We have officially been schooled

I can not begin to explain how my life has been impacted and radically changed in this place, not only through lessons and teachings, but also through the lives of people. Those that have impacted me the most have not been the beautiful or the strong, but the weak and the ‘insignificant’. Today, we were able to bring four disabled young children to the base where we are living. All four had some time of handicap and had been abandoned by their parents. At first it was very difficult to interact with them. They didn’t speak at all, they simply shook their head ‘yes’ or ‘no’. We had to help feed them, clean them, move them around, and they were completely dependant upon us. Three of these boys were brothers, from the ages of eight to thirteen. It was interesting watching them interact. They had their own type of communication and they always wanted to be around each another. The oldest almost guarded the younger, and there was this loving, protective, and dependent attitude shared by these brothers – they were in a way united, and united in love. It was such a beautiful picture. It’s interesting; God says he uses the weak to shame the strong. In these brothers, God demonstrated the beauty and necessity of love among brothers, not only maternal brothers, but those in Christ. I am convinced that these young boys, who are considered insignificant and useless, have put us to shame when it comes to love and unity. Here in Ensenada, when you are among believers, you call one another ‘hermano’ or ‘hermana’, meaning brother or sister. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, and it is such a testament to the outside world when we live in harmony and love. Psalm 133:1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.” Also, there is a multiple of occasions where Christ calls us to love, in fact, he states that the entire bible is based on two commandments, to love God and love those around us. So let me encourage you to follow the example of the ‘insignificant’, to mirror the ways of the weak, and live in unity and love. “Above all else, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” 1Peter 4:8

Refining Fire

Just the other day, I was taking a walk on the beaches of Ensenada, looking out over the ocean as the tide was coming in. As each wave rolled onto the shore, gravity was sure to pull it back, moving the sand with it, sifting through the top layers of the shore. In that moment, God spoke to my heart, “I am going to sift you as the waters sift through the sand.” I feel like this something we all have to go through, a process in which God refines us, sifting through our character, removing the imperfections, and making us more like his son, Jesus Christ. This is not a comfortable place to be, no, it hurts to go through this refining process.
In the bible it often uses the imagery of gold refined in the fire. I recently heard a teaching on refinement, and the woman who was sharing with us spoke of a silversmith. She said, when someone is trying to purify silver, they heat the fire and place the metal in the flames. They stay near the flames edge watching the silver so that it doesn’t burn or go bad, and they wait. The silversmith will check the silver, and will only remove it when he can see his image in the metal. Isn’t that a beautiful picture? God is putting us through flames, a fire that is meant to refine. He is standing by and is near to us so that we do not burn; however, He will not pull us out of that place until He can see His own reflection in us. So persevere through those difficult times, God is refining your character, and one day, He will be able to see His reflection in you.

***Hey guys I know some of you have been having trouble posting comments on my updates, so I wanted to let everyone know an easy way to leave me comments on my website. First hit post a comment and it will take you to another page when a text box to write me a note in. Under the text box it says choose an identity. Check the anonymous button and then write your message and make sure you sign your name to the end of your note. Do not check google/blogger or other because it requires to you have an account with the server I am using. Anonymous will allow anyone to posta comment. Hope this helps!***

Also, here is my e-mail address to write me if you so desire (I love to hear from you guys, it helps when I get homesick): laurenconrad88@hotmail.com

Hey Guys,

I figured you were probably tired of my preaching and teaching that I have been picking up in class, so I decided I would share some of our recent outreach ministries. To the left is a picture of me and a litte boy named Alfonso. Alfonso is one of many children at an abused woman's shelter. Many women have fled their husbands or boyfriends taking their kids with them and found shelter here. This little boy in particular was special to me. His father had beaten him so terribly that his all of his front top teeth had been broken and shattered leaving him with at least 8 metal coverings. Such a sweet baby, and it just broke my heart. There were so many children, and they were all yearning for attention and love.

We have also been visiting several churches around Ensenada and the surrounding pueblos. I think we have visited about 6 in the last week. Each time we found out about a day or maybe even 7 hours before we were going and we would have to plan testimonies, worship and preaching all in that time. That was intense, but God was so faithful! He provided all we needed and the Holy Spirit did some amazing work. Keep praying!

My ear has healed completely, however I lost the piercing (my parents are probably rejoicing). My stomach and cold have settled and all is going well. I must say I missed the 4th of July and I miss you all so much, but I am resting in the arms of Christ and He is comforting me and strengthening me day by day. I love you all and will continue to keep you updated. God bless you- Lauren

The Power and Necessity of Forgiveness

What is the Christian life about? Simple answer, to fall deeper in love with God and be His hands and feet to a world in need. Isn’t that what the word says? LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, all your strength, and all your mind, and LOVE your neighbor as yourself. But this action is not so easy to put into practice. In order to live a lifestyle of love, we must necessarily walk in a river of forgiveness. Why? Think about it. People are difficult to live with. I mean honestly, if we are ever going to be the true hands and feet of Jesus, our lives need to represent Him in all that we do, and he not only loved us, but gave himself up in order to bring us forgiveness. Look at these scriptures- Colossians 3:13, Luke 6:37, Matthew 6:14-16, Mark 11:25. They all have one common topic, forgiveness. This subject is a core theme in Christianity. These verses state that to be forgiven, we must forgive. Now our unforgiveness does not jeopardize our salvation because we are saved by grace, but it can hinder, stunt, or even stop our growth in Christ. So if you want to remain complacent and stagnant, then continue to live a life of unforgiveness, but to progress in your walk with Christ, FORGIVE. You cannot go deeper with Christ with a root of unforgiveness in your life, because that root will spread like a cancer through your body.
Here are some of God’s examples of forgiveness. In Nehemiah 9:17 it says, “They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them.” God had the right, the authority, and the power to desert and destroy this people, but look closely, it says he is a forgiving God. Another beautiful example of this forgiveness is found in Hosea. In the Old Testament there is a story of a man that God appointed as a prophet. He told Hosea, go and marry a prostitute, because through you, I want to demonstrate my forgiving love to my people. So Hosea married a woman named Gomar, and Gomar fled her husband time and again, selling her body to other men. Deserting her husband and shaming him to the point where she sold herself into slavery. Hosea went and bought her back. He brought her back into his bed, into intimacy, into love. You see, that is us. We are prostitutes who look for any and every other thing to put above God. A famous theologian said that our hearts are idol factories. But God forgives us. Look closely at the story of Hosea. Generally I find that when I am hurt once, I shut off to that person. I guard my heart so that I won’t feel pain again. However, Hosea did it differently. Like I said he brought his wife back into intimacy, into love, into relationship. We are called to go beyond the status-quo of turning our cheek and simply forgiving. We need to bring those people that have hurt us back into relationship with us.
Our responsibility is that. To forgive, offer grace, and bring people back into a loving relationship. We must follow God’s example that is demonstrated all throughout history. If we don’t have lives of forgiveness, Christ cannot flow through us. So live in this river of forgiveness, get caught in its flow, and let Christ work in and through you. This is how we are to live.