Hello! I hope everyone is having a great week!! God has blessed me very much and I just wanted to share!
First, every Monday night we have a bible study for girls in our apartment. Megan, J'Lae, Jasmin (a college age girl), and I all switch off teaching or leading the group. Some hopes and purposes for the group are to 1)unite the girls from the church, 2)answer questions/ teach things they want and need to know, 3)bring in new people, 4)and have fun! We usually have about 10 people that come and sometimes more! Just this last Monday I got to lead the group. Us "leaders" had just decided to teach about different women of the bible. There are a lot of admirable women in the bible that are good examples! I chose Lydia in Acts 16:11-15. Even though there is so little about her, we can still learn a lot from God in her story! One thing from the story that stood out to me is in verse 14, "The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message". (NIV) Just like God chose Lydia in the story, God has chosen us!! In Romans 9 Paul talks about God's election, "Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad–in order that God's purpose in election might stand: not by works but by him who calls–she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!For he says to Moses,“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?”
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath–prepared for destruction?What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory–even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?" ( http://blueletterbible.org/ )
So, God decided to show mercy and compassion to you and me!! We have purpose and we are chosen!! The gospel really is Good News!
Here are some admirable qualities I see in Lydia:
- hard worker
- worshiper of God
- hospitable
- good listener
- she was chosen by God!
I also thought it was cool in the story of Lydia how the disciples (Paul, Luke, Silas, and Timothy) preaching the good news were used by God! "On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there". (v. 13-14) They weren't even looking for people, but were seeking to spend time with God in prayer. When we are seeking God he will use us!
Second, we were invited to go to a river an hour outside of Leon by a family in the church. It was a good time to fellowship and enjoy God's beauty!
J'Lae, Megan, and I
Alondra and J'Lae
Carmen and her girls (Pau and Abby) along with their cousin Jorge
Jorge and Pau eating some delicious watermelon!
the river and rock walls. it was gorgeous!!
And finally, the breakfast we had with our guys.
Monday morning the guy's apartment was being fumigated. So they bought some food and came over!! It was a fun morning. Bill made chocolate-chip pancakes, I cooked bacon, and J'Lae made scrambled eggs! We enjoy hanging out together as a team!
Megan, Bill (with juice), Tyler, Ben (with syrup), and J'Lae.
Bill and his smiley plate of food!
Ben and his smiley chocolate-chip pancake.
Us, minus J'Lae (taking the picture).
Our teammate, Ben, will be the first to leave on September the 8th. Please pray for him as he will be saying goodbye to family here and returning to Alaska to work with his church there. We love Ben!
Please continue to pray for the work here in Leon and the spiritual growth of the church!! God is continually adding to it's number here in Leon!
PS. Thanks to Omar for his class on Romans!
