Trials Before a Great Work of God

With school having started a few weeks ago, I have been busier, more tired, and stressed lately. Even though this past weekend I had a chance to relax, I wasn't feeling well Sunday. Besides a few other symptoms, I felt a little weak, tired, and easily felt cold. Sunday is usually the day I do laundry and having problems with the washing machine as well as knowing that the next day I was working all day either in the school or as caretaker for the boys, it only made matters worse and made me more discouraged to say the least. I admit that when I was with the boys Sunday night and Monday, I didn't necessarily have the attitude or patience that I should have had. Fortunately, despite my shortcomings, God remained faithful, still used me, and got me through to Tuesday where I felt much better...and it was that Tuesday night when God did something great! But first, before I get to that part of the story, I had finally started the idea I had earlier where I would have a couple verses each week for the boys in the dorm to memorize where they could earn tickets to buy things (either little erasers or time playing games on my cell phone or using my camera, etc.). The boys were really interested and many of them were motivated to memorize the verse and learn the answers to the questions (each verse had a couple questions and answers that they had to learn). The verses this week were Romans 3:10-11 (As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.) and Romans 3:23-24 (For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:) - obviously, they would memorize it in Spanish, though. Many times, the boys would be working on memorizing the verses and would want to try to tell me it. Often, they wanted to do it at the same time, so that would be difficult at times when half of them are swarming me to be the next one to attempt to recite the verse - especially when many of them still didn't have it memorized yet. Already, though, a few of them have already told me the two verses for the week and I told them one of the verses for next week that they can work on ahead of time. So it's encouraging to see the motivation from many of the boys - even if the motivation is mainly to earn tickets to get time playing on my cell phone instead of being motivated to memorize the verse for the sake of learning the verse and hiding God's Word in their hearts. But still. Anyway, as great as it is that some of the boys are memorizing Bible verses, Tuesday night God did a great work. Tuesday night, once the boys were ready for bed, I was getting ready to read to them. (We're reading through the book of Joshua.) However, one of the boys had a question - this particular kid always seems to have questions about the Bible. He asked about the guy who was blessed and had his name changed to Israel. So to answer his question, I instead read the story in Genesis about when Jacob fought against God and God changed his name to Israel. I mentioned at the end how Moses wrote the book of Genesis and four other books in the Bible and we talked about which people wrote which books in the Bible. He asked who wrote Revelation and I told him about John and what Revelation was about and how much of it is about the future after Christians would be taken to heaven and the tribulation happens on earth. (By now, the other nine boys in the dorm either were asleep or falling asleep.) He asked me if I was a Christian and I told him I was. I asked him if he was, and I forget if he said no or if he didn't know. But I asked him if he knew how to become a Christian. He didn't know and so I explained to him how, as sinners, we are going to hell as a punishment for our sin; however, because God loves us so much, He sent His Son Jesus to take the wrath of God the Father in our place when Jesus died on the cross; and now we can be saved and go to heaven if we believe and accept Jesus in our hearts as our Savior. (As I explained it to him, I even got to refer to the two verses of the week in Romans that he had memorized.) I finally asked him if he wanted to accept Jesus into his heart. At first, I think he said, "No soy grande" - I'm not big. I asked him if he meant that concerning his age. He said yes, and I explained to him that if he understood what I said to him, he can accept Jesus into his heart even as a kid and that he could die that night and that he doesn't know when he would die. But also, even if he lived longer, he could have Jesus with him now. I explained to him that God wants to bless us (which doesn't mean we won't have problems, but that God will use those problems to help us). When I asked him again if he wanted to accept Jesus into his heart, he said yes and I helped him with words to pray to God. After, I told him that now he always has Jesus with him and he's going to heaven and that it was real cool that he asked Jesus into his heart. It was really neat to not only see this kid accept Jesus into his heart but to be the one used by God to finally lead him to Jesus. From the beginning of my time here, I could see in this kid an attraction and curiousity concerning God and the Bible. My first or second Friday here, we had a bonfire and a time where we split into groups to pray. I was in his group and after the other adult in our group prayed, this kid asked me if I wanted to pray. I did and then I asked him if he wanted to and he did. I've also noticed that he's one that will memorize verses and would ask many questions when I read to the boys at night. He'll often read ahead in the story in his own Bible when I read at night as well. In addition, a few weeks ago when some of us volunteers went on the retreat, part of what was encouraged was to have one or two of the kids in our hearts to pray for. This particular kid was one of the kids that came to my mind. So now, looking back at all that and seeing how God had already been working in this kid's life and how he used me, it's really neat. However, I know this is just the beginning for him and that God has great plans for him! If God puts it on your heart, please keep him in prayer, that he would grow in his relationship with Jesus. For those who are interested in praying for the work here at Pan de Vida, below are some other specific prayer requests: Prayer Requests: 1. That God would continue working in this boy's life and that he would grow closer to him. (If you want to know the boy's name, just leave a message and I can text you his name - for privacy reasons, I try not to use the kids' names online.) 2. That the boys would continue to be encouraged to memorize God's Word AND would apply it to their lives. 3. For any other of the kids here that have not made a personal decision to follow Jesus and accept Him into their lives as their personal Savior, that they would see their need for a savior and would accept Him into their hearts. 4. That the school year would continue to go well and the kids would learn what they need to. 5. For me and the other staff here that we don't get discoraged or tired in the work and that we do all by the power of the Holy Spirit and not in our own power. It can be very tiring and discouraging at times as there is much to do here and many lives to influence for Christ. Obviously, the enemy does not want these young lives reached for Christ, and will do what he can to hinder that work. Thanks for all your prayers. Derek

A Wedding and a Retreat

 

The kitchen and dining room in the cabin
 where we stayed during the retreat

This past week has been busy at Pan de Vida. Last Saturday, we celebrated a wedding. Two of the volunteers – Kris and Lucy – got married here at Pan de Vida. On Monday, twelve of us staff went on a retreat together. (Obviously, all the staff couldn't go at the same time as some staff was still needed to take care of the kids and Pan de Vida. Later this month, there will be another retreat for the other staff that didn't get the chance to go this time.) It was a nice time where we stayed a few days in a cabin, played games together, got to go sightseeing, and had some Bible lessons focused around the theme of connecting – connecting with one another (the kids we serve as well as other staff) as well as maintaining our personal relationship and connection with God. One of the days, we hiked to a waterfall with a scenic view. Another day, we drove to Zacutlan where we met a friend of Kike's who showed us around the town. It was a tourist town known for the apples that grow there. There was a nice scenic view in one area of the town as well as some very artistic murals in another part of the town. Overall, the retreat was nice and it was nice to be able to connect with and get to know the other staff that I work with here at Pan de Vida.

Mineral Del Chico - A small town we visited on our way back
 from the retreat. The town's known for having been a place
 where they mined ore (silver I think).

Monday begins the school year here at Pan de Vida. I'll be teaching second grade and am told I will have 9 kids in my class. I'll be teaching math and Spanish (reading and writing). Many of the kids here at Pan de Vida are behind academically, and Pan de Vida has their own school on campus where the kids that live here attend instead of attending public school. Many of the kids are behind, and are grouped by grade according to their academics rather than by their age. So that means I'll have at least a few kids in my second-grade class who are older than the normal second-grade age group in the States.

A scenic view of a waterfall in Zacatlan

Besides teaching in the school, I'm continuing to help out on guardia duty once or twice a week and continue to be in the Medianos Dorm with the 10-13 year old boys. Sometimes at night for a story, I'm going through the book of Joshua in the Bible with them. I also was able to give the boys in my dorm that were interested their own Bible (they all have one for school, but this one they can keep in their dorms). The Bibles that I give them are just normal Spanish Bibles that I found really cheap online, but I am also planning on getting a few kids Bibles and comic Bibles that are more geared to different age levels of kids that might be more interesting for them and helpful to them in understanding the Bible. This way, I'm thinking each dorm at Pan de Vida could have a couple of these Bibles to lend out to the kids in the dorm that are really interested in reading them. One of the boys in the medianos dorm yesterday showed me one of the verses in Psalms that he liked and memorized it and then recited it to me. I've already been thinking of doing something with the medianos to encourage them to memorize Bible verses where I'd give them verses to memorize and they can earn points or tickets that they can use to buy little prizes. I had mentioned the idea to a couple of the boys last week and they seemed interested in it.

Overall, this coming week looks like it will be a busy one. Please keep me, the other staff, and the kids in prayer. Below are some specific prayer requests.

• For the school year – that the kids will learn and excel, especially those that struggle or are behind academically.

• For the teachers in the school – that we will be able to teach to the best of our ability, be an example of Jesus to the kids we teach, and will have wisdom in how to reach all the students in our class.

• For the spiritual growth of the kids – that each boy and girl here would know Jesus in an intimate way. That the boys, especially the ones in the medianos dorm with me who showed an interest in having their own Bible, would read it and spend personal time with God.

• That the boys would be encouraged to memorize Scripture – that, if God wills, that the idea I have about giving the boys verses to memorize where they can earn points/tickets to get things would be a good tool to get many of them to memorize verses.

Please feel free to write me (either through email or leaving a comment below) or call me if you ever want to know more details about what goes on here, etc. Or, if anyone is ever interested in knowing more about individual kids here, I can share pictures, stories, and/or prayer requests of individual kids that live here. I know on this blog, I keep things (relatively) short and general, but if you're interested in more detailed information, just let me know.

Blessings,

Derek