Mini update

So, just a little update here. Life's had its ups and downs this week. After my great day on Monday, Tuesday was nasty...yesterday kinda was blah too. weird how that happens. I think it's cool being in a place like this where life is a bit more simple, cause then I'm able to identify more quickly why sometimes I feel bad and what things often contribute to me feeling good. I've found that a quick game of chess really relaxes and invigorates me to engage in the world. That's a good thing. I've also found that time spent on my knees meeting with God is a key to feeling stable in life and a key to feel like I actually have a relationship with my creator, Savior, Sustainer.

Even here it's a battle to not let my life become a list of chores - to make time for people - to make time for God to use us in relationship - to allow time for the unexpected - to not care more about efficiency than about relationships. it's hard.

There isn't anything super noteworthy on my mind right now. I'm going to send out another update this weekend...i hope. My back is still hurting a bit, so that makes it hard to interact with the kids - play and run with them etc... since my language isn't good enough to really hold a long conversation with them. I'm doing some back stretches right now and I think that is helping. I would still appreciate prayer for that.

I'm also still seeing some selfishness in my interaction with others here. I hate that.

We watched a really tough documentary about some street kids in Bucharest (capital of romania) yesterday. It shed a lot of light on the lives that some of the kids we work with live. Horrible families - that's basically why thy leave - often poverty is at the root of it...but typically the lack of money just accentuates the already existing family problems. Often drunk and abusive parents (verbally as well as physically) cause the kids to run away. Then these children grow up without love - totally in fear - no one to show them how to live life. They just have to survive. No maturity - they often end up addicted to sniffing glue/paint...whatever will get them high or they become alcoholics. It's awful. Someone literally has to commit their life to helping a child like this get off the streets. It's not a quick fix by any means. A relationship has to be formed for that child to be helped. Jesus says that anyone who welcomes a child in His name welcomes Him... Also, I was reading this morning an article in WMF's magazine "the Cry" about intimacy with the poor. the author reminded us of this verse in Jeremiah:
"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD.

The Lord so strongly identifies Himself with those who are hurting and need help. Why isn't defending the cause of the poor and needy a trademark of our lives, supposedly being Christ's body???

We're also reading this book about Jesus that is making me think alot and look at some of Scripture a bit differently. It's called "the challenge of Jesus" by NT Wright. It tries to look at Jesus through a more historical lens - trying hard to understand the 1st century Jewish culture in which He became flesh and announced the Kingdom of God. It's great, and makes me more aware of my lack of knowledge of Jewish History. It's maybe a bit presumptuous to think I can fully understand a Jewish 1st century messiah, living in Palestine, when I don't have a good grasp on Judaism...or the 1st century...or Palestine. yikes. :-)


I'm not sick anymore! cool. Thank you God.

Ok. We're going to have a football game with some of the boys from the street and then have a bbq with the guys going back to England tomorrow. They have been such a blessing! It's so cool to have friends from England who just come and help us build stuff and encourage this community for two weeks. God's family is big. :-)
May the Lord bless you with knowledge of Himself and a heart after His own!