may continue to be fed the word of God and improve their English.

I hope you're all doing well back home. I pray that God may keep you and your families, and that He may show His power in your lives. In Jesus' name, Amen =)

Linda

My friends Jamie and Caesar

The reader I would like to talk about first is my friend Jamie. Unlike most of the other readers I have who have been continuing their lessons from the other LST group that was here before us, Jamie came because he was walking by during one of our parties and decided to drop by. For me personally this was substantial because I was skeptical about whether or not the parties were effective. Jamie is an example of why parties work and has proven to be one of my most open readers. This proves to me that although the parties are fun, God uses them for more than just pleasure and means business as well. But I digress. (I just taught this to a different reader and he loves it!) The other day I was reading with Jamie when I asked him if he had someone who he could talk to about spiritual questions. I told him that although I loved talking with him, I am leaving soon. I then expressed how I have people back in the states that I can continue to have these meaning chats with and inquired if he had the same support network. To this he said that he kind of does but not at the level that we were communicating. Long story short, he went up to Jeff, the full time missionary here, and started a conversation on how he can plug into the church. Because of this and similar circumstances, Jeff has decided to start a new class for the LST students once we leave. As well as doing this Jeff started a class with Jamie studying the Bible in Spanish after I finish my English classes with him. The spirit has really been moving in Jamie and I am excited to see how he empowers this church with his fresh and contagious love for the Lord.

The second Person I would like to talk about today is Caesar. Caesar, like Jamie, heard about LST through a party but his story is a little more significant. One of the missionaries was passing out fliers at the subway near downtown about LST letters. Shortly before he concluded, he met a person by the name of Caesar who asked him when he could become connected. The missionary mentioned the party but did not expect him to go because of it being such short notice. That is the night I met Caesar and have become very good friends with him ever sense. Caesar is the type of guy who comes in with the lesson for the day already filled out because he is there to talk about the deeper aspects of God. So, this is exactly what we talk about. He has already expressed interest in attending church and has his kid going to the kids play camp that is scheduled for later this week. Just another example of how God has worked through LST to give someone who is definitely searching for consistency in his life, a base.

Corey

P.s. Linda and i have filled up so much that i am having sessions with these guys during my lunch and dinner breaks. Best way i could spend my free time!

Info About the Readers, Corey's B-day party

Hey everyone =)

I want to tell you all about some of my readers. I realize that often my posts do not describe in detail what goes on in the class, and I'm sure many of you would like to hear more about that.

Corey and I work with at most 10 students a day. Usually at least one person cancels or doesn't show up for their reading session, but many of them come to class. We work in classrooms within the church building and we start at 10am everyday and end at 10pm every day except Saturday. On Saturdays we work until 5pm. Mondays are our days off, so we work Tuesday-Saturday. We have been in Chile for 2 weeks now. We leave Chile Sunday evening, and head off to Texas for our End Meeting. We expect to be back home on Tuesday night.

To describe my readers, I will put them into categories.

The first category includes those students who believe in Christ and attend the Church of Christ. There are four women whom I read with who fit in this category, and they speak English adequately or pretty well. When reading through the book of Luke or John with these women, we are able to discuss on the topics of the readings and agree in opinions. There isn't much debate there because they are receptive and open to the word of God.

The second category of readers includes those who grew up Catholic or were baptized Catholic, but no longer practice that religion. Some of these readers still believe in God, and recognize some the stories in the Bible. These people are okay with using the Bible to learn English, but only come there to learn English. We offer free English classes, and they come to practice their English. I can think of two such readers. One of them, a married engineer of about 35 years old, comes to class everyday that he is scheduled to come and we go through the lesson of the day. He often asks me questions concerning the pronunciation of the words, or on the meaning of the words, and usually we spend the whole class time figuring out what all the words mean. We don't discuss the meaning behind any of the lessons because we never get the opportunity to do so. The other reader that fits into this category is a young woman who is currently studying law at The University of Chile. She and I connected well because she is a social worker and is studying to become a lawyer, while I am a sociology major, with plans to pursue a law degree after college. Last week, we read about the birth of Jesus and how Jesus was tucked in in a box where cattle fed, shortly after He was born. We talked a bit about the irony of the King of kings being born in a manger because there was no room for Him and His family in the inn. She told me sadly that today, a lot of Chileans do not believe in God. We talked about the economic system in Chile and how the poor really suffer here. I could see that she was very concerned with the poor in Chile and that she still believes in God even if many people around her find it hard to believe in something they don't see. I was very glad to have the opportunity to talk more in depth about the reading. Usually we don't get to discuss the meaning of the stories because by the time we are done defining all the words and figuring out the verbs and their tenses, the class time is over.

A third category of readers are those who believe in something (although that something may not be the same God that we praise) and although they are not opposed to using the Bible to practice their English, they do not like nor agree with many of the Christian beliefs that we hold and share with them. I can think of two such people. One of them is a young woman who would like to be a journalist. She is a human activist and has spoken to me passionately about the need for peace and understanding between human beings. I told her about Jesus' prayer for His disciples at the end of the book of John. Jesus prayed that His disciples may be one, just as He and the Father are one. And I explained to my sister that Jesus wants the same thing she hopes for. He wants justice for the oppressed, freedom for the prisoners, unity and peace among the people. Although she didn't respond to this comment directly, she listened to me as I said this. However, when we read about Jesus saying it is the sick who need a doctor not those who are well and I started talking to her about our need for God and our need for salvation, she disagreed with me. For one, she does not consider herself to be among those who are in need of the doctor. And she tells me that she believes she is living right. After talking with her more, I discovered that she believes in a spirit of the universe, an abstract phenomenon that she had not been aware of when she was younger, but for which is now opening her eyes to see. She is reluctant to connect this "spirit" with God. But something she said gave me hope. She told me that what she believes in right now, is what she thinks is right. But maybe, she said, in the future, she'll believe in something else. But right now, what she believes is right for her.

There are other readers whom I would like to share with you, but seeing how this is already a long post, I can share them with you Wednesday.

I have hope for these readers. The last thing the angel Gabriel said to Mary when he brought the news of her future son, Jesus, was that God can do anything. Indeed, God can do anything!

On a lighter note, today my teammate and friend Corey turned 21 years old. We had a small fiesta at the house and invited the missionaries and readers to celebrate with us. Adella made some chorrillano, a Chilean dish which consists of chicken, chorriso, salami, onion, and a few other ingredients. She also made some fries on the side, and I helped her with the garlic bread. For dessert, we had walnut pie, which was Absolutely Amazing, and ice cream. We had about 16 guests at the party. Corey really enjoyed it especially the walnut pie and Adela's gift. I hope he tells you more about this later.

Please remember our readers in your prayers when you pray, and do not cease to pray for us. We are supported by your prayers.

Thank you sooo much!

God bless you

Linda

La Cueca

It all started yesterday when I had a great conversation with one of my readers and afterwards asked him if he was connected spiritually with anyone is santiago the way he connected to me. The reason why i asked this is because as our time here is starting to come to an end, I want all my readers to continue to pursue spiritual depth. He answered that he did have some people but i could tell that he was floundering. Later that day, one of the missionaries said that the same reader had come up to him and was wondering what it would look like to plug into the church and low and behold he was there at the service today. But church was not the only great thing that happened today.

After church was over Linda and myself were invited by some of our readers to go to a traditional Chilean dance and lunch. Here we were able a part of Chile that we had not seen before and also were able to participate. The national dance, called La Cueca, is a very beautiful dance that involves swinging cloths overhead like lassos, tap dancing, and a complex figure 8 dance pattern. Linda and myself tried to learn the dance but we were no match to the 12 year old ninos who were dancing beside us. In fact, it seems as if all the people (around 100 or so) knew exactly how to dance La Cuerca. ALong with this traditional dance, people were able to dance waltzes and other easier dances for the gringos like Linda and myself. It was a spectacular time with good food, dance,and company.