Today, we are thankful

Today, Jeremy and I had a new Thanksgiving experience. We were not with our biological families, instead we are 4,000 miles away in Spain. Instead of everyone around us celebrating a holiday, today was just a normal day for the Spaniards we met on the street. People were at work, going to the store and school. It was a little sad, but it was another reminder of all we are thankful for, today and everyday. 

Today we are thankful for the past week. We arrived safely in Spain last Wednesday. We have somewhat adjusted to the time change, even a new eating schedule- I am not AS starving by our 2pm lunch. A couple of days we have felt absolutely exhausted. Not just by the time change but also by the new sights, sounds and smells all around us. It is hard to slow down and not try to take it all in at once. But, we have found an apartment to rent! We have successfully taken the train into Madrid with the help of team-member Colleen and purchased a monthly bus pass. We are enrolled in language school to start on Monday. A packed week!

Today we are thankful for God's calling. This move to Spain is fulfillment of a promise given to me 6 years ago. As overwhelming as it all is, I am thankful for His provision that has brought us to Spain. From almost anywhere in the town you can see snow covered mountain tops a reminder of my favorite scripture- "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." Isaiah 55:11

Today we are thankful for the Sierra Oeste Team. These are the people who first prayed for our calling to Spain. They have been faithful to the Lord and begun an incredible work in this area. We are blessed to be working alongside them. They have been incredibly accommodating and welcoming to us as we get adjusted and begin language school. We are excited to begin working more with this wonderful team in the coming months.

Today, I am thankful for my husband. Not only does he love me when I am not so nice, but he answered God's call on his life to this new journey. He answered without hesitation and has been an encouragement to me all along the way. Every step, sacrifice and leap of faith, he has been a solid rock and picture of Jesus' love. He is my forever friend.

Lastly, today I am thankful for YOU. I am thankful that you have taken a moment to read this (long and mushy-gushy post) simply because you care. I am thankful for you who have prayed for us. I am thankful for you who have invested your wisdom into our lives. I am thankful for you who have invested financially into the Kingdom of God by supporting us. We could not be here without you. Thank you, thank you for loving us and loving our Savior. 

We Are Not Our Own

It was no coincidence that this morning’s reading from My Utmost for His Highest began with this quote, “A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own.” 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” While the context of this verse is actually talking about sexual immorality, it can pretty easily be applied to every area of our lives.

The control we believe we have in our own lives is so very deceiving. If our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, they can serve only that singular purpose. If the Holy Spirit is to inhabit our bodies, then we must relinquish all control over what they do. We must forfeit all say in our own lives because even the life we live is not really our own. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

My lack of control over my own life has manifested itself in many ways over the past several years. The first significant time was when I was 15. I had plans to be part of a three week mission trip to Curitiba, Brazil. Thanks to several setbacks along the way, the trip fell through. Instead, I ended up in Nicaragua with a youth group from a different church, an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. Since that year I have been on several other short term trips and begun a degree in Intercultural Studies and Global Missions.

Over the last one to two years, I have wondered if my call to missions had been misread or misunderstood. I have been frustrated and confused. Maybe full-time missions was never my call. Maybe I had missed a sign along the way. Surely God wouldn’t have changed His mind on me. No, that wasn’t it. Our time had not yet come. It wasn’t until March of this year that Jeremy finally told me he was ready to pursue our calling. As soon as I was ready to be content with a life of short term trips and American living, my husband was on board to sell our possessions and dive headfirst into a new culture.

This August we interviewed with One Mission Society in Indiana. We received the call confirming our acceptance and now we will begin the process of preparation. Together we were called and together we will journey to minister to the hearts of Spain. 

Our Purpose and Our Passion

“I set myself on fire, and people come to see me burn.” – John Wesley

This quote has come to my mind a lot recently. When I think about it, my immediate mental interpretation is that I would certainly run to the person on fire, but I would probably bring a hose. It’s not a statement that you generally hear someone say, but this was Wesley’s response to a question about why such large crowds of people would travel for miles to hear him preach.

Wesley had lived much of his life clinging to an outward Christianity - the Christianity where the works you did were the focus. He said that he hoped to be considered a good Christian by following three basic principles: “(1) Not being so bad as other people, (2) Having still a kindness for religion, and (3) Reading the Bible, going to church, and saying my prayers.” To have an enthusiastic passion for Christ was a distant concept, because salvation came largely from the works you did.

Mel and I came together with two separate thoughts of how our lives would go, but through the process of becoming one flesh, we have spent time with God trying to find our combined purpose. This quote comes to mind because at times it has been difficult for me to find the burning passion of following Christ. I have been in ministry for a few years, and in that time, I have had highs and lows, but I don’t feel that anyone ever rushed to watch me burn. Until recently, I still had this feeling that the spark was missing from my relationship with God.

On a recent trip to Medellin, Colombia, I found my passion. In an individual prayer time, I had to break away from my wife so that God could speak to me individually. As many of you know, Mel has had a passion for missionary work since she was 15 years old, and our marriage had left both of us confused about the calling on our lives. I was resisting the combining of our gifts and abilities and Mel had times where she wondered if her calling was lost or misunderstood.

I realized during this prayer time that I need to quit being resistant and just be open to His leading, so I asked – “God, what do you want for us to do?” And then the answer came – “Go.” I’ll be the first to say that God doesn't speak audibly much, but I think sometimes it takes a life changing moment for Him to clear His throat. In that moment, I found my passion. In that moment, I found the burning desire to follow Christ with all that I have. In that moment, I found hope and a purpose.

After much prayer and conversation, Mel and I took this message and redirected our path. Questions began to surface – Where? When? What organization should we go with? How long? What about our friends and family? – but these questions seemed minor in light of God’s plan. If He has told us to go, then he’ll reveal the path to get there.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

A couple of weeks ago, Mel and I went to Indiana to interview with One Mission Society. We had been working through the application process for several months and had finally reached this pivotal point. We spent a day getting to know the inner workings of OMS and the expectations placed on us as missionaries. We met people from different offices and learned more about the philosophy of ministry that One Mission Society has had for over 100 years. Today, we received a phone call notifying us that we were approved as Missionaries with One Mission Society!

Over the last few months, God has laid Spain upon our hearts. This is the country where we feel that God is calling us to serve. 1% of the population of Spain consider themselves Evangelical Christians. 1% of 46 million people… and this is where faith comes into play. How exactly does around 500 thousand people reach out to over 45 million others with the Gospel of Christ? “I set myself on fire, and people come to see me burn.” The Gospel of Christ is attractive if there are followers that are serving Him passionately. I want to be one of those followers, and I believe that passion comes from purpose. With Christ, we all have a purpose, and I’m excited that Mel and I have reached the point of understanding that purpose.

More updates will follow, and I believe Mel will be posting something really soon. If you have any questions about the process or any questions for us, feel free to post a comment or to email me at reese.jdr@gmail.com. 

Jesus Across Cultures Pt. 2

You may want to go here first:
Jesus Across Culture Pt. 1

I am an Intercultural Studies major. This means that I'm not sure what I want to do with my life following graduation besides throwing a nice little party for myself. Maybe graduate school. Maybe straight into a new job (Sorry, Liz, makes me sad too). But who knows.

I chose this major because after years of dreaming of travel and new places and cultures I have never encountered before I knew that it was more than just a daydream, this is a calling. A calling God has placed on my heart to see His creation. To experience the hearts of His people across the world. I need to know not just through the television or internet or the stories of others, that there is a whole world out there that experiences the same God I do in ways that are completely foreign to me.

You see, we get into this rut thinking that "the church" is just our building with out sign out front, with our pews, with our pastor, with our sanctuary. You see, that's just not it.  You see, the church is so much more than just a building or a few certain people that we associate with. It's not just one denomination who sings similar songs or preaches similar messages. NO. The church is so much greater. So much larger. So much more beautiful than a steeple or a freshly carpeted sanctuary.

The church is God's children. His children who worship Him with unity only found in Jesus Christ who is our salvation. A unity found not in the color of our skin or the language that we speak, but the same love that flows down from heaven and fills the hearts of those who know God as their Father and Redeemer. The true church knows no boundaries. No walls, no confines to keep it from growing and loving.

The church loves the broken and wounded.
The lost and abandoned.
The scared and the scarred.
The poor and the rich.
Those in darkness who need the true Light of Life.
Those who seem so unlovable, they need the church the most.

These needs know no cultural boundaries. But neither does the love that cures them all.

Jesus Across Cultures

The children ran to greet us as we arrived on our great, yellow, well-loved school bus. They yelled, sang,  pulled, pushed and jumped all in efforts to get our attention. We made our way through the crowd and out into the village. The children followed us wherever we went, some of them attaching themselves to a certain member of the team and throwing themselves at anyone who had a camera. Luckily I know these children are not drawn to us, but the love of Jesus that is filling our hearts. 

Our bus driver pulled us into what seemed like someone's side-yard, turned the bus around and we filed out. As soon as we set foot outside a group of women greeted us with a welcome song that would bring tears to anyone's eyes. They brimmed with pride, excitement and a pure love of Christ. Many of these women have walked nearly all day to be here for their weekly Bible Study. They have gathered to study the book of Ruth which has lessons to teach them that many women of our culture could not grasp as tightly as they can. In this group there is a mother-in-law who came to beat her daughter-in-law over an argument they had recently had. When she arrived here she heard what they were discussing and took the message of Ruth and Naomi to heart. She is now a believer. Relationships between mother and daughter-in-laws are often difficult in this culture. But Jesus' love is still the same.

Nicaragua and Kenya are two of the seven mission trips I have been so blessed to have taken. I love culture. I love seeing people of other cultures coming together. I love seeing people of other cultures worshiping together. It, I believe, is one of the most beautiful things a Christian can experience. To feel the Holy Spirit moving in a place completely strange to you, in a way that seems so familiar and realize that HE is the same. No matter where you are, no matter who you are or who you are with, God still moves. Jesus crosses all cultures.