It may be difficult to see, but it's there...
It's the driest time of year here - with months without rain, everything is as dry as a bone. We get these occasional brush fires, though they are not too dangerous because, quite frankly, there isn't much that can burn! But often, what little there is, ends up looking like the tree in this photo - dry, dead, scorched. One would wonder if anything can come back to life in conditions like this.
But if you take a closer look...
...Somehow life persists and pushes through even in these dismal circumstances, even without a drop of rain falling from the sky.
This past week I was able to advance a little bit more on my online schooling through Briercrest Seminary taking a class on the Former Prophets - the books of Joshua through 2 Kings. Narrating the story of how Israel entered, conquered, and tragically ended up being exiled from the Promised Land, the question that must have plagued the exiled Israelites is this: Is there still hope? These books are written as warnings of what happens when one repeatedly chooses to depend on themselves instead of God, yet even despite of its tragic end resulting from Israel's repeated faithlessness, there is an underlying current of hope anchored in God's faithfulness - He did not forget the promises He made to Abraham, and He will not forget His promises to us.
Those who were looking back as exiles from the Promised Land could not have had any idea of what God had in store for them, the very people who had repeatedly rejected Him. Yet God's long-suffering patience - that slow-to-anger kind of enduring love - would still accomplish His purposes and offer a way to reclaim what was lost. Somehow life can persist and even spring forth from the most surprisingly bleak, hopeless circumstances. What Israel faced on a large scale, we often face perhaps even on a daily basis. Sometimes, though, the hopeless circumstances carry on seemingly without end. Yet somehow, God has not abandoned us (even though we deserve Him to do so!) Where is He moving? What is He doing? Is there still hope? The message that I heard loud and clear through these books of the Bible was, Yes, there is! There is always hope when we look to Him...
ELIAS
Yesterday I had that opportunity to sit down with one of our students from this year, Elias who is from the nearby city of Hermosillo. Having previously had his life turned around from being caught in addiction, he is now back working at the rehabilitation center where God first got a hold of him. He is now in charge of a group of guys who have gone through their rehab program and are now reintegrating back into their lives, both working and serving. One of his main responsibilities is giving daily devotional reflections as well as leading Bible studies. This is something that he has always strongly desired to do but in the past sensed a deep inadequacy in both understanding and communicating the Bible, especially in front of others. He shared with me how, even though at times he still has the same fear of speaking in front of others, he has seen how God gives him understanding, leading him in what to share, and giving him a deep sense of peace when he needs it the most. He also shared how, now being on the "other side" where he is in charge of others, working for their spiritual grown (as opposed to being a student), he is understanding the challenges that comes with walking along side others. The learning has moved from the classroom to the campo (field).
Perhaps one of the most exciting things to see in his life is not only how God is working in him and through him in ministry, but also how his family is slowly being restored. Having virtually lost contact with his wife and kids because of his past, slowly, trust is being restored as his family see the profound change that has taken place in his life. Not only are the relationships being restored, though, but he is sharing with them who God is and what He has done in his life. God is not only restoring his family but He is also using Elias to bring them to Him.
MB TOUR
With summer just around the corner I'm looking forward to making a trip back up to Manitoba for the month of July. While I was able to spend an extended amount of time in Canada in 2020, last year it didn't work out to make it up (the first time during the 15 years I've been down in Mexico). I am looking forward to see many of you again! Please let me know if you have time over the course of July - I'll look forward to connecting in person...until then, ¡Dios les bendiga! y nos vemos pronto!
