A Serenade for You! :)
Hello again amigos!! Well, I originally wanted to update my blog once a week and now its happening about once a month! So, sorry if it gets a little long, I will try to keep it interesting! So since the last time I've written to you, nothing really dramatic happened. We received three sibling a couple weeks ago! You can definitely tell they were not brought up around Christians and need some extra discipline, but they seem to be adapting well! It is sweet to watch the other kids welcome them in and show them the ropes. The youngest comes to my youngest class (preschool age). The first day, he started throwing a fit when the helper who brought the kids to class tried to leave, so she took him back to his house. They tried again today and this time she closed the door before he could follow her out so he sat down on the floor, crying for his mom very loudly. I figured that he would not welcome me anywhere near him, so I thought I would try to keep the other kids' attention and just move on with class and hope that he calmed down. However, he was not calming down and it was impossible to keep the kids' attention, so I decided to see if he would allow me to pick him up, which to my surprise and relief, he did. I sat him on my lap while I was teaching and he instantly started to calm down and was very quiet the rest of the class (phew!).
As for my visa. I still don't have it. After we got back from our long road trip, we spent a week of going back and forth between Bolivia and Brazil almost every day. My visa was supposed to take 30 days to get here and since my tourist visa ran out already, they gave me some sort of 30 day permission to stay in Bolivia since my visa is on its way. However those 30 days run out this week, I believe. Please pray that it gets here really soon!!
As for the rest of what happened since my last post, there is not much to say without being repetitive. I went on a few picnics, we had some birthdays, and I was blessed to be able to share my house with a team on their way back to Canada. About a month ago, a group of Bolivian men left on a missions trip down the river. They lived on the boat during this time and picked up the team of Canadians somewhere along the way. They stopped in villages along the river to do medical checkups and dental work. When they returned to Guayaramerin, I was able to spend the day with them. We went to Brazil, out to eat, played some volleyball here at the home and then they spent the night here. I didn't realize how much I missed being able to talk without much concentration until I found myself talking nonstop with this team. It was a wonderful day! I was a little sad that they only stayed for one night, but it made me so excited for the teams who will start coming down in June! I loved having people in my big, empty house. People who loved the Lord, who were here to serve, and were just as far (and a little farther) away from home as I am. While I love the people here and they are like my family, there is something that connects you to people who have the same language and culture when you are far away from home in a different culture trying to learn a different language!
Another blessing has been the very cool weather lately! for a day or two it was in the 60's! Which, for here, it might as well be snowing!;) Actually, one of the men that works here asked me if, when it's this weather in the States, we get snow. I informed him that it has to be freezing or below to snow- I guess I'll give them a break since they've probably never felt weather lower than the 50's if that! It has warmed up, but it still gets cool at night. I enjoyed the hoodie, sweatpants, and blanket weather while it lasted!:)
One tradition that I have been thoroughly enjoying here are the "serenatas", or serenades. It is tradition here that the night before someone's birthday, a group of friends gather outside their window after they've turned their light out to serenade them. That is then followed up with the person inviting you into their house for some Coke and some sort of snack. One interesting thing I've noticed about this culture is that they have songs that everyone knows for every occasion- especially the church. Normally, in the States, the only songs we use in church or other Christian gathering are the songs that sing directly to God or about God. However, here, while they also have those songs, they also have songs that are sung to our fellow brothers in Christ. Songs of encouragement and blessing that are just as common as hymns. Those are the songs that we use for the serenatas. Songs that say things like "How marvelous it is to have a family in Christ" and "May the Lord bless you all of your life". I love the church family here, it is beautiful!
Also, in other news, I'm not sure that I mentioned this in my last post, but my brother, Owen, and his beautiful girlfriend, Elizabeth, got engaged! I will be going home early for their wedding in October and possibly returning for the last month of the school year.
That brings me to my first prayer request:
1) I am trying to make some decision quickly about what I am going to do when I get back to the States. First, whether or not I should return for the last month of school or if I should just stay in the States once I get back. Second, whether I'm going to come back for the next year or stay in the States and go to college and possibly return after that. Please be praying that God will give me wisdom and clarity to know what path He has for me!
2) Continue to pray for the health of the kids, there have been some colds and fevers going around (probably result of the cold weather). Especially continue to pray for little Juan Bernardo, the little boy with the tumor in his leg. He often complains about the pain in his leg, and it's heartbreaking to not be able to help him! Please pray for a miracle!
3) Please also pray for my spiritual health. While I spend a lot of time and church and all time time around strong Christians, it is hard. I still feel kind of on my own here since it is so hard to converse about spiritual, deep topics with my (still) limited Spanish. While I can text family or friends pretty much whenever or skype them, I still find myself, at times, wishing for someone here that I can just vent to or just someone who can really understand where I'm coming from. I really looking forward to the teams that will be coming in about a month and a half!
4) Also, pray for Josh Warncke, who will soon be starting his ride across the US! Pray for his health and safety! Also pray for minimal problems during the ride. Especially pray for the people with whom he will speaking on the way. That God will work through him to open people's hearts and inspire them to make a difference and support Love in Action! The goal is $1million, but please pray with me and many others that God will bless above and beyond expectation! I know that God has already been blessing this ride in unexpected ways as they are preparing for it! It's amazing to see how well it is all coming together!!
If you would like more information about this fundraiser please visit the facebook page or webpage:
https://www.facebook.com/RideForRescue?fref=ts
http://www.liaim.com/Ride-for-Rescue---Coast-to-Coast-for-Orphans.html
Devotional thoughts:
Just a few verses out of Psalm 51 that I found encouraging/challenging-
vs 10-12, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit withing me. Do not cast me from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
Is your spirit willing?
vs 13, "Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you."
vs 17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
God doesn't want your fancy prayers, impressive charity donations, or anything that you do to try to show of your good deeds. All he wants is broken spirit brought to him in humility because that is when He can change us into beautiful vessels which then do impressive things, but out of humility, not asking for any attention except to make God shine brighter!
"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." Matthew 13:15
If this verse doesn't make you want to scream out of frustration, I don't know what will. If people would only realize that healing, satisfaction, and peace are only a prayer away! Instead, they would rather blame the one who could give the everything they could ever need! Sigh.....
"But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew 14:30
When walking by faith, it is easy to let the wind scare us and cause us to doubt God. When we doubt God, we begin to sink until we finally cry out to Him and He pulls us out of the mess we got ourselves into.
"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." Matthew 19:29
This is encouragement for, not just people in an overseas mission field. It's for everyone who is following God's will for their life that meant leaving what they know and going far from home.
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2
We often talk about how we like to do devotions in the morning or at night or maybe we are still trying to figure out when is the best time for us. But shouldn't we do them "day and night"? Should our meditation just be confined to a short time when we rise or go to bed or should that be our focus throughout the day?
And then the next verse-
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Psalm 1:3
Verse 3 is a result of verse 2. Are your meditations in the word a high enough priority?
"Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception." Psalm 12:2
How often do we lie to avoid offending someone? Even just bending the truth?
"To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd." Psalm 18:25-26
"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." Psalm 18:29
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm." Psalm 20:7-8
Where is my confidence in the Lord's help? David was trusting the Lord with real battles, and I sometimes have trouble giving him my fears about seemingly unimportant my life? I have fear of not measuring up. Not satisfying or meeting expectations. I have fear of what people think. I am pretty good at covering up my fears. But I think everyone struggles at some point with the fear of being average and not meeting the expectations put on you. But when we find ourselves with those fears is when we are trying to rely on our own strength to fulfill these expectations. There is no way we can reach our full potential without God.
What if imitating Jesus isn't so much about love, servant hood, and sacrifice? What if it's more about doing the unexpected. I struggle with this, because that usually means getting off my lazy bum and doing something I wouldn't normally do. Outside of my comfy schedule. Jesus did nothing that was expected of the Messiah. He didn't come in as royalty and conquer the Romans and free the Jews and fix everything the way that he was expected to. The things he did, when he did them, and with whom were all unexpected. However, those unexpected things are what made his ministry effective. What unexpected things could you be doing to further the kingdom of God?
"But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, 'you are my God'. My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me." Psalm 31"14-15
Trust in His timing! In light of the decisions I'm being faced with, this is such an encouragement to me! I hate making such big decisions and I want to know the answers right NOW! But I need to trust His timing!
"When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand is heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' and you forgave the guilt of my sin." Psalm 32:3-5
When we try to ignore our sin, we only hurt ourselves more. When we confess our sin, we are set free. We are free of guilt and shame!
I was so thankful to God for giving me Psalm 37 this past week. It really spoke to my spirit and lifted me up:
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." Psalm 37:3
Just two things. Trust the Lord and do good. We often make it so much more complicated. Why don't we just trust Him?
"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of you heart." Psalm 37:4
What are the desires of your heart?
Here are the desires of my heart:
1. To continually know and desire to know God more each day.
2. To have joy, love, patience, compassion, and peace that only God can give.
3. To teach well, with creativity and enthusiasm.
4. That the Lord will grant these desires in abundance, and that His Spirit will shine through me.
May the Lord bless you each day as you live for Him!
Kirsten Hawbaker
As for my visa. I still don't have it. After we got back from our long road trip, we spent a week of going back and forth between Bolivia and Brazil almost every day. My visa was supposed to take 30 days to get here and since my tourist visa ran out already, they gave me some sort of 30 day permission to stay in Bolivia since my visa is on its way. However those 30 days run out this week, I believe. Please pray that it gets here really soon!!
As for the rest of what happened since my last post, there is not much to say without being repetitive. I went on a few picnics, we had some birthdays, and I was blessed to be able to share my house with a team on their way back to Canada. About a month ago, a group of Bolivian men left on a missions trip down the river. They lived on the boat during this time and picked up the team of Canadians somewhere along the way. They stopped in villages along the river to do medical checkups and dental work. When they returned to Guayaramerin, I was able to spend the day with them. We went to Brazil, out to eat, played some volleyball here at the home and then they spent the night here. I didn't realize how much I missed being able to talk without much concentration until I found myself talking nonstop with this team. It was a wonderful day! I was a little sad that they only stayed for one night, but it made me so excited for the teams who will start coming down in June! I loved having people in my big, empty house. People who loved the Lord, who were here to serve, and were just as far (and a little farther) away from home as I am. While I love the people here and they are like my family, there is something that connects you to people who have the same language and culture when you are far away from home in a different culture trying to learn a different language!
Another blessing has been the very cool weather lately! for a day or two it was in the 60's! Which, for here, it might as well be snowing!;) Actually, one of the men that works here asked me if, when it's this weather in the States, we get snow. I informed him that it has to be freezing or below to snow- I guess I'll give them a break since they've probably never felt weather lower than the 50's if that! It has warmed up, but it still gets cool at night. I enjoyed the hoodie, sweatpants, and blanket weather while it lasted!:)
One tradition that I have been thoroughly enjoying here are the "serenatas", or serenades. It is tradition here that the night before someone's birthday, a group of friends gather outside their window after they've turned their light out to serenade them. That is then followed up with the person inviting you into their house for some Coke and some sort of snack. One interesting thing I've noticed about this culture is that they have songs that everyone knows for every occasion- especially the church. Normally, in the States, the only songs we use in church or other Christian gathering are the songs that sing directly to God or about God. However, here, while they also have those songs, they also have songs that are sung to our fellow brothers in Christ. Songs of encouragement and blessing that are just as common as hymns. Those are the songs that we use for the serenatas. Songs that say things like "How marvelous it is to have a family in Christ" and "May the Lord bless you all of your life". I love the church family here, it is beautiful!
Also, in other news, I'm not sure that I mentioned this in my last post, but my brother, Owen, and his beautiful girlfriend, Elizabeth, got engaged! I will be going home early for their wedding in October and possibly returning for the last month of the school year.
That brings me to my first prayer request:
1) I am trying to make some decision quickly about what I am going to do when I get back to the States. First, whether or not I should return for the last month of school or if I should just stay in the States once I get back. Second, whether I'm going to come back for the next year or stay in the States and go to college and possibly return after that. Please be praying that God will give me wisdom and clarity to know what path He has for me!
2) Continue to pray for the health of the kids, there have been some colds and fevers going around (probably result of the cold weather). Especially continue to pray for little Juan Bernardo, the little boy with the tumor in his leg. He often complains about the pain in his leg, and it's heartbreaking to not be able to help him! Please pray for a miracle!
3) Please also pray for my spiritual health. While I spend a lot of time and church and all time time around strong Christians, it is hard. I still feel kind of on my own here since it is so hard to converse about spiritual, deep topics with my (still) limited Spanish. While I can text family or friends pretty much whenever or skype them, I still find myself, at times, wishing for someone here that I can just vent to or just someone who can really understand where I'm coming from. I really looking forward to the teams that will be coming in about a month and a half!
4) Also, pray for Josh Warncke, who will soon be starting his ride across the US! Pray for his health and safety! Also pray for minimal problems during the ride. Especially pray for the people with whom he will speaking on the way. That God will work through him to open people's hearts and inspire them to make a difference and support Love in Action! The goal is $1million, but please pray with me and many others that God will bless above and beyond expectation! I know that God has already been blessing this ride in unexpected ways as they are preparing for it! It's amazing to see how well it is all coming together!!
If you would like more information about this fundraiser please visit the facebook page or webpage:
https://www.facebook.com/RideForRescue?fref=ts
http://www.liaim.com/Ride-for-Rescue---Coast-to-Coast-for-Orphans.html
Devotional thoughts:
Just a few verses out of Psalm 51 that I found encouraging/challenging-
vs 10-12, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit withing me. Do not cast me from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
Is your spirit willing?
vs 13, "Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you."
vs 17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
God doesn't want your fancy prayers, impressive charity donations, or anything that you do to try to show of your good deeds. All he wants is broken spirit brought to him in humility because that is when He can change us into beautiful vessels which then do impressive things, but out of humility, not asking for any attention except to make God shine brighter!
"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them." Matthew 13:15
If this verse doesn't make you want to scream out of frustration, I don't know what will. If people would only realize that healing, satisfaction, and peace are only a prayer away! Instead, they would rather blame the one who could give the everything they could ever need! Sigh.....
"But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew 14:30
When walking by faith, it is easy to let the wind scare us and cause us to doubt God. When we doubt God, we begin to sink until we finally cry out to Him and He pulls us out of the mess we got ourselves into.
"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." Matthew 19:29
This is encouragement for, not just people in an overseas mission field. It's for everyone who is following God's will for their life that meant leaving what they know and going far from home.
"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Psalm 1:2
We often talk about how we like to do devotions in the morning or at night or maybe we are still trying to figure out when is the best time for us. But shouldn't we do them "day and night"? Should our meditation just be confined to a short time when we rise or go to bed or should that be our focus throughout the day?
And then the next verse-
"He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Psalm 1:3
Verse 3 is a result of verse 2. Are your meditations in the word a high enough priority?
"Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception." Psalm 12:2
How often do we lie to avoid offending someone? Even just bending the truth?
"To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd." Psalm 18:25-26
"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall." Psalm 18:29
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm." Psalm 20:7-8
Where is my confidence in the Lord's help? David was trusting the Lord with real battles, and I sometimes have trouble giving him my fears about seemingly unimportant my life? I have fear of not measuring up. Not satisfying or meeting expectations. I have fear of what people think. I am pretty good at covering up my fears. But I think everyone struggles at some point with the fear of being average and not meeting the expectations put on you. But when we find ourselves with those fears is when we are trying to rely on our own strength to fulfill these expectations. There is no way we can reach our full potential without God.
What if imitating Jesus isn't so much about love, servant hood, and sacrifice? What if it's more about doing the unexpected. I struggle with this, because that usually means getting off my lazy bum and doing something I wouldn't normally do. Outside of my comfy schedule. Jesus did nothing that was expected of the Messiah. He didn't come in as royalty and conquer the Romans and free the Jews and fix everything the way that he was expected to. The things he did, when he did them, and with whom were all unexpected. However, those unexpected things are what made his ministry effective. What unexpected things could you be doing to further the kingdom of God?
"But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, 'you are my God'. My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me." Psalm 31"14-15
Trust in His timing! In light of the decisions I'm being faced with, this is such an encouragement to me! I hate making such big decisions and I want to know the answers right NOW! But I need to trust His timing!
"When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand is heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' and you forgave the guilt of my sin." Psalm 32:3-5
When we try to ignore our sin, we only hurt ourselves more. When we confess our sin, we are set free. We are free of guilt and shame!
I was so thankful to God for giving me Psalm 37 this past week. It really spoke to my spirit and lifted me up:
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." Psalm 37:3
Just two things. Trust the Lord and do good. We often make it so much more complicated. Why don't we just trust Him?
"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of you heart." Psalm 37:4
What are the desires of your heart?
Here are the desires of my heart:
1. To continually know and desire to know God more each day.
2. To have joy, love, patience, compassion, and peace that only God can give.
3. To teach well, with creativity and enthusiasm.
4. That the Lord will grant these desires in abundance, and that His Spirit will shine through me.
May the Lord bless you each day as you live for Him!
Kirsten Hawbaker
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