Lleva Mucho Fruto (Bear Much Fruit)

t’s been three days since we left Uruguay, and it feels so good to be back in sweet home Alabama. Our last day in Uruguay was a bittersweet one, filled with visits, besos and tears from so many of our friends there. I thought my pockets were going to explode on Wednesday night with all of the gifts and letters the girls lavished upon us during our last evening there. Even sweeter were the faces of the transformed lives that stood before us. T

ruly, there is no reward greater than that.

Looking back, I couldn’t have desired anything more for this summer. On the plane en route to Uruguay, I wrote down all of the promises the Lord had made over the past six months about our time in Uruguay. As we left Uruguay on Thursday night, Joni and I revisited these promises and were delighted to find that each one had been specifically fulfilled - even exceeded:

-You have promised the summer of a lifetime.

-You have promised that we will disciple and deliver a nation through prayer and intercession.

-You have promised signs, wonders and miracles.

-You have promised an explosion of light, joy and laughter to infiltrate Uruguay.

-You have promised that we will worship with the nations.

-You have promised that the nations will know that our God is the LORD.

-You have promised abundant growth.

-You have promised tongues of fire.

-You have promised 12 disciples. (Just for the record - there were more than 12.)

-You have promised lifelong companionship and kindred spirits.

-You have promised that little children will come unto You.

-You have promised restoration.

-You have promised visitations and divine appointments.

-You have promised to move mountains and part seas to make Your

 glory known.

-You have promised to pour Yourself out like never before.

-You have promised to be the God of This City.

-You have promised to set the captives free, to bring life to the dead, to restore hope, peace and purpose where it has been lost.

-You have promised to tear down walls and let us tread upon them.

-You have promised that it will be undeniably, indescribably worth

 it.

So tonight, though I am still far too overwhelmed to fully communicate the goodness of our God in Uruguay this summer, there is one thing I am fully confident of: It was undeniably, indescribably

 worth it. I don’t think Uruguay will ever be the same, and neither will we. It’s amazing what a little love can do.

The resounding question from the girls on our last night was, “Will you return?” I don’t know if I will ever return to Uruguay, though I would do it in a heartbeat. Even if that is so, I’m comforted by Revelation 7:9-10:

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb ... And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

So whether I see my dear ones in Uruguay again or if I don’t, one thin

g is certain: I’ll see them before the throne of God, and there, we’ll worship together again. Until then - lleva mucho fruto: Bear much fruit!

Farewell, Uruguay - Mi corazon esta contigo, y estoy orando para ti.  La pa

z de Dios ser contigo!

God Of This City

Today is our last day in Uruguay and I could not be more elated with the harvest thus far. We spent our Saturday answering the doorbell, visiting with friends and attending several church services. During our last Kids Club on Sunday morning, 3 little girls accepted Jesus into their hearts! Further, we spent the rest of the day traveling to Montevideo with the church to hear Rick Warren speak. His formulas for church-building are quite revolutionary for the church of Uruguay and it was very exciting to imagine the possibilities for God’s people here! On the way back, Joni and I sat in the back of the bus translating and singing worship songs with the friends that have become so dear to us. One of my favorite moments was singing, “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, our God reigns!” in two languages – ‘tis only a glimpse of what is to come. Sunday was our last night in church and they prayed a commissioning prayer over us as we head back to the States. What a family.

Also on Sunday, I had to cut the word “impossible” out of my Spanish dictionary. In June, we attended a baptism for a woman who had been a strong atheist before she met Jesus. We also met her husband, who shared her atheist views (and was also a card-carrying Communist, if that really matters at all). Though Joni and I prayed for him regularly, I will admit that I did not see much hope for him to know Christ anytime soon. Thankfully, I was proved wrong on Sunday when we received word from his wife that he was nearing a decision. We managed to squeeze out a prayer for him among the “No way! Seriously? That guy Fernando? Are you sure?” and we received word later that day that he had indeed accepted Christ! God thinks it’s kind of fun to do the impossible.

Claren, Joni and I spent Monday and Tuesday in Buenos Aires, Argentina just because it’d be a shame to leave South America without doing so. Today, we are doing our best to tie up any more loose ends, and tonight we are having a big going away fiesta with all of our girls. It will be a hard goodbye but we know that it is not forever. There really isn’t any greater joy than watching the Lord do what He does best – changing lives. It’s even grander when we can be involved in making all things new.

This morning, I woke up much earlier than usual and felt suddenly led to go for a walk. Bible and journal in hand, I walked to the city center, sat down, and listened. Two months seems so long ago since I first sat foot in this city, and since then, I have grown to love it and the people therein dearly. As I watched this beloved people go about their daily lives and listened to the Lord declare “Return to me, for I have loved you!” over them, I began to sing:

You’re the God of this city

You’re the King of these people

You’re the Lord of this nation

You are

For greater things are yet to come

And greater things are still to be done in this city

There is no one like our God

And You are the God of this city

Yes, it’s hard to leave the field that you have labored in so fervently, but there’s comfort in knowing that there is a coming harvest. Though many of the seeds still rest beneath the surface, there will come a day when it will all be brought to light and all that we can say in response is, “Wow, now that was worth it.”

So, I’ll go out in joy with sheaves of the harvest in hand and a song in my spirit. Ciao, Uruguay – I’ll see you before the throne.

“The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy”! –Psalm 126:3

No Hay Nada Imposible (Nothing Is Impossible)

It’s our last Saturday afternoon in Uruguay and we are beginning to say “ciao” for now. The past week has been full of kids, teenage girls and - the doorbell. I love the constant hospitality of the Uruguayan culture and we gladly open the door to whoever wants to come in (which goes completely against everything my mother taught me as a young child).

I am also welcoming my parents to Uruguay this week (and really enjoying showing it off to them!) They will be traveling throughout the country with Lyle, visiting many churches and towns as visionaries to determine future ministry opportunities in Uruguay. And, they brought Krispy Kremes, which made my parents extra welcome here.

Church services have been going increasingly well in the past weeks. A new youth group has begun in another Baptist church here with quite impressive attendance. After Resplandecer, several girls and their families began attending church as well. There’s no heart too hard for God to soften – certainly, there is nothing impossible for Him!

Yesterday, Sofia came by to bake a cake with us (We decided that if we’re going to get fat, it’s best to have friends to get fat with!) Her entire demeanor has transformed this summer from a cynical, somber girl to a joyful and confident young woman. As I flipped through her new Bible last night, I noticed that all of the highlighted verses relate to the theme of “Resplandecer” and the purpose she has therein. There is meaning behind her smile now, last night, she looked me in the eye and said, “Christ lives in my heart now!” Though we will continue talking with her to confirm her decision, the life-change is certainly apparent. The laughter didn’t cease last night, and I can’t imagine a greater gift I could ask of the Lord than this!

The youth group also threw us a surprise party last night for no apparent reason except for the fact that we are here. (Uruguay doesn’t need a real reason to fiesta). We didn’t do much but laugh, talk, dance, and take about a zillion pictures. We sang several songs, and one of my favorite moments of the summer is when three of our girls – Camilla, Angie and Mikaela – sang “You Are My King” together. This has been my prayer for these girls from the very beginning – that they would find their “Esther” purpose, delight and beauty in an intimate relationship with the King of Kings.

If I could describe the past week in one phrase, it would be “delighting in the harvest.” Now, we get to see just a glimpse of what the Lord has been doing beneath the surface this summer, and I don’t think I could ask for anything more.

Yes, the King has come – and with Him, it’s not impossible to turn a city upside down.

On The Road Again

It’s Friday morning and we’re back in Uruguay after a 5-day excursion along the coast and into Brazil. There’s something so enlivening about embarking upon an adventure with only a destination in mind and no idea what you will encounter on the way. There’s no doubt about it – the past week has certainly been an adventure.

After a stop in Montevideo to say goodbye to an ‘ambassador’ family going stateside, we began our trek in Periapolis, a small coastal city with the beach on one side and the hills on the other. We decided to climb one mountain simply because it was there, and we made it to the top without much difficulty. After climbing up into the cross that stands atop the mountain, we began our trek down. However, we lost the trail (who really needs that anyway) and to make a long story short, we found a hornet’s nest (good thing I’m not allergic), got really, really muddy and made it to the bottom a couple of hours later with a few battle wounds and a really good story to tell. (And from this day forward, Lyle shall be known as Cap’n.) The picture below depicts our “We’re on the side of a mountain and Lyle doesn’t know the way down” faces:

On our way to Punta del Este, we saw two whales off the beach. And no, this is not the Atlanta Zoo.

Fast forward through La Paloma, more lighthouses than we can count on one hand, Rocha, a really creepy hotel without a real shower, Randy Stonehill, and salmon-filled ravioli; we went to an incredibly secluded fishing village which requires a 20 minute ride off the road, through a wilderness of pastureland and down the coastline in an open truck to get there. After walking through the sleepy village, we found massive rocks overlooking the beach - and a sea lion colony! We spent the morning on the rocks watching the sea lions. They didn’t do any tricks, but again: This is not the Atlanta Zoo.

At last, we made it to Brazil. One of my favorite parts was the supermarket. (Joni and I suffer from an addiction to Brazilian chocolate.) We also met with a Uruguayan ‘ambassador’ couple in their home. They have a very strong ministry in this city and we got to stay for the prayer meeting that takes place in their home. We met a 13-year-old girl named Camilla and had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with her talking about Jesus. We prayed for her before we left and are looking forward to seeing the fruit that comes from her life!

After a traditional Brazilian meal at the Churrascaria (meat, fried bananas and Guarana– it doesn’t get any better than that) we drove back through Minas, where we met with a pastor and his family about a very exciting ministry prospect there for next summer. There’s nothing I like more than a little groundbreaking.

Thus concludes the incredibly condensed version of our trek to Brazil and back again. One thing’s for sure – the food alone is worth the trip.

La Luz Ha Resplandecido (The Light Has Dawned)

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning and Resplandecer has come to a close. All of the decorating and prom dresses has left us saturated in glitter and quite ready for a nap – though it was completely worth it. I can’t help but laugh when I think of the past two weeks, especially Chocolate Night. When we opened the table to the girls, I expected two orderly lines on each side where each girl can carefully and calmly serve herself. Needless to say, I thought I was going to die when 40 girls rushed the table like a stampede, pushing and shoving their way to the elaborate spread of chocolate we had prepared. I was completely surrounded by hungry teenage girls, overly eager to grab the last piece of cake (and to grab 3 more pieces for their mother, friend and second cousin). Fortunately, I escaped with my life but covered in chocolate (attempting to serve hot chocolate during this time was also a foolish idea.) Chocolate Night was the best. J

We threw a pajama party on Thursday and watched Princess Diaries 2 in Spanish. Each girl also got a white t-shirt to decorate on her own, so we each now have a nice keepsake with all of the girls’ signatures. And, we all know that no pajama party is complete without a pillow fight, and oh, did we have a big one.

We decorated and prepared for the ball all day on Friday and Saturday. We woke up early Saturday morning praying for the Lord to stop time – and He did. J Several church members came to help and we finished decorating the church in half the time we had expected. We even had time to go by the pastor’s house for his daughter’s sixth birthday party (where it was absolutely necessary for Joni and I to jump around in the inflatable side. Oh, the trying days of missions!)

The ball was the perfect end to a fantastic two weeks. It was a pleasure to watch all of the girls who have become so dear to us walking in looking and feeling beautiful – many of them so for the first time. We finished reading the book of Esther, talked about Jesus, the source of beauty and how it’s important to be bold about our faith in Christ. Because Christians are in such a minority here, they are exposed to much ridicule, so it is difficult and takes much time for someone to make a public decision to follow Christ. Most of these girls are the only Christ-followers in their families, which only adds to the pressure. Several girls have expressed interest in making public decisions to follow Christ, but it will probably take them much time to step forward and do so. But when they do – it’s genuine.

Still, there have been incredible transformations in many of the girls in the past two weeks. Please pray for Nazarena, a young woman who is currently in this in between stage of whether to make her decision public or not. Please also pray for Sofia, who has come under a deep conviction and is powerfully struggling with a decision to follow Jesus. Also pray for Annie, a beautiful young woman who came the first day under the watchful eye of her boyfriend (who is involved in some rather shady activities here). She has returned every day with a bigger smile on her face and is considering a relationship with Jesus.

Each girl got a door prize and a goodie bag (thanks to everyone for your donations of cd’s, makeup and purses – the girls loved them)! We ended the evening with a shower of confetti and several of the girls stayed afterwards to help us clean up. While we were cleaning, some of the girls began to sing with me:

Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest!

I believe this is the perfect prayer to end our study on Esther, as it is a cry for deliverance and restoration from Jesus, our Messiah. As we have each been called to this royal position of following Jesus for such a time as this, we must also continue to cry for deliverance for those who have been entrusted to us. Rejoice, Uruguay – no longer must you live in darkness, for now a light has dawned. His name is Jesus, and He is the hope of this nation!

“El pueblo que andaba en la oscuridad ha visto una gran luz; sobre los que vivian en densas tinieblas la luz ha resplandecido. Tu has hecho que la nacion crezca, has aumentado su alegria. Y se alegran ellos en tu presencia como cuando recogen la cosecha.”

(Isaiah 9:2-3)

Prom Dresses, Tiny Bugs and Lots and Lots of Chocolate

It’s Wednesday afternoon and there is no place on earth I’d rather be at this moment than right here. The weekend was very enjoyable. I actually played softball (I know, I know, please remain calm. It was only temporary insanity) and attended several church services on Sunday, including Missions Emphasis night at church. We decorated the sanctuary with international flags, Joni spoke about her call to Uruguay, Lyle preached, and I got to sing “Revelation Song” in English and Spanish. We are also still fitting girls for prom dresses (there have been a few stragglers). We have zipped up, zipped down, hung up, taken down, buttoned, unbuttoned, and gently tugged our way through 75 prom dresses for almost 40 girls. We’ve said, “Ah, que linda!” (Oh, that’s lovely!) “Oh chica, eso vestido es muy hermosa para ti!” (Oh girl, that dress is very beautiful for you!) and “Eh, Yo creo que el otra es mejor” (I believe the other is better) more times than we can count. Needless to say, it’s been fun, and we’re very excited about seeing the culmination of our dress-fitting efforts this Saturday!

The number of kids coming to lunch every day is still increasing. It’s been fun to greet them every morning by name and to learn about their lives. The condition of some of the children is still heartbreaking. Yesterday, I was holding a young girl when I looked down and saw quite an infestation of lice in her hair. We’re not going to stop holding these children no matter how dirty they may be, so we bought some lice shampoo to use as a preventative measure. I wish I could take each of them and individually take the lice out of their hair – unfortunately, this is only what they’ve always known.

We are in the middle of our last week of Resplandecer and it absolutely could not be going better! Monday was makeup day, so the girls came over and had a great time with all of the donated makeup samples. Tuesday was Service day, which far exceeded our expectations! The activity was serving a meal to the kids luncheon at church, and we really didn’t think we’d have a turnout – but all of the girls came and served wholeheartedly. It was such a sweet sight to see them putting the Esther attitude of servanthood into practice!

Joni, Claren and I have spent half the night yesterday and most of this afternoon preparing for our long-awaited chocolate night! We are indulging the girls with more chocolate than they could ever long for (and having a really, really good time in the process!) We’ve made almost 60 cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and many other chocolatey treats. We absolutely can’t wait to see the faces of the girls when they walk in to our elaborate chocolate spread (that is, if the majority of this chocolate actually makes it to the table!) I’m sure you’ve all noticed by now that we’re not suffering too badly on this mission trip. Before the end of the trip, I’ll post a few of the exaggerated stories we’ve concocted to make it sound like we’re really suffering for Jesus here. But as for the chocolate, baking and eating - it was said best last night: “If this is missions, then here am I, Lord – send me!”

So appreciating your prayers – there are far too many stories to relay here!

Crowns of Beauty

It’s Saturday afternoon and Joni and I are watching Spanish cartoons. The first week of Resplandecer is now behind us, and quite a week it was! Our average attendance has been between 30 and 35 girls between the ages of 12 and 22. Every day, we begin by reading a chapter of the book of Esther and a Bible study on selected topics within the book. On Tuesday, the girls came over for “La Dia del Pelo” (The day of hair. J) and played with each other’s hair. On Wednesday, we watched “One Night with the King,” at the church and gave flashy tiaras to all the girls. On Thursday, we did color charts to determine the right colors to match the girls’ skin tones, and Joni and I sang a song with Pamela and Evelyn, two of our girls in Spanish. The song is entitled “Un Largo Viaje,” and the translated lyrics go something like this:

For this hour I have arrived, for this moment I was born

In Your eternal purposes I see myself

For this hour I have arrived, though I believe the cost is great

In your plans for today I have found myself

The song fits perfectly with the “For Such A Time As This” theme of the book of Esther, and we even found a YouTube video to the song with clips from “One Night with the King.” We also shared the gospel with the girls on Thursday and had an incredible level of interest. Please pray for these girls to make the initiative step to a relationship with Christ, many of them are extremely close!

We were also very excited to announce the center event of Resplandecer that will take place next Saturday night. We are going to have a formal ball for all of the girls to dress up, come and enjoy themselves! Several weeks ago, a team from Indiana brought about 90 prom dresses to Uruguay. On Friday, we spent about 6 hours fitting girls in dresses, and each one received a dress to take home, wear to the ball and keep as their own! We’ve already heard rumors that several of the girls wore their dresses for the rest of the day on Friday simply because they didn’t want to take them off. We reminded the girls that no matter how beautiful they look in their dresses, there is eternal beauty bestowed upon them by the King of Kings. Oh, and ashes are being replaced by crowns of beauty all around us …

In further news, we have also been working with the church in preparing and serving a meal for children every day. We are in the midst of the July vacations from school, and many children do not have access to lunch when they are out of school. The first day, we had between 30 and 40 children, the next day was almost twice that many! I know they had not prepared meals for that many children, yet we still served liberal portions and even seconds to those who asked for it. At the end, even the 8 of us servers ate a meal as well! If I have ever seen a “5 loaves and 2 fish” incident, this was it. “And they all ate and were satisfied …” This ministry of the church was even featured in the newspapers and on the news this past week!

It’s about time to go play softball with the girls. (Correction: It’s about time for Joni to play softball with the girls and for Amy to stand on the side of the field and cheer for them.) Many blessings, prayer warriors – we couldn’t do it without you.

Grandes Cosas

I am fully content tonight as Joni and I laugh our way through our pictures from the past month. We’ve had a very busy weekend as things are picking up for “Resplandecer” – our girls’ study on the book of Esther – commences. We had a marvelous time with a few of the girls during another trip to the park (which occur quite often. ) They took us there on their Motos, which is a great way to obtain the wind-blown look. Later that night, we stayed at the church until the wee hours of the morning talking, laughing and dancing with the youth – who says missions can’t be fun? 

After several church services on Sunday, we spent the early part of today preparing for the first Resplandecer event, as well as serving lunch to several children at the church. After shopping for supplies and making a banner for the living room (thus successfully glitter-fying everything within reach), 35 teenage girls filled the front rooms of the house and the back patio. It was such a beautiful sight!

The theme verse for the next two weeks is Isaiah 60:1, which says in English, “Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” This is especially significant because in the original language, the name Esther literally means, “star.” Our vision is for the girls with an existing relationship with Christ to recognize and take their places of leadership and giftedness in expanded circles of influence, and for the others to come to a knowledge of their purpose and beauty found only in Christ, thus leading them to a relationship with Him. We were very pleased with the attendance and had a wonderful afternoon painting fingernails and taking pictures with the girls in the backyard. Joni and I even jumped in on a human pyramid!

Tonight, Sofia (who, by the way, asked for a Bible today!) invited Joni and me to her Tango class. She is an extremely talented dancer, and we were thrilled to experience Tango in the very heart of its homeland. Much to our surprise, (and despite of my many cries of ‘Ahh, tengo miedo!’ meaning, ‘ Ahh, I’m afraid to!’) we got to dance as well! We got to learn two basic tangos and had a fantastic time. One of the other dancers dubbed me, “Barbie,” because of my accent and my blonde hair. I am still trying to decide whether it was a compliment or not.

Tomorrow, it’s lunch with the children and more Resplandecer. I wish I could express how incredibly excited I am about the next month, especially the next two weeks. Undoubtedly, we have been brought here for such a time as this, and He is already fulfilling – even exceeding – the many promises He has made to Uruguay!

“Now then, stand still and see the great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes! Is it not the wheat harvest now?”-1 Samuel 12:16

Yes, we have come here with seeds of faith, and we shall return with sheaves of the harvest …

Dios Con Nosotros (God With Us)

Feliz Navidad! Today has been our self-proclaimed vicarious Christmas holiday, so we enjoyed a big Christmas lunch along with Christmas music in the background and a nativity scene on the table. Yes, Uruguay, your King has come – and He shall be called Emmanuel, which means, ‘God with us.’! (Matthew 1:23)

Our precious Zoey (the young girl who was injured in a horse and buggy accident a couple of weeks ago) returned to kids’ club on Tuesday night with just a scar on her cheek and a cast on her arm. It was beautiful to see the smile on her face when I told her that we are praying for her. After kids’ club, Sofia called and invited us to the Teatro to watch the Tango with she and Melanie, another friend. We very much enjoyed the outing and the cultural experience of a local Tango show (though I had a hard time appreciating the extremely out-of-tune piano. J)

On Wednesday, we spent the afternoon in an English class with teenagers and a couple of adults. We simply talked with them about our lives as they listened with open notebooks, ready to write down new words, phrases and expressions. One young woman – about my age – was absolutely shocked to learn that Joni and I have never tried alcohol. It is not surprising for someone of our age to be well acquainted with drinking, but the biggest surprise for us was the lack of shame associated with underage drinking and drunkenness in this culture. I thought the American university atmosphere was bad, but here it is even encouraged in children of 13, 14 or 15 years old, and certainly not punished. Unfortunately, many of the teenagers here have simply never known a higher standard-

but Emmanuel has come to raise the bar.

Our girls’ Bible studies on Wednesday and Thursday were absolutely delightful. We have been busy planning our girls’ events for the upcoming winter vacation. Every evening for 10 days, we will host a nightly Bible study on the book of Esther, focusing on one chapter per night. Along with the study, each night will have a fun attraction including Hair Night, Nails Night, Chocolate Night, Movie Night (we will be watching ‘One Night with the King’) and several more. We are expecting 30-40 girls each night, and we’re very excited to reveal the rest of the plans as the time grows closer. J The theme for these 10 days is “Resplendecer” (To shine, or radiate) and it begins this Monday.

On Thursday, we visited a missionary family just outside of town who owns a beautiful, expansive farm in the countryside. We spent the afternoon touring the property (a.k.a., tromping through the woods J) eating warm cinnamon rolls and, most importantly, speaking English! Their ministry focus is to provide a safe, loving environment for young men who are in desperate circumstances. One thing is for sure – the work of the Gospel is not idle in Uruguay.

We went back to the coffeehouse in Rosario late last night and had a great time playing games, drinking coffee and making music with our Uruguayan friends there. At the end of each coffeehouse, there is a presentation of the “Esperanza” film, which depicts the life and ministry of Jesus, as well as an invitation to the gospel. Brad (another summer missionary serving in another part of the country) shared a testimony about how Jesus delivered him from atheism, and I got to share my testimony and Galatians 5:1 – how Christ has set us free, and true liberty is only found in Jesus. We had a great response and the seeds of the gospel are very obviously beginning to blossom in the hearts of our friends there. Please continue to pray for our friends in the coffeehouse!

I apologize for the long updates and I thank you all for continuing to pursue Uruguay’s infiltration with the Gospel of Christ with us. He won’t turn back until He fully accomplishes the purposes of His heart!

Shalom,

-Amy

Turtlenecks, Fiestas and a Panaderia

It’s Tuesday morning and I am wearing a turtleneck wool sweater for the first time in my life. Our week of WorldChangers has come to an end and we are back home sitting by the fireplace. The WorldChangers distributed over 5,000 gospels of John in the city of Montevideo and several hundred gospel tracts. Our children’s club was also very successful, even on one of our rainy days. (We got really, really wet:)) On Thursday and Friday nights, we hosted a coffeehouse and spent the evenings with Uruguayan friends. I enjoyed using my Spanish and sharing the gospel with several of our guest. Two people accepted Christ as Savior during the coffeehouse! For more info on the WorldChangers week, visit iwcuruguay.blogspot.com

Saturday night, we arrived home in time to attend the youth service with our friend Andrea. After the time of worship, the youth surprised me with a big birthday fiesta - plenty of cake, food, a giant birthday sign and a really intense ping pong game. Sofia also came to church for the first time! It was pretty grand. :)

Sunday, the church in our town had a business meeting in the morning and a baptism in the afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed the baptism of four new disciples - one woman baptized had been a strong atheist for years and came to know Christ through the influence of her family. The entire church traveled to a heated swimming pool where we sang, worshipped and celebrated the four new disciples. I very much wished I had thought to bring my camera, but it was quite a beautiful memory regardless. Last night, several of the girls came over to watch a movie (and eat jellybeans. :)) They are becoming dear friends.

Yesterday, Joni and I took a walk through “town” (i.e, the plaza) just to enjoy our day off. We are really enjoying the Panaderia (bakery) aspect of the culture here and make sure to stop every few days for a treat or two. :) They are around every corner so they’re extremely difficult to pass up. We’ve also enjoyed our “almacen” (corner store) which we use like a refrigerator. Yesterday, I walked to the corner and bought a single battery when my alarm clock died. We go to the store before every meal to buy the ingredients - everything is made fresh here so there is no need to buy in advance when you can buy it fresh. Pasta is made daily - not dried- and meat is incredibly lean and relatively inexpensive. Though we have no Wal-Mart (oh, how I miss thee) I would dare to say that shopping is more convenient here than in Wal-Mart!

We are resuming our (somewhat) normal schedule with Bible studies, children’s clubs, teaching English and relational evangelism this week. I’ll continue to post pictures as I am able - for now, they are only on my Facebook. They upload painfully slow here so it is difficult to make them readily available. If anyone would like to transfer my pictures to an online photo album of your choice, feel free. :)

Muchas bendiciones!

Just A Little World Changin'

It’s Tuesday evening and my feet ache with missions. We are in Montevideo – the capitol city – this week working with a group of 70 students from the United States.  These students split into 6 groups to daily infiltrate the city with prayer, literature distribution, relational evangelism, kids’ events, construction, creative arts and, well, hope. Collectively, we are WorldChangers, and this week, we get to do just that.

 

Joni and I are 2 of 3 “interns” who are a part of the WorldChangers team, so we both work separately during the days with teams of students. Each team consists of a resident ambassador couple, a translator, an intern, an adult leader from the States and 6-10 students. Each team is assigned a different area of the city to target and a specific strategy. I am on a Children’s Ministry team and we are in the far corner of the city conducting a children’s club in the afternoons. In the mornings, we prayerwalk the interior of the city.

 

My team is incredibly diverse. With members of varying spiritual backgrounds and a representative from each corner of the U.S, you know God has a strategy when a group like us is called to work together. Many of our students were nervous about prayerwalking this morning, but most of them picked up on it quickly. At one point, three of us were praying on a street corner when we sensed a strong mandate from the Holy Spirit not to move on from there. We stood there for several more minutes praying however we were led when I finally turned around and noticed a large advertisement for a Tarot business with the tagline, “No Es Casa De Religion.” This is not at all uncommon for Montevideo and we recognized our purpose on that street corner to establish the resistance against this deception. It is not that the typical Uruguayan is an evil person, but that they have not found hope anywhere else.

 

After leading a small team in flyer distribution around lunchtime, we began our children’s club. About 20 students attended this afternoon with great participation. I told the Bible story yesterday about the Triumphal Entry of Jesus. I began the story with, “How many of you know about Jesucristo?” Not a stir. I began at square one, “For The Creator God so loved the world …” What a beautiful message it is to tell what has never been heard – and to hear His Name proclaimed as a result. By the end of the afternoon, the kids were singing “Cristo me ama” and eagerly asking questions about Jesus. When He comes, He causes quite a stir!

 

In fact, He can even change the world.

Hay Esperanza (There is Hope)

It’s Thursday morning and the weather is beautiful! I am finally becoming more acclimatized to the cold weather, and to be honest, I have yet to miss summertime. J

The past few days have been quite eventful. On Tuesday, we learned that two of the little girls who are a part of our children’s club were in an accident over the weekend. The family of 4 was riding in a horse – drawn wooden cart when a truck hit them from behind. The cart was completely demolished and one of the girls was trapped under the wood and another was thrown from the cart. Both adults were also injured, but the worst injuries were with the girl who was thrown. She was brought to the hospital in Montevideo and treated for a broken arm and injury to the thorax. The other young girl made it out with just a couple of scars. It is truly a miracle that they survived, and one of the girls even came to kid’s club on Tuesday night! This is a precious family who needs to know Jesus, so we have done our best to lavish them with love and support this week. Please pray that Jesus would reveal Himself through the accident and for miraculous healing for the family!

Tuesday night children’s club is the hardest of them all. Most of the children come from very rough families, and one in particular absolutely breaks my heart. She is 3 or 4 years old and her mother is a prostitute. I do not think this child has had a bath in quite a while. She was very afraid of me at first until she saw that I would treat her with gentleness – she acts like an abused puppy and can easily get defensive. We gave each of the children a new toy on Tuesday night and as I was sitting on the floor playing with her, she burst into a smile and laughter. It was the most beautiful sight I’ve seen in Uruguay thus far. Claren said, “I have never seen this child laugh about something good – this is a milestone.” I pray this child finds true joy. She didn’t want to go home after children’s club – I can only imagine the things she has been exposed to.

We spent yesterday morning visiting friends, including a young woman who had a suicide attempt a couple of years ago and her family. Their stories are quite traumatic and only reiterate how much Uruguay needs Jesus. Hay esperanza en El …

Joni and I enjoyed a trip to the park with two of our Uruguayan friends last night as well. Tonight, we are going to a coffeehouse for relational evangelism and we will be visiting another city tomorrow. WorldChangers begins Saturday in Montevideo where we will be doing children’s clubs all week. Please pray for my health, as I have come down with quite a cold the past couple of days and would really like to feel better before “missions boot camp” at WC next week. J Take heart, your prayers are working, and these are exciting days in Uruguay!

-Amy

All Things Beautiful

It’s Sunday afternoon and Joni and I sit in the garden enjoying the sunshine. There’s a faint sounds of windchimes and chirping birds coupled with a gentle breeze – we must be loved.

On top of preparing for our many girls’ events, we have had two children’s clubs and a church service so far this weekend. The children’s clubs have gone very well and each child is becoming so precious to me. Though we are finding ways to communicate across the language barriers, they simply want to be touched and loved and told they’re valued. It seems the love language of Uruguayan culture is quality time. Time, routines and schedules are never an issue and social gatherings do not come with an ending time. Last night, we stayed at the church until after midnight talking, laughing and listening to music with the youth. Several of the youth then went to a quinceanera party (a gigantic 15^th birthday party for a young woman) where they stayed until 5 o’ clock this morning. (Never fear, Joni and I were both at home and asleep by 1 o’clock. J) It sounds crazy, but the youth still came to church this morning to serve in the children’s club. People are of the utmost value here.

As we were discussing this asset of the Uruguayan culture last night, Claren pulled a large rock off the mantel and began comparing it with the Uruguayan people. Though the rock was hard, unattractive and dirty on the outside, we have to chip away the outside to find the core. She turned the rock around revealing its interior, which was full of gleaming purple amethyst stones. Though people can be hard, unattractive and dirty on the outside, we must be persistent to remember that there is marvelous, invaluable beauty on the inside. Christ makes all things beautiful, and “whenever anyone turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away,” (2 Corinthians 3:16)

Joni and I received matching amethyst stones to remember the interior beauty of the people of Uruguay. And there is so much beauty just yet to unveil …

“The LORD their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. How attractive and beautiful they will be!”
–Zechariah 9:16-17

http://seguidordejesus.blogspot.com

Abriran Las Puertas (Open the Doors)

Today has been a wonderful day in Uruguay! We went outside our city this morning with our hosts to meet with the pastor in his home. He has four beautiful and delightful young daughters whom Joni and I purely enjoyed. After we got home, a young woman (a spiritually searching member of our girls group, we met her last night) dropped by with Mate because she wanted "los chicas americanas" to try it. It was pretty good - extremely strong, but I still prefer my Ukrainian tea. :) We had planned on doing a prayerwalk around town so we invited her to come with us. She is quite the tour guide and took us into the museum, the theater, and the cathedral and told us all about the history behind it. Overall a very enjoyable and productive afternoon - we were able to share with her some and learned a lot of Spanish in the process.

We had another girls study at home today (In addition to last night's, when 10 teenagers came and watched Monty Python with us afterwards. They had never seen it before and now there are cries of "Ni!" resounding through Uruguay.) 10 more girls came tonight and I got to share my testimony. We are compiling a prayer list for the 20+ teenage girls who are already within our circle of influence. I wish i had time to convey all of their stories but none of them are pleasant. We have a lot of work to do.

Our Spanish is improving but still a challenge. I'm exhausted after the 12 hours of total immersion today! I must admit, my brain is currently lingually confused. It's not really sure what's Spanish, what's English, and what's not today. I even used a Russian word on accident on this afternoon. Joni is improving a lot and our nighttime ritual is on the couch with our Spanish-English dictionary to look up words we heard but did not know. If we've learned this much in 4 days, I can't wait to see how our Spanish is at the end of July!

I like the Maragatos, but still getting used to the "manana" culture. Yesterday, our girls group said they would come by at 2 o clock, but they arrived around 3:45. I like the relaxation but am having to let go of my American philosophy of constant productivity. :)

The food is good - we've had lots of Dulce le Leche which is pretty grand.

The church here is small and is not considered a necessity for the Christian walk, which presents many issues. Spiritually supportive families are few and far between and the youth group here is a majority of first-generation Christians. It's just the presence of a few righteous who can open up the doors for the King of Glory to come in. Please pay close attention to the prayer list on the right hand column, they will be updated frequently because He answers frequently!

That every knee may bow,
-Amy
Psalm 24:8-10

Making His Name Known

Ah, Uruguay - 'tis a beautiful reality. :)

Todos es bien en Uruguay. We arrived Monday morning after flying all night from the States. The only close call we had was in Miami - our flight was delayed so we had a total of 5 minutes to get from one gate to another. After a great wave of favor from the Lord and a brief running spree through the airport, we made it for final boarding call. God is good. :)

Our home here is very comfortable and our hosts could not be more generous. I am already a fan of the laid back mornings and late, active evenings. We rested yesterday and took a tour of our city today. Gas is about $6 a gallon here. Give thanks, America. It is a beautiful city and the weather is quite cold (we are grateful for electric blankets) but you can feel the hopelessness and desperation on the streets here. It seems the only light is two small churches planted near the city center. But there is still much work to be done. I hope to begin prayerwalking (or running) the city soon.

We spent the early evening at a children's club. There were about 20 children there, each absolutely precious. Many of them have been abused and so desperately needed love. They responded so well so each expression of affection, my heart breaks to show them more! I'm glad we have two more months to help them grow. Oh, let the little children come to Him!

Afterwards, we went to the church to see the girls group. They are beautiful! It was good to see mi amigas again, and we had a blast eating, playing games and getting to know the rest of the girls. I can't wait to tell them how valuable they are and how significant their purpose in Christ!

The most significant obstacle and most needed prayer request is the language barrier. Though Joni and I have learned a lot the past couple of days, our communication skills are still severely lacking. My heart longs to communicate freely with these people, and I know that God can work through and beyond any obstacle or barrier. Pray for supernatural understanding and for bridges to be built. We won't be discouraged, because our God is way bigger than that.

If He is willing to part seas, move mountains, send water from a rock and empty a tomb to bring His beloved back, then He will certainly continue to do supernatural things to make His Name known in Uruguay. The best is yet to come!

Shalom,
-Amy

Seek Ye First

Alas, the day is upon us - in less than 24 hours, Joni and I will be on our way to South America at last. Today has been devoted to packing and preparations, however it’s all still a big mess in my bedroom floor at the moment. I love missions.

And tonight is a big deal for me. Because it will be time to move to college when I return from Uruguay, this is my unofficial last night at home (if I wanted to be overdramatic, I could also say last night of my childhood, but that’s just for the record.:))  This also marks my first international excursion without parental supervision and essentially my first step into the “real world.” Though it’s bittersweet, I’m ready.

To put it bluntly - I’m about to burst with excitement. I’ve always thought that the night before a missions trip is way more fun than the night before Christmas. As a child, the excitement came from knowing that the next day would be full of new, exciting things to satisfy my normally insatiable curiosity. Tonight, I feel the same way - the difference is that tomorrow will hold new, exciting things far more satisfying than the contents of my Christmas stocking. 

So as overwhelmed as I am tonight as I stand in between the deep breath and the plunge, I must not forget the purpose of it all. After months of praying and seeking, I’m confident that the Lord is doing great things in Uruguay. There is no normalcy or mediocrity when we get involved in what our God is doing, and oh how He’s stirring in South America this night! Though I seek great things in great faith from the Lord, my cousin reminded me tonight to “‘ ... seek first his kingdom ... and all these things will be given to you as well.”(Matthew 6:33)

As a side note ... I cannot express how grateful I am to each of you for the incredible outpouring leading up to this trip. You far exceeded my expectations with your prayers, support, gifts and enthusiasm. Because of you, we go forth lacking nothing and resting fully under the authenticity of your prayers. I could not ask for more.

So whatever we encounter this summer, it’s all simply added upon our sole pursuit of the Kingdom of God. For when heaven and earth collide, a revolution of eternal proportions ensues . . . Jesus, let our eyes be fixed on You!

Going out in joy ...

Preparaciones ...

My heart twinges in excitement as I sit here listening to "Revelation Song" in Spanish. My heart's desire to hear the nations worship, and this is but the faintest whisper . . .

We have 20 days until we depart to Uruguay, and preparations are in full swing. Joni and I were officially commissioned last week and given more resources for South America than we know 

what to do with! We've written packing lists and corresponded (via facebook message) about almost every detail for the trip. And there's still so much to do! We have resources to order, money to raise, and a language to learn. These are very busy days indeed!

Though the material preparations are well underway, we must also be mindful of the spiritual preparations. Our biggest need for the summer is prayer partners. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16) and we will not see great things in the Kingdom of God until we pray that we may become a part of it. If you'd like to commit to praying daily for us this summer, please let Joni or me know so we can keep you updated with prayer targets and praise reports!

I believe that one of the main objectives the Lord has entrusted to me for this summer is to raise up a prayer movement. To see the church pray has always been a passion of mine, and I believe He is asking me to target Uruguay with this intercessory initiative. In a nation where less than 1% is born again, a few will stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30) to plead healing from heaven. He will heal this land if His people pray (2 Chronicles 7:14), and the presence of these native prayer warriors will spare a nation!  He reveals His plans to His servants (Amos 3:7) and through prayer, we can see His plans implemented not only in Uruguay, but in America and across the farthest corners of the earth!

This objective for prayer was confirmed last week when a friend told me about a broadcast He was watching. During this broadcast, a large group of people united to pray specifically for Uruguay - that a prayer movement and disciples would rise up out of this tiny nation. Our God has a very strategic plan for Uruguay, and we have the privilege of being in the midst of it. Through prayer, we can partner with the existing church in Uruguay to see a nation turn to the LORD! 

There is no greater joy than this!

Jehovah Maccaddeschcem, let this nation cry 

"Santo, Santo, Santo Dios todopoderoso

Quien fue quien es y quien vendra

La creacion te canta hosanna al gran Yo Soy

tu eres mi todo y yo te adorare"

Translation:

Holy, Holy Holy is God Almighty

Who was and is and is to come

The creation sings Hosanna to the Great I Am

You are my everything and I will adore You!

(Revelation Song by Jennie Lee Riddle, translated by Kristy Motta)

The Maragato Mandate

I’ve recently been reading, Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper. In this commentary on global evangelism, Piper reminds us that “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church – worship is.”

As plans move further and excitement grows stronger about spending the upcoming summer on mission in Uruguay, I realize how easy it is to focus solely on the idea of missions.  As we prepare for the upcoming summer, we must remember to pray not only for blessings on our work there, but primarily for the hearts of the people of Uruguay.

Maragatos is the formal name for the native Uruguayan people group.  Though they are unified in culture as a people group, religion is often an insignificant factor in Maragato culture. It is believed that less than 1% of the population in the Department of San Jose – where Joni and I will be serving – are born-again Christians. Many Maragatos are religiously apathetic or even atheist. There is a strong spirit of pessimism among these people, and a common phrase among Maragatos is “Creo en mi propia manera”, meaning, ‘I believe in my own way.”

Oh, how my heart overflows to see the Maragatos enter the narrow way! Though the Maragatos are a prosperous people, they are growing increasingly aware of the spiritual void in many of their hearts. A young and spiritually searching Uruguayan woman stated that the greatest problem in Uruguayan society is a lack of love.  Even the lost people of Uruguay recognize that love reigns over any humanitarian and political need!

Missions is not just cross-cultural humanitarian work. Missions is leading others to the heart of God by loving them without reservation. The human response to the heart of God is worship, and my heart is to see the nation of Uruguay raise its voice in passionate worship of He who makes all things new!

In light of this, please continue praying for our brothers and sisters in the church of Uruguay. The Maragatos are calling out for someone to love them, In a little over two months, Joni and I will be joining Lyle and Claren on mission to love the Maragatos as Christ has loved us. There is no greater joy than this!

-Amy

1 John 3:1 

The Beginning

As many of you already know, I am preparing to spend the upcoming summer as a messenger of the Gospel in the South American nation of Uruguay. This is the story of how it all began.

 “But Abba, can the harvest get any bigger in South America?” I naively asked the Lord in an October, 2007 journal entry. I had just heard a compelling presentation from a Brazilian woman about a mighty spiritual reawakening sweeping across the continent, and though my heart was erupting in anticipation, I felt far too small to be a part of something so grand. Tenderly, He replied, “Yes beloved, and the harvest is ready. Are you? Will you go for Me?” With a deep sigh and a quick, “Oh Lord, what am I getting into now” I finally replied, “Yes Lord, here am I. Send me.” 

“Then follow Me, child.”

 Three weeks later, I wrestled with God over the prospect of pursuing summer missions. “But God, I’m too young. But God, I have a job. But God …” He interrupted. “Be quiet, child, and follow Me.” Less than three hours later, I found myself sifting through a book two inches thick of summer missions opportunities. “Lead on, Lord,” I whispered.  After turning page after page, my eyes were continually drawn to opportunities in Argentina. As I paused to look more closely, my phone rang – It was my father. “Amy, I’m at lunch with two missionaries from Argentina, and they’d love to meet you. Can you come by for a few minutes?” My heart leapt as I heard God’s laughter – He knows what He’s doing.

 Out of breath and full of anticipation, I took a seat around a table with my parents, the  student missions coordinator, and two beaming missionaries named Lyle and Claren. I whispered to my father, “how did you …?” He replied, “Not how did I, but how did He?”

I listened intently as Claren described their mission field. It wasn’t long before we discovered that they were from the nation of Uruguay instead of Argentina, as we had thought originally. However, it didn’t matter much – the Lord’s purpose was clear. As I described my heart, my skills and my experience in missions, I noticed Claren’s face brightening with every word I spoke. “Amy, we were just discussing this morning the type of person we needed to come serve with us next summer. You fit this profile beautifully, and We would be honored to have you in Uruguay.” I felt God’s pleasure as I replied, “and I would be honored to come.” Claren presented me with a beautiful gold cross charm, which I now wear around my neck as a reminder to pray for Uruguay.

 Since that November 14 afternoon, (which is, ironically, my spiritual birthday), the road to Uruguay has become even straighter. I had the privilege of spending an afternoon shopping and practicing my Spanish with two beautiful young ladies from Uruguay named Alejandra and Vicki. For months, my family prayed with Lyle and Claren to send student partners to serve with me in Uruguay.

 At the February summer missions interviews in Montevallo, I met a young lady named Joni Howard from the University of Alabama at Huntsville. I sympathized with her as she flipped nervously through a two-inch-thick book of summer missions opportunities. (I vividly remembered the overwhelming feeling associated with such. J) My campus minister encouraged the connection between us. After telling Joni about my project in Uruguay, I silently prayed for the Lord to lead the partnership. Three days later, I was overjoyed to hear that Joni had followed his lead and accepted the project in Uruguay. Our prayers for a partner have been answered, and we have only just begun!

 So, in early June, Joni and I will be embarking on the trip of a lifetime to San Jose, Uruguay. Until then, we must be praying, preparing and following the Leader in every necessary detail of planning. This includes enlisting help from you, our brothers and sisters in Christ. A laborer cannot operate without support from home, so we will need various things from you to make this happen, including ministry tools, financial support, and especially your prayers. Please be attentive to the list of needs on the right hand column of this page and check back often for updates. These first steps are often the most crucial, so together, we will prepare the way to Uruguay! 

 His Truly,

-Amy

Proverbs 3:5-6