Have a look at what the Elliott's are up to in Northern Mexico
Monday, September 28, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Humility or Discouragement
Ok, it is time to get vulnerable. Not that I really enjoy being vulnerable, but having just read a blog of a former teammate in Paraguay, it has inspired me and if I wait, I won't do it, so here it goes.
Yesterday was our weekly prayer meeting at church. Wednesday nights at the church have been a real source of encouragement for Sheri and I. You see one of the passions we came to Mexico with was the desire to see a prayer focused church. We passed out a few copies of a book called "Fresh Wind Fresh Fire" by Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in Brooklyn New York. God has used this book and many others in the same series to move us toward a deeper prayer life. Not that we could be considered "prayer warriors" but that we are on the journey and are beginning to recognize how important prayer is in the life of a Christian (how come it has taken 16 years to get there)?
Anyway God is using the teachings of Jim Cymbala and the testimonies of so many in the Brooklyn Tabernacle that have attested to the power of prayer. He is moving our church toward deeper prayer. Prompted by the leaders, we have changed the prayer meeting from Friday nights to Wednesday nights and as leaders we prayed that God would send more of our congregation to pray (we used to get 5 or 6 out on Friday nights). Now after about a month of meeting on Wednesday nights, we are getting about 30-40 people out for the prayer meeting! We are excited, the church is getting excited and it seems that God is beginning to move in our midst! That is all great right? Yes it is! So where does the title of this entry come in? In a word, Spanish!
Let me explain. Last night at the prayer meeting I shared the devotional with the church before we prayed. When I speak up front, I like to (no, I need to) move around and use my hands and speak what is in my heart. The problem is that the things that are in my heart usually express themselves in English! When I share in Spanish, I need to stay behind the pulpit and read what I wrote and not deviate too much or I might get lost! It feels forced, unnatural, uneasy and boring. I really don't like it at all, and unlike most, I love public speaking! In English. Once I finished, one of the national leaders got up to lead the church in prayer, it felt and sounded so much better! Those poor people who had to listen to me for 20 minutes! I know I can communicate and be understood and my Spanish is improving all the time, but I guess I need more patience with myself. I wonder why I get asked to share in public settings like that. For now I do much better one on one.
All this leads me to humility for sure, which is a good thing, but I confess last night it also led to discouragement in my heart. I believe Sheri and I are having an impact here and I am happy about that (one of the church leaders told me that he felt like God called us here to show the church that they need to focus on prayer). Thank you Lord and praise be to you!
Learning a new language isn't easy, especially when you are figuring out how to speak infront of 30-100 people! God has a sense of humor!
Pray for me, I am preaching on the 13th...........................
Lane
Yesterday was our weekly prayer meeting at church. Wednesday nights at the church have been a real source of encouragement for Sheri and I. You see one of the passions we came to Mexico with was the desire to see a prayer focused church. We passed out a few copies of a book called "Fresh Wind Fresh Fire" by Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in Brooklyn New York. God has used this book and many others in the same series to move us toward a deeper prayer life. Not that we could be considered "prayer warriors" but that we are on the journey and are beginning to recognize how important prayer is in the life of a Christian (how come it has taken 16 years to get there)?
Anyway God is using the teachings of Jim Cymbala and the testimonies of so many in the Brooklyn Tabernacle that have attested to the power of prayer. He is moving our church toward deeper prayer. Prompted by the leaders, we have changed the prayer meeting from Friday nights to Wednesday nights and as leaders we prayed that God would send more of our congregation to pray (we used to get 5 or 6 out on Friday nights). Now after about a month of meeting on Wednesday nights, we are getting about 30-40 people out for the prayer meeting! We are excited, the church is getting excited and it seems that God is beginning to move in our midst! That is all great right? Yes it is! So where does the title of this entry come in? In a word, Spanish!
Let me explain. Last night at the prayer meeting I shared the devotional with the church before we prayed. When I speak up front, I like to (no, I need to) move around and use my hands and speak what is in my heart. The problem is that the things that are in my heart usually express themselves in English! When I share in Spanish, I need to stay behind the pulpit and read what I wrote and not deviate too much or I might get lost! It feels forced, unnatural, uneasy and boring. I really don't like it at all, and unlike most, I love public speaking! In English. Once I finished, one of the national leaders got up to lead the church in prayer, it felt and sounded so much better! Those poor people who had to listen to me for 20 minutes! I know I can communicate and be understood and my Spanish is improving all the time, but I guess I need more patience with myself. I wonder why I get asked to share in public settings like that. For now I do much better one on one.
All this leads me to humility for sure, which is a good thing, but I confess last night it also led to discouragement in my heart. I believe Sheri and I are having an impact here and I am happy about that (one of the church leaders told me that he felt like God called us here to show the church that they need to focus on prayer). Thank you Lord and praise be to you!
Learning a new language isn't easy, especially when you are figuring out how to speak infront of 30-100 people! God has a sense of humor!
Pray for me, I am preaching on the 13th...........................
Lane
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