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 …
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
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 som
eone 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
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
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
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!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
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.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
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
Sunday, June 8, 2008
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 15th 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
Thursday, June 5, 2008
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
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
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
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
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
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