HANDS AND FEET

So...this morning was one of those. Y'know, where the alarm goes off, you look hoping that maybe really you've been sleeping for longer than you really have. Maybe the clock will change with a second look. Turns out it doesnt...hahah. It was a rough one. For my Bolivian team mates, you ought to know right now that I am not a morning person. Hahaha so you have a week to think of a strategy to stay away!! Just kidding...I'm not that terrible. ANYWAYS....clocks. I wanted to go have some Jesus time, but the bed was so comfy. Jesus time...bed....Jesus time...bed....Jesus time it was. Something was just nudging me, giving me that extra lift to get out of bed that I needed - from there I knew it was going to be a great day. Slip on some shorts, the sun is out, and all is well with my soul!
So I had one of those mornings in church too. Phase in....phase out....phase in....phase out. Mhmm...the ones where everyone around you probably knows your doing it and want to give you a swift elbow, but know that on a Sunday morning in a church....it is neither the place nor the time. Breath in, breath out, in their case. But really, this morning was one like none other. I mean...CAKE AT A CHURCH?!!!! YAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! But I didn't even eat any. So our pastor today was talking about loving God with all our hearts and loving our neighbours the same way. One of those topics you expect a guilt trip from. (In a reverend Lovejoy like manner): 'Dear fellow believers...HOW MUCH HAVE YOU LOVED TODAY?'

But really, now the serious-non-rambling part of things. It started with the song "Hands and Feet" by Audio Adrenaline. I wasnt really thinking anything of it, I knew the song bla bla bla. BUT...then that ever so unexpected nudge comes; well, more of a slap. "Dan, are you even paying attention to what you are singing?!" "I wanna be your hands, I wanna be your feet, I'll go where you send me..." Wait a minute...holy cow I'm leaving for Braz...wait....Bolivia in 9 days!!! This song my friends had a new meaning to it. And from then on, everything else spoke the most clarity to me then I have had in awhile. It is one of those things where you can try to articulate it in a way that you will try to explain exactly what the feeling was...but it will NEVER work. It's a good feeling though. Like one of comfort and re-affirmation, and certainty that this is exactly right and it has been all along. Two scriptures: Acts 1:1-8 I believe and 2:42-47. Read 'em over and understand this:

-we live in a "Good Friday" world (pain, rejection, suffering, evil, etc)
-BUT...the church is the "pioneer outpost" of the new world
-God is not a God of limits, he'll reach those who are spiritually hungry through any means

So friends, I understand it like this. The church is the whole, worldly body of believers. We are the beginning of the world to come, and our constant desire and longing is to worship God and live for him forever. We know how rewarding it is, but many people dont. They have the Good Friday world, and deserve jsut as much as us, to be part of the pioneer outpost. In Acts 1:5 Luke writes that the church was baptized with the Holy Spirit - the guiding tool for our lives, the discerner for us for life. He re-affirms that in verse 8. Now, 2:42-47 is where we ought to be. Devoted and praising God, and Luke says that God will add daily those who will be saved. This whole service this morning was an eye-opener for me. We planned so long to go to Brazil, then as Kristen said, 15 days ago we find out it is changed. It's one of those things where you have faith that it's all in God's plan, but at the same time you kind of say "God, do you think you could let us know ASAP what we're doing? Oh, and p.s. ...your a trickster." We always know God is with us, yet there was still a little bit of uncertainty, at least with me. I was still cool and ok with whatever worked out, but this morning everything became crystal clear. Words cant describe, but I know everything worked out, and will work out, and I just cant wait to see what God reveals to us!! I believe when we arrive, within the first couple days we are there, we'll get that little backside nudge and whisper that says, "told ya you were needed here instead." And I fully trust in that. God is great and what more can I say?
Perhaps, readers, this is why I rambled so long about so many ridiculous things. I hope this makes a little sense - but I think the knowing of I am never going to find a way to fully explain it contributed to the randomness and weirdness of this post. All I know in the end is that, Christianity is a lifestyle that God has called us to share with the nations, and Bolivia is the nation we are called to. They said that much of the country claims to be Roman Catholic, however the lack of clergy ends up leading to a mix with the Amerindian and other religions - so there is a need. God says 'go and make disciples of all nations', and the 5 of us have been chosen together to do that. I know God will work through us and in us, and as we continue to learn and grow together about the trip and each other - this process will be incredible! Blessings friends and family in Christ,

Dan

The Change

Why the change from Brazil to Bolivia?? We've been preparing for this trip since before Christmas, meeting every week as a team to have fun and plan together and just to pray, and almost had everything in place. Then our visa applications came back in the mail. In order to enter Brazil, you need a visa and our applications were rejected. This was in the middle of exams, 15 days before our leaving date. My first thought was that we don't have time for this!! We got on the phone and did what we could to get things straightened out, and then waited, not knowing if we would be able to go. We prayed and sent out prayer requests and had a bunch of people at school praying for us!
CBM, the organization we are going with, worked hard to sort things out, talking first to the consulate in Toronto and then in Ottawa. Then we received word that we were no longer going to Brazil. There was no way we would get our visas in time. This was kind of dissapointing. We don't know why this happend or why God chose to close this door, however, when God closes one door, He always opens another. CBM switched us over to a missionary in Bolivia!!! So even though we aren't going where we expected to go, God still has it in His plan for us to be going. So we are still in the midst of changing flights and finding out the difference in work and everything. This is such an exciting change because Phil speaks fluent spanish and Dan speaks some and understands alot of it, so language won't even be as big of a barrier!
Thank you so much for all your prayers and support through these last months. If all goes as planned from here on out, we will be heading out in 10 sleeps :) and would love your continued prayers! May God bless each of you as you follow in His ways, no matter where or how He leads. I just find it so inspiring that even in the planning stages of this trip, God has found us worthy of being tested and tried. It's so easy to assume that all change and challenge will happen while out there, but God is in every stage of the journey. May you all find rest and peace in Christ.
Love in Christ, Kristen

Dear friends and family

This is Dan, Phil, Ryan, Josh and Kristen coming to you to keep you up to date with what's going on as we prepare for our mission trip, and as we are over there. We are now 10 days away from leaving for Bolivia--and yes, we all thought up until a few days ago we would be heading to Brazil (hence the beautiful Brazil shirts and flag in our team picture:), but God has a different plan for us. This blog was created for you--our dear loved ones we are leaving for a short time--so that while we are away, you will be able to keep track of what and how we are doing. All five of us should be able to post on here to update you (...that's if I did this right:S). This way I sort of figure, you can read what you'd like, and it makes it more interesting for you, the reader, to read. So....enjoy.