First Weekly Meeting

Students and staff at the first weekly meeting

Students leading worship at the first weekly meeting

The first weekly meeting at the University of Carabobo campus took place Friday, December 10.  We had begun dreaming about what it would look like early in the semester, and it was so encouraging to plan with the students! It seemed evident that God had begun preparing hearts for this before our team had arrived.  God provided an auditorium, a worship team and instruments.  Students made a video, Facebook groups, and fliers.  Word began to spread and we grew more excited to see it happen.  Much time and planning went into planning the meeting, which was something I had never realized because when I was involved in Campus Crusade at U of I I would show up every Monday and everything was already planned!
The week of the first weekly meeting arrived and Murphy's Law seemed to take over.  More things went wrong that week, from no water to sickness, than I can even remember.  At the beginning of the week I was  frustrated and discouraged as things kept getting in the way of us doing what we needed to do.  I felt helpless as we heard news of floods throughout the country and classes being cancelled.  In God's own gracious way, He gently reminded my that He is in control.  It was okay that I felt helpless because He is not.  He has plans for our ministry here and they cannot be stopped by cancelled classes, protests, or no water.  When we arrived on campus that Friday I was encouraged to see what the Lord would do and I knew that whether the weekly meeting happened that day or a week later, God would receive the glory.  We found out that the electricity had gone out and that classes were cancelled.  We prayed and decided to reserve the auditorium again for the next week.
 The following Friday we arrived at campus to find out that the auditorium was locked and the guy with the key would not be in that day.  We agreed to hold the meeting in a classroom upstairs and quickly spread the news to students around campus.  As we were setting up the electricity went out.  It never came back but we went ahead with the meeting and held it on the balcony.  We had a student testimony, music, a game, and a gospel message by our team leader.  About 30 students attended the weekly meeting, many of whom had never been to a Vida Estudiantil event!
It was so exciting to see how God worked through all the challenges we faced and brought many students there that day to hear about the love He showed us through sending His Son Jesus!

Life in pictures

With members of the student Servant Team, Anthony and Gustavo

Valencia Campus Directors: Christian and Julieta Vivas with their son, Lucas

With members of the Servant Team: Ela, Douglas, Gustavo and Anthony

View of the street from our window

At Spanish language class

Students at English Club

Weekly large-group Bible study

Children at the orphanage in Valencia

At the orphanage

At the orphanage

the B-I-B-L-E..yes, that's the book for me

       One of my roles on our STINT team is to co-plan the weekly campus Bible study with a teammate named Lisa.  I am so thankful for this job. I love studying the Bible.  It is so rich, live-giving and challenging.  I love getting to help others study the Bible and fall in love with God's word! My teammate and I have this in common and it has been so exciting seeing the Lord work in both our lives as we prepare the study each week.  We've been studying the gospels with the students and looking at who Jesus is, what he did and how we should live in light of that.
      One of the challenges with leading a large-group Bible study is that we encounter students at varying parts of their spiritual journeys.  Some have never heard the gospel before, others are just beginning their relationship with Christ and still others are leading their own Bible studies on various parts of campus.  Another challenge has been the language barrier.  There is a huge range of Spanish and English ability among students and STINT team members, so Bible study is always in both languages.
     Even with these challenges, God has been doing really awesome things through the weekly Bible study.  The range in spiritual backgrounds has actually been beneficial because it allows the students to be able to learn from one another.  Everyone has something to offer and something to learn. It's awesome listening to students share what they're learning and explain concepts like grace and forgiveness! There is also a lot of teamwork in translating Bible study, both before and during.  Lisa and I write the Bible study in English and then have a our Venezuelan campus director translate it.  During study, we read the question in English and then have it repeated in Spanish.  People respond in either language and then someone will translate as needed.  It takes extra time, but it is so worth it because God 's desire is for every nation, tongue and tribe to know Him.  (Revelation 7:9)
        Throughout all the other activities we have during the week, such as English Club and evangelism, we try to invite students to our weekly Bible study because we want them to get connected to a community of believers who study God's word and seek to live it out.  A few weeks ago, a student named Antonio whom we met through English Club and who did not know Christ, came to Bible study for the first time.  He joined one of the smaller groups and sat next to a Christian student, Kevin.  During study, Kevin  began to talk one-on-one with Kevin about Jesus and shared the gospel with Antonio.  At the end of Bible study we found out that Antonio had prayed to receive Christ right there!! Praise God! It's so amazing to work with students who love Jesus and want to see others come to know Him.

   Please pray that Antonio would continue to get connected with other believers and begin growing in his faith.  He has been coming regularly to Vida Estudiantil events and meeting other students. He has also introduced us to friends whom we have been able to share the gospel with.  One of them, Rafael, also prayed to receive Christ a week later!

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."     Isaiah 55:10-11

God's gonna make me stand (Part 2)

Then there were the things I wasn't expecting: everything taking twice as long to do, common foods such as cheese tasting completely different, the huge adjustment to living in Venezuelan culture, and the feeling of being dependent on others and, more importantly, on God.
It's true, everything takes way more time to get done than you ever anticipate.  We now tell each other to overestimate how long something is going to take.  Venezuelans aren't as concerned about the time as they are about the events taking place.  Because of that things will start when people get there and end whenever they leave.  There aren't always definite times for plans and if there are they aren't stressed.  It was very hard for me to adjust to this because I've realized that I have a time orientation; I value promptness and schedules.  I've had to learn that this culture is different in that way: time isn't the most important thing and if things get done they get done, and if not that's okay too.  I admire this about them because they seem to enjoy where they are when they are there, whereas I often think about how long the present event is going to take and what time I need to get to the next thing.  A team motto is "flexibility".
I wasn't expecting the food to taste so different.  A common misconception that I also held before coming here is that Venezuelan food is just like Mexican food.  It is not.  In fact, you would be hard pressed  to find tortillas, tortilla chips, salsa or tacos! Some popular foods include "arepas", which are like sandwiches but the bread is made of cornmeal and can be stuffed with anything and everything, including PB&J. Rice and beans, and ham and cheese are also very popular.  Another common food is "platanos", which are plantains and can be cooked any number of ways: fried, boiled, and baked.  Empanadas are a popular breakfast food that are a fried cornmeal shell stuffed with meats and vegetables.  These are by far my favorite Venezuelan food.  American fast food restaurants and food items can be found all over the city.  We live just a few blocks from McDonalds and our language school is across the street from Wendys.  It is fun to go to these places but it can be disappointing because they aren't quite the same since they use local ingredients, such as the strong tasting cheese.
Adjusting to the culture was initially really hard for me because I spent so much time trying to find all the similarities between Venezuela and America and trying to make Venezuela fit into my picture of home.  That didn't work because the reality is that Venezuela is very different from home and it will never be like home no matter how many American things I try to surround myself with.  I've had to see that the differences aren't all bad and that there are so many things I can learn from the Venezuelan people, such as the value they put on simply being together without rushing off to the next thing as well as their affection for each other.  They are such a warm and expressive people in a way that makes you feel welcome and cared for even if it's only the first time you've met.  They make me want to love more openly and experience life more deeply.  I wouldn't be able to see these things if I was still trying to make Venezuela into what I wanted it to be. I think the Lord is definitely using Venezuela and its people to make me into the person that He wants me to be.
Another challenge has been feeling so much more dependent on others than I expected.  I just came off 4 years away from home living "on my own" and even this summer I spent a lot of time doing "my own thing" and I enjoyed that.  Since coming to Venezuela, I've lived with, worked with, and hung out with the same 6 people every day.  It's both good and hard.  They are amazing and I know it's good for me to have this experience of sharing my life with them but it's hard because I've never had to do anything like this before.  For most of my life people have been in defined parts of my life: I've had family, coworkers, classmates, friends, etc..and there was rarely overlap.  But now the lines are blurred because everyone is in every part of my life.  I'm seeing more clearly my need for community and how God doesn't intend for me to do life alone.  I thank Him everyday for them.
         The final aspect of life in Venezuela that I didn't anticipate but am so thankful for is seeing my need for God more and more everyday.  I wake up each day knowing that I can't do what I need to do that day without seeking Him and relying wholly on His power.  The days are long, I fumble through the language, I lose patience and don't understand so many things about life here but God is completely in control and so full of grace.  This time has been great for breaking down my pride and showing me that what I do is only because of what God enables me to do.  If I things weren't challenging and unexpected I wouldn't feel the need to seek the Lord; I would just power through and boast about my own abilities.  2 Corinthians 12:8-10
  Thank you so much for reading these long posts!! Thank you also for your prayers and support!
Philippians 1:3-6

God's gonna make me stand (Part 1)

Before coming to Venezuela, there were certain things I anticipated: warmer weather, meeting lots of new people, figuring out my new job, growing in my relationship with the Lord and getting to know my team.
The weather has been so nice though at times uncomfortable; temperatures have averaged in the high 80s during the day.
           It has been so exciting meeting new people everyday.  We've made friends with neighbors, people at churches and even employees at bakeries we frequent.  We've also met so many students: those already involved in the student organization, Vida Estudiantil, and those who have never even heard about Christ.  Venezuelans are very friendly and curious and initiating conversation is very natural.   They welcome you to sit down with them no matter what they're doing and they'll readily introduce you to all their friends! A few weeks ago some of my teammates and I were on the engineering campus with an information and survey table.  We are hoping to start a Bible study on the engineering campus and we wanted to start connecting with students that might be interested.  I sat down on a bench to finish writing some things for our table when Alexis, a student I had met on the bus a week earlier, sat down next to me.  We chatted for a little before he asked me what we were doing.  I told him and he was so excited because he had just become a Christian over the weekend.  He then introduced me to his friends, some of whom were Christians and some of whom were not.  He introduced me to Maria Antonieta who was interested in knowing more about having a personal relationship with Christ! She had some time so right there and then we did a survey and I was able to share the gospel with her in Spanish! It's was so incredible to see Alexis's enthusiasm for connecting with other believers and then to see the Lord open doors to another student being able to hear the good news!!
 Figuring out my new job has been a week to week adventure but I'm so thankful for each new experience.  Doing full-time ministry is very different from being involved with campus ministry back home.  I have so much to learn and I'm thankful that the Lord is so patient with me.  It is evident that the Lord didn't bring me here because I'm really good at ministry..but because He is mighty and sovereign!  Each day I learn something new about God, about myself, and about others. The national director for Vida Estudiantil in Venezuela, Deivi,  told us on our third day here that God's purposes in bringing us here were not about what we could do in Venezuela but about what He wanted to do in our hearts.  God has things He wants to teach me and Venezuela is where He has chosen to do that this year.  Deivi also added that my effectiveness in ministry will flow from my growth in the Lord.
             I have had a great time getting to know my team.  I am so thankful for each one of them and the ways that they reflect Christ's character.  All of us girls, 5 in total live together and we have had wonderful times sharing our lives with each other.  They challenge me to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord and to love others more.  I'm learning to be more honest about what I'm struggling with and God has shown me so much grace through each of these women.  I admire their faith and perseverance.  I'm looking forward to growing even closer and learning more from them.
  

In the light of the day

Well, I finally made it to Venezuela and there is so much to write about! I'll start with the process of getting here.  Praise God for his provision through support raising this summer! He provided 100% of my support two days before my departure.  I am so thankful for each of you and how you have partnered with me to reach students in Venezuela with the gospel.

My team (I and 6 others) left for Venezuela on Monday September 27.  It was a long day of travelling and we finally arrived in Valencia at our new home at 4am! It was so exciting landing in Caracas, the capital city,  at night and seeing the lights sprinkled across the hills.  

I woke up the next morning at 7:30am disoriented and hungry.  I was sure I had at least slept until noon but when I asked my roommate for the time she confirmed that we had indeed only slept for 3 hours.  We spent the morning cleaning and unpacking until we met up with the guys on our team to get some breakfast.  We walked to  the bakery and had our first experience of ordering food in Spanish.  Everything since then has been a whirlwind of new experiences, challenges, and memories.  

Here are some of my first impressions of Venezuela:

-It's beautiful! Valencia, the city where I'll be living and working, is in a valley so there are large green hills everywhere you look.  Everything seems so bright; there's lots of color everywhere.  Women, young and old, love to dress in bright colors.  

-The people are amazing! I have felt welcomed from the moment we stepped off the airplane and I am continually blown away by their warmth, joy and love.  People greet you with a hug and kiss on the cheek even after just one meeting.  We are still in the process of trying some of the churches and when we go to a new one the pastor always introduces our team.  After that, everyone in the congregation comes and gives you a hug and kiss! It caught me off guard at first but I'm learning to appreciate that aspect of the culture.  

-It is so loud here! Car alarms go off at odd hours of the day and you can hear them from blocks away.  Venezuelan drivers also seem to like using their horns.  We take the bus to and from campus, church and the grocery store and the music on public transportation is always very loud. I'm learning to enjoy this also because it makes the trip fun.

-Venezuelan coffee is so good!

I have so much more to learn and see here and I can't wait to share it with you all!

Here are some pictures from my time so far:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Thank you SO much for all your prayers and support!! You are such a blessing in my life.

Oh, Oh here we go

Lately I feel like I'm a little kid again waiting for the first day of school.  But it's not just any first day of school. It's the first day of kindergarten.  I've thought about this day for so long, maybe even dressed up and walked my older sisters to the bus stop hoping that today they'll let me on the bus.  And now it's finally my turn. This big day comes with its doubts and questions: what will it be like? will I do well? what are the other kids like? are the snacks any good?   As my departure date (Monday, September 27th) approaches, I can't help but go back to those questions and get the same giddy, nervous feeling. What will life in Venezuela be like? What will doing full--time campus ministry be like? Will I be good at it? Will I like the food? These are just a few of the questions that run through my mind as I try to prepare for the year ahead. It is all kind of overwhelming. I wish that I could say I've got answers to all the questions and that I feel completely prepared. The only answer I have comes not from me but from the God of all comfort: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23). Small steps, big moves, the familiar, the strange..wherever you are, whatever you do..we are not consumed.  Our God is faithful.  He does not run out of the love and mercy we so desperately need as we follow Him every day.  And he has not run out of it as I prepare to leave.  Each day, I can approach His throne to find help as I seek to love the Lord with all my heart, lead others to Christ, and learn a new culture.  I'm so excited and thankful as I take this verse to heart.  I don't feel so overwhelmed and the unanswered questions aren't such a big deal.  I will trust the Lord to answer them in His time.

Please pray:
-for safe travel on Monday to Venezuela
-for the Lord to finish up the remainder of my support (I'm currently at 95%!!)
-that I would daily rely on the Lord for comfort, strength and peace 
-for the Venezuelan students we will meet and share Christ's love with..that their hearts would be open


Praise God:
-that I got my visa!
-for His gracious provision..95%!!!


I'm so thankful for your partnership through prayer and support!! I am so blessed to have each one of you on my team!
Philippians 1:3-6