Well, after a few months of silence, I’m coming out of the fog. Again, I apologize for my lack of communication. I feel I have been moving faster than anything over the last few months without much of a break. Of course, I am most silent with you all when I need your prayers the most.
What has happened since the new year? I guess the big change has been that I was asked to assume the “official role of youth coordinator” for Vida Nueva Church here in good ol’ La Coruña. It has been an interesting transition for the last two months, as I’ve never had to be so responsible before (ok, maybe once or twice). But to be really honest, I’ve never felt so burdened, both with responsibility and spiritually. There is a real heaviness that comes with working with these youth (I’m sure it’s something I took for granted in the States) that I’ve never known before.
I’ve also been (maybe) taking on a little more than I can handle. VN gives trimester classes for ministry development, and I’m taking the two offered this semester: History of the Church and Introduction to Systematic Theology. They are both great classes and absolutely amazing to take together! Studying the two side by side it is easy to see how they both inform and influence each other. And they’re both in Spanish, so it’s extra fun and challenging, but I love it. It’s been really great to be back in the classroom setting.
And thanks to the inventive mind that brought us the Internet (shout out to Mr. Gore), I am also unrolled in an online pre-seminary internship class. Basically I just do my job here, write up some reflection papers and get a required field study out of the way before I even set foot on campus. Thanks to all who sent Christmas money!
And of course the regular singing, leading/helping with worship, discipling and being discipled, odd jobs and hard jobs, outreach and (not too much recently) solitude…
I’ve been thinking… Thirteen and a half months… A year ago I thought I’d be back in the States by now. It amazing how much can change in a year. I’m sure I’ll come back, but I don’t know that it will be permenant (maybe it will be…). But, like a cow that wonders on to the highway just eating bits of grass, every little bit I do seems to be keeping me moving in the direction of church planting and missions. I desire my friends and family, a familiar language, even to take a road trip in the VUE, but know to that here is where I’ve ended up, consuming God’s grace bit by bit, moving away from the familiar and into a strange, foreign pasture, but not feeling lost at all, and even right where I’m supposed to be. Amazing how that works out.
The picture above is of our cell group (we call them “barcas” which is Spanish for “boats”). The idea of the barca is growth and multiplication (think biological cells). The idea is that the barca can go far beyond the reach of the church, into the cafés, bars, pizza parlors, homes, streets, WHEREVER there are people in need of the love of Christ. They present a dynamic atmosphere of discussion and relationship. This is the barca I “captain” (sometimes we can be so cheesy☺).
Please pray for the youth. Our leaders: Leah, Laura, Sean, Andrés, Zaida, Andrea, Yomara and myself need direction and discernment, wisdom and patience, and most of all love in working and ministering to the other youth. The youth group as a whole is going through dramatic change in schedule, structure and leadership. Pray that God will raise up another generation of faithful leadership. We also have youth that come with violent and hurt lives. Pray for the peace and grace of Christ Jesus to reign in their hearts. Pray especially that the Kingdom comes in our lives and theirs. His will be done!
I’m off tomorrow to our annual Euro Retreat with the Covenant missionaries in Europe. WOOHOO!!! There are some amazing and awesome people here.
Please pray for me specifically as I need to make a descicion on what to do next after the summer and language school in Morocco is over.
Thank you all so much. I’ll post again soon, and add more pictures to Flickr soon too!
Grace and Peace,
Nate
1 comments:
I think being surrounded by a different culture for more than a week or two takes a lot out of you. Or at least it does me. But I must say that, based on your blog and our conversations, I've never met anyone who can immerse themselves in new things like you.
John Piper says that there are two kinds of missionaries; Pauls and Timothies (is that right, di you do the -y to -ie thing on names?). Piper thinks that Pauls move around a lot and Timothies stay in one place. That seems wrong to me. It almost seems like he's saying Paul is like one of our modern day evangelists who never get to know the people they preach to. I really don't think that' the case with Paul. Even when he writes to a community he didn't introduce to the good news and hasn't ever met (e.g. Colossians), he's connected to their lives. I don't think we need to distinguish between Paul and Timothy, they were both living and worshiping with people. They ate and talked and worked with people for the glory of God in Christ.
That's you Nate. Your not really doing anyhting special. And that's the thing that's so amazing. I was reading a book on ethics by a guy named Samuel Wells, and he says that the idea that we need to be heroes is in sharp cintrast to the sainthood that we're called to. And that's you Nate. I don't see you as breaking a mold or doing new things. You fit right in there with Paul, John, Timothy, Epaphras, etc.
And as much as I miss you; I'm happy that you are where you are. You got away from a culture seeking heroes of the faith and discarded ambition to live and love.
I hope this isn't a terribly muddled message.
Grace to you and Peace,
J
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