Dave.

This one's a little harder.

It's Friday; that's reason to celebrate when we're talking about the work week. It started off like most Fridays do, with that weekly added perk to each of us, knowing that there were just hours left until another weekend. And so it went, for the first couple hours, until one of my clients called to ask me if I was 'doing all right...'

Doing all right? Well, yeah, of course I am - it's Friday! 
... But I didn't know. I didn't know that he'd be calling me under the assumption that I did know about the passing of my former franchisee, boss & friend, Dave. Apparently this happened on Tuesday, after an accident that had left him in a coma for some odd days prior to Tuesday.

I had no idea. I had no words, and left my poor client hanging on a promise to call him back after I collected myself. I called Chris first, then Elisa, and gathered myself enough to finish the rest of the day until the visitation this afternoon.

It's surreal to think that he has passed. There were so, so many things I revered and respected about Dave, as a person, as a businessman and entrepreneur. It hurts to try and grasp the pain and loss that Lizzy, Nancy & the rest of the family is experiencing now, and it hurts to know that he is gone.

dave :) 

a "typical" laughing day with dave!

My heart breaks for their family & friends, and for everyone who has now lost him as part of our community. I'm forever indebted to Dave for providing me the avenue to move back to Cincinnati when I did almost 4 years ago, and for the opportunity to be a part of establishing our office from the ground up. I learned many things from Dave, both professionally and practically, and I will always give him credit where it's due for that short, short window of time that we had him as part of our little Express family. 

express office 2712 | sales summit 2014
cori. elisa. dave | nashville, tn

Dave, you are so very missed. I'm thankful for having been brought into your path and learning from what we did. We'll all see you again one day. Until then, keep an eye on us and know that you are missed. 

I have hopes that the weekend will improve from here, but I'm left feeling a little empty after learning of this, and seeing Lizzy & Nancy for the first time in months today. My prayers for the family, and for a soul lost all too soon. 

Peace, light & comfort.. 

xo | cmd

Why Do Good Things Happen To Bad People? [Excerpts from Job]

Do ya'll ever have one of those days, or in this case weeks.. where your head just spins seemingly nonstop, and that one collected moment you rely on to carry you through just isn't available? Instead, it's a barrage of phone calls, time-sensitive demands and meetings. It's after-work obligations, appointments, errands and bedtimes that come all too soon, even though they're not until midnight. It's dinner that you don't eat until almost 10pm because that's barely an hour after you get to your house since you left it that morning. 

That's been this week for me. Much of that has been fruitful, productive and positive activity, but it still begs more of me sometimes than I feel like I'm physically and emotionally capable of delivering. My patience has been tested in new and unpredictable ways this week, so [as always,] the timing for this recap and study couldn't have been more perfectly aligned for me.

Chris opened the study with a pretty broken-in question: 

graphic cred: crosstownalliance.com

I'll preface this by saying that although my week's been a harum-scarum, please don't think that I believe there's any weight of comparison between that and Job's life. My problems at the moment are all first-world issues, and don't include any feelings that an hour's time alone in a hammock couldn't appease.

Job, on the other hand.. 

[If you haven't read Job, I recommend it. Caveat to that though, is my additional recommendation not to read it first, if it's the first and only thing in the Bible that you'll be reading. I mean, you can, but although it's got a happy ending, it's not the most encouraging thing for the first few chapters. You've been cautioned.]

Want the Cori Cliff Notes? Okay: 

Job's got the life: he's wealthy from a worldly and materialistic standpoint. He has a wife, grown children, grandchildren and servants. He has herds of animals and massive plots of acreage. He's known by everyone in a time & world where social media [or cameras, phones & cars in general] do not exist. [GASP]. He's a sturdy, healthy man who also happens to be God-fearing and humble. Satan comes along one day and challenges the resolve of Job's faith against the onset of destruction and personal loss, and God allows all but his own personal death to come to him for the sake of proving a point to Satan that a man after God's own heart cannot be deterred. Job's herds are killed, his entire family (sans wife) is crushed in an accident, his physical body is stricken with open boils and sores and to top it off, his wife and friends encourage him to rebuke the name of the creator of all that is. 

That.. is a bad week. 

Like I said, probably not the first book I would've wanted to read when I started on my journey to understand the Bible. 

So throughout all. of. this, we have Job dropping to his knees and raising his eyes to the Heavens and thanking God for the blessings he has otherwise received, and acknowledging that if God has given, it is that same intrinsic and divine right for Him to take away. 

He. Praises. God. 

In a time like that. 

And here I am, conditionally promising my best behavior at work, mentally, to a God who moved planets and breathed stars to life, if He'll just keep that dozen or so of the most pesty associates and clients at bay for however many hours I want to focus on whatever else. 

For all it looks like, Job is an upstanding citizen, father, husband, community role model, boss and entrepreneur. He loses everything. He's stripped down to nearly dust, but at the end of the story [fast forward], is replenished and rewarded with seven more children, full herds, servants, land and everything nearly tenfold what had been lost before. He grows old, dies with a full and wise heart and is remembered and cherished by his family and friends. 

But he was a GOOD PERSON before that, though.. so why'd all this happen in the first place? 

What a PERFECT question for a time like this. With less than a full week having passed since the madness in Orlando, I'm sure now is an appropriate a time as there ever was to be asking, 

WHY DO BAD THINGS
HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?!

Christina Grimmie. Forty-nine people in a nightclub. A little boy on the bank of a pond.
And this is just ORLANDO!

Lives lost, families torn apart, communities shaken to the core. 

I want to know why BAD THINGS happen to GOOD PEOPLE. 

Her name is Krista, and while she might not remember, she said something to me in 1999 when we lost a classmate to a shooting incident in my small hometown. Krista was [& still is] my youth pastor's wife, and when that happened, stepped in to help council those of us in our youth group who'd been affected. I asked her the same question then, through 15-year-old eyes that didn't understand half of what they do now about the world or life in general: Krista, WHY do bad things happen to good people?!

And she answered, "I don't know." 

Now, before I share what she said in addition to that, let me say this: that was 17 years ago and I still remember it as clearly as if I'd just heard it: "I don't know." What had I been expecting to hear, that I was so surprised by that? Some eloquent, lofty explanation full of churchy verbiage and verses from Isaiah and Proverbs? I was 15. Who knows, maybe I wasn't aware then that there isn't an answer to that that qualifies as absolute, or perfect. No one answer will satisfy that question in every one of its countless available contexts. But in that moment, it was exactly what I needed to hear. That I was not the only who didn't have all the answers. 

As I said, there was more to it, but by priming whatever came next with the understanding that it was her personal opinion on why, based on a much more mature understanding of life and life as a Christ-follower. She played for me Refiner's Fire, and her belief that refinement is a process that does not come easy. Years later, I would connect this with another counselor's comparison to the process of exacting brilliant diamonds: by applying pressure. 

At nearly 32, I look back at those two conversations, and all those looped up in between, coupled with the life experiences I've had since then, and believe whole-heartedly in 2 things: 

1. I will never know the "right" answers to some of the questions I have, namely that one.  

and
2. I am perfectly content in not knowing. I am here now, and I'm who I am now, because of several separate and ongoing refining processes. Growth is not happening if I'm not being challenged, in some form. Some challenges apply more pressure than others, and they end up hurting.. sometimes a lot. But I'm not dead [yet, & sometimes miraculously so, but I digress]... and given that one simple, indisputable fact, I think God's been a little more than good to me. 

********************

Now, I'm not blind to what a lot of people might think about my diatribe about faith and God and the whole Christian thing, especially in the light of what's been happening in Orlando. I just said that I don't have all the answers, but I do believe something [& I'm not alone]. The one, true God that I love, honor and strive to follow, does NOT capitalize on hate. He doesn't encourage humans to kill other humans. He doesn't give any of us permission to damage the soul of another human for the benefit of proving a point. He demands that we love, unconditionally, wholly and like that of a child - blind to prejudice of any format. THAT.. is God. He forgives, but does not forget, and we are accountable to Him. "Good deeds" don't get us to Heaven; our hearts do, and I for one refuse to step up on the day I leave Earth with a heart that's harbored years of hate, judgment, self-righteousness or spite. I'm a work in progress. We all are. 

And in that way, I've prayed for and mourned from miles away here in Ohio for those in Orlando. For those in California, and for the rest of our world, where humans are hurting other humans, and creating new generations of humans who will never learn not to hurt other humans. It's dizzying.

BUT.. Why do bad things happen to good people?!

Ya'll... I don't know. BUT, I have seen from this great distance [imagine how this looks up close, how fantastic and intense it must be!] how global communities are banding together, not just residents in Orlando. Humans, around the world are seeing this and reacting in the only one true way that will ever, ever, ever stop the cycle of destroying each other: by LOVING EACH OTHER. Families supporting broken mothers, fathers, siblings whose loved ones never came home from that club. Businesses providing resources for their community. Strangers reaching out to strangers to offer words of encouragement. Athletes, musicians, celebrities, charity organizations everywhere campaigning for more love, and less hate. The internet, in all its glorious relevance these days, teeming with videos, campaigns, messages promoting open hearts and awareness. 

The small voice in the back of my mind thinks that maybe, just maybe, in spite of this enormous, unspeakably unnecessary and devastating chain of events, this surge of new activity pointing us back in the direction of loving one another for who and where we each are, and appreciating what that really means... maybe that wouldn't be happening at this magnitude, without something a such a punctuated prompt. Fifty-one(+++) reasons inspiring us to end hate and seek love. It's a risk to say that, I know; the mother whose son or daughter was gunned down, terrified and desperate in those last moments, likely won't agree. The parents who lost their little boy during what was supposed to be a joy-filled family vacation. The brother who tackled a gunman after watching his baby sister gunned down as she signed autographs. Maybe they won't agree. At least not right now, and maybe never.. and that's okay, but I do believe that ashes pave the way to new growth. I believe loss can ruin us, or it can fuel us. 

And I believe in [the power of] prayer. 

And healing.
And community, fellowship.

And forgiveness.
And action.

And I believe in the process of refinement. 

********************

I left small group feeling really weird, but in a good way. I felt really convicted [aka guilty], for starters, to get over myself and this seemingly "bad day" that I'd had. After studying Job and dissecting the hell that he had to endure in order to be refined, my week looks much more mundane. I'll take a feeling of foolishness any day if I can also find that type of perspective.

On, and this was the sky tonight: 

Hey, God. Thank you.♥

I hope ya'll have a beautiful evening. I don't know if anyone out there needed a pep talk as much as I did today, but if you did [or still do], I'm that random stranger on the internet here to tell you that you're much more than you think, and you're not giving yourself enough credit. Now, if you're feeling pretty good with where you are, go find one of those people who felt like I did all day today, and share some of that love with them. Chances are, you'll both benefit from it. 

Let's all be good people. To ourselves and to each other.
And let's maybe teach the little- and big! - ones around us, to be good, too.
Life's a little nicer when we are. ♥

xo | cmd

Small Group :)

I haven't talked much about this lately, but I feel like tonight would be a good one to express how much I appreciate our small group. Woops - they're called small groups at Sonrise, but same thing. I'm especially appreciative for the study Chris is currently walking us through: A study of the Old Testament. We had a packed table tonight, as we continued the journey through the foundation of the OT and how it shapes the rest of the Bible. 

old testament study

And no, this isn't a Baptist church [shout out to the Tower, alllll the way back in Illinois; I love & miss you guys!], but that doesn't stop us from getting our snack on during studies. I'm very much accustomed to small groups that are casual and warm all the way around, only incorporating serious focus when it comes to the studying at hand. It's funny how the presence of good food can and will always aid in the cultivation of a group or team atmosphere. 

Blogbots, I hope your Thursday was a wonderful day, and that Friday ushers in an even better weekend! TGI[almost]F!

xo | cmd

Sleep Deprived Blogging....

I am usually all about finding the dry side of a rock in a thunderstorm, but today was one of those days that just started off as a mud puddle and try as I did, it didn't really change until it was nearly over.

 

Downside? Elisa was out sick today. I remained the only one onsite all day. 
Upside? It's a short week. WOO!

Downside? I got next to NO sleep last night.
Upside? It's not always like that, and I know I'm gonna cah-RASH tonight. 

Downside? Sydni didn't get the best version of me tonight. 
Upside? There is tomorrow for me to redeem myself. 

Okay, so I guess there is still silver lining. In fact, yes. Yes there is, and there's plenty of it.

amen.

Wheeeew. I need sleep.
We'll try this again tomorrow.

xo | cmd

#SRP2015 Day 5: Nuestro Último Día en Suiche

ENGLISH: BLACK FONT (Or gray).  SPANISH: RED FONT

INGLÉS: FUENTE NEGRO (O gris).  ESPAÑOL: FUENTE ROJO

*******

Today was our last full day in Suiche. I woke up with a strangely deep sadness to know that at the same time 24 hours later, we would leave this mountain behind until the next time we are able to journey here.

Pray. Eat breakfast. Filter water. Journal and write with what time is left. It was a morning routine I would love to have in my life day in and day out. I started writing my heart's thoughts, and was joined by two small children, who, like the rest of the children here in the village, love to sit and observe. Most are ready to participate in whatever menial thing we do when we invite them. I would usually have valued this time alone with God, but here in Suiche, the beauty is stronger in numbers, and so the little bodies sat next to me as my hands wrote letters to God and the universe He created.

Hoy era nuestro último día completo en Suiche. Me desperté con una tristeza extraña profundamente para saber que a la vez 24 horas más tarde, nos volveríamos a dejar esta montaña detrás hasta la próxima vez que somos capaces de viaje hasta aquí.

Ore. Desayunar. Filtre el agua. Diario y escribir con lo que el tiempo que queda. Era una rutina de la mañana me encantaría tener en mi vida día a día. Empecé a escribir los pensamientos de mi corazón, y me uní a dos niños pequeños, que, como el resto de los niños aquí en el pueblo, les encanta sentarse y observar. La mayoría están dispuestos a participar en cualquier cosa de baja categoría que hacemos cuando los invitamos. Normalmente me habría valorado este tiempo a solas con Dios, pero aquí en Suiche, la belleza es más fuerte en número, por lo que los pequeños cuerpos se sentó junto a mí como a mis manos escribieron cartas a Dios y el universo que Él creó.

cesar! (cesar)

norma ♥♥♥
norma ♥♥♥

i saw God today in her little face
Vi a Dios hoy en su carita

beautiful girls  ||  hermosas chicas

he has my Bible. oh, be still, my heart....
él tiene mi Biblia. ah, quédate tranquilo, mi corazón ....

siblings  ||  hermanos

i love these children  ||  amo a estos niños

The men left to hike into the villages.
Los hombres se fueron a caminar por las aldeas.

The men again took to the mountains, this time in two of their own groups. Marissa, Quinn and I joined Rita, Zobeida and Pastor Simon in the classrooms. Today's lesson revolved around Adam and Eve, in the place where our fate began: The Garden of Eden. Marissa and I bonded closer with the translators as we each lent our artistic interpretations of the tree, the serpent and of course of Adam and Eve on the chalkboards in each classroom. The children were asked comprehensive questions of the story, after which they drew their own versions of 'The First Sin,' accompanied then by unrelated drawings of their favorite things (as children always do!): Their houses, animals, trees, rivers, mountains. They drew what they know, and it was astounding.

Los hombres tomaron de nuevo a las montañas, esta vez en dos de sus propios grupos. Marissa, Quinn y yo nos unimos a Rita, Zobeida y Pastor Simon en las aulas. La lección de hoy giró en torno a Adán y Eva, en el lugar donde comenzó nuestro destino: El Jardín del Edén. Marissa y yo unido más estrecha con los traductores como cada uno de nosotros prestamos nuestras interpretaciones artísticas del árbol, la serpiente y, por supuesto, de Adán y Eva en las pizarras en cada aula. Los niños se les hicieron preguntas comprensivas de la historia, después de lo cual sacaron sus propias versiones de "El primer pecado, 'acompañados luego por dibujos relacionados de sus cosas favoritas (como los niños siempre lo hacen!): Sus casas, animales, árboles, ríos, montañas. Ellos dibujaron lo que saben, y fue asombroso.

in the school  ||  en la escuela

in the school  ||  en la escuela

the children's drawings ♥  ||  dibujos de los niños ♥

so happy!  || ¡tan feliz!

hahahah... ||  jajajajaj...

 

more drawings  || más dibujos

We finished with the children's lessons around the same time that the two mens teams returned from the mountains. We prayed for and over them. We once again became part of the daily activity: Lunch, soccer, leisure time. Chris brought balloon animals for us to make with the children; despite our very best efforts, we quickly realized that none of us have futures as professional clowns, and that the children found the balloons much more fun deflated, used as rubber weapons to attack bugs and mud. It's funny how even the smallest plans that we make are often adjusted right before us to be better than what we envisioned. [It's a God thing.]

Hemos acabado con las lecciones de los niños alrededor del mismo tiempo que los dos equipos para hombre de regresar de las montañas. Oramos por y sobre ellos. Una vez más se convirtió en parte de la actividad diaria: Almuerzo, fútbol, ​​el tiempo de ocio. Chris trajo animales con globos para nosotros para hacer con los niños; a pesar de nuestros mejores esfuerzos, rápidamente nos dimos cuenta de que ninguno de nosotros tiene futuro como payasos profesionales, y que los niños encuentran los globos mucho más divertido desinflado, utilizadas como armas de goma para atacar a los insectos y barro. Es curioso cómo incluso los planes más pequeños que hacemos a menudo se ajusta justo antes de que seamos mejor de lo que habíamos imaginado. [Es una cosa de Dios.] 

bananas for dinner  ||  bananos para la cena

balloon animals!  ||  ¡animales del globos!

spending time with the children
pasar tiempo con los niños

quinn playing soccer with the boys
quinn juega al fútbol con los chicos

kitchen  ||  la cocina

norma is so photogenic!!  ||  ¡¡normal es tan fotogénica!!

guillermina asked me to take her picture. beautiful.
guillermina me pidió que tomara una foto. hermosa.

cesar is so rambunctious...
césar es tan revoltosa..

 

guillermina, her mother elena & 2 of her siblings
guillermina, su madre elena y 2 de sus hermanos

coloring with the children
colorear con los niños

juselino (top) mateo, juselino & alexi (bottom)
juselino (arriba) mateo, juscelino y alexi (abajo)

♥♥♥♥♥  ♥♥♥♥♥

HERE'S WHERE THIS DAY TOOK A TURN.

Small group convened again at the usual 3:30 time. Rita, Zobeida, Marissa and I joined the women in the class, with Bernabe there to translate Ngabere. It was a small group of 6 or 7 women. We recognized all of the faces either from previous days in the group or just from seeing them around the village. We began the class in a vain attempt to review the lesson from yesterday. We weren't able to see past our present moments of frustration at this time, as the minutes wore on with out discussion. We became discouraged more and more as the seconds passed with no dialogue. Rita & Zobeida did their best to encourage the women to answer, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. With disappointment, we moved on for the sake of time and continuity, to the story of the rich man and Jesus, when Jesus asks him to sell all he owns to follow Him (Luke 18:18-30).

AQUÍ ES DONDE ESTE DÍA dio un giro. 

Pequeño grupo se reunió de nuevo en la costumbre 3:30 tiempo. Rita, Zobeida, Marissa y yo nos unimos a las mujeres de la clase, con Bernabé allí para traducir Ngäbere. Era un pequeño grupo de 6 o 7 mujeres. Nos dimos cuenta de todas las caras, ya sea de días anteriores en el grupo o solo de verlos por el pueblo. Empezamos la clase en un vano intento de revisar la lección de ayer. No fuimos capaces de ver más allá de nuestros momentos presentes de frustración en este momento, ya que los minutos transcurrían con la discusión fuera. Nos se desanimó cada vez más como los segundos pasaron sin diálogo. Rita & Zobeida hicieron todo lo posible para alentar a las mujeres a contestar, pero parecían caer en oídos sordos. Con decepción, pasamos por el bien de tiempo y continuidad, a la historia del hombre rico y Jesús, cuando Jesús le pide a vender todo lo que tiene a Él (Lucas 18: 18-30) seguir. 

We can explain God to people.
What we cannot and will never be able to do, is to explain GOD. We cannot explain how He does what He does, or how His plans are flawless. We are often not wise enough to see His plan in motion. Today, as Bernabe read the Luke verses from the Ngabere Bible, Zobeida leaned towards me and whispered that Selina, one of the women, seemed to be struggling to maintain her composure. I studied her face as she kept her gaze on the narrator. I shifted my glance across each of the women seated at the tables in front of me. Elena's face held a look of confusion, as though she was wrestling with a decision in her head and in her heart.

I glanced down to Adilsa: The beautiful mother with a baby on her lap. She was mindlessly bouncing the baby on her knee to appease its murmers; her thoughts were clearly processing through the words she was hearing.

Zobeida needed an Evangecube. I provided her my small one, that I carry for the sake of situations like this, and rely on to provide an excuse to share it within a closer personal space, due to the small size of the pictures. We watched as she walked through the story of the Gospel, pairing it with the corresponding illustrations on the cube. Our discussion questions relating to the story from Luke were never read or discussed.

Podemos explicar a Dios a la gente.
Lo que no puede y nunca será capaz de hacer, es explicar DIOS. No podemos explicar  cómo  hace lo que hace, o  cómo  sus planes son impecables. A menudo no somos lo suficientemente sabios para ver Su plan en marcha. Hoy, como Bernabé leer los versículos de la Biblia Lucas Ngäbere, Zobeida se inclinó hacia mí y me susurró que Selina, una de las mujeres, parecía estar luchando por mantener la compostura. Estudié su rostro mientras se mantuvo la mirada en el narrador. Cambié mi mirada a través de cada una de las mujeres sentadas en las mesas en frente de mí. . El rostro de Elena celebró una mirada de confusión, como si ella estaba luchando con una decisión en su cabeza y en su corazón.


Miré hacia abajo a Adilsa: La madre hermosa con un bebé en su regazo. Ella estaba saltando sin pensar que el bebé sobre su rodilla para apaciguar a sus murmullos; sus pensamientos estaban procesando claramente a través de las palabras que estaba oyendo.
Zobeida necesitaba un Cubo Evangelístico. Yo le proporcioné mi pequeña, que llevo por el bien de este tipo de situaciones, y confío en proporcionar una excusa para compartir dentro de un espacio personal más estrecho, debido al pequeño tamaño de las imágenes. Vimos mientras caminaba a través de la historia del Evangelio, la vinculación con las ilustraciones correspondientes en el cubo. Nuestras preguntas de debate relacionados con la historia de Lucas nunca se leyeron o discutidos. 

Selina made a decision today. 

Adilsa made a decision today. 

Elena made a decision today. 

Not one. Not two. THREE. 
THREE women surrendered their lives to Christ today. 

Three of these beautiful, strong, intelligent women were moved by the words of hope and truth today. Three women dedicated their lives today to the pursuit of that hope. Of that love and the hope that comes from a life of commitment to Christ. Their eternities are secured.

I am unashamed of how badly I lost my composure today. I am an ugly sight when I cry, but concern of appearance is an earthly demon anyway. Today, I cried. I pulled Selina into my arms and hugged her. She hugged me back, and I watched her break apart as Christ filled her with the renewing Spirit of forgiveness and hope. We were separated by a vast divide of language barrier, but again I insist that the movement of God is a universally-understood miracle. As I stood hugging a woman I barely knew, crying into her hair as she did the same into my shirt, Rita prayed. Adilsa and Elena cried with us as we all huddled together in the middle of the room, fearful that we may actually break into physical pieces if we let go. I wiped tears from Selina's humble, noble face and prayed that my eyes would be enough to convey how much love I had for her, since my words would and could not.

Selina tomó la decisión de hoy. 

Adilsa tomó la decisión de hoy. 

Elena tomó la decisión de hoy. 

Ni uno. No dos.. TRES.
TRES mujeres entregaron sus vidas a Cristo hoy.

Tres de estas mujeres hermosas, fuertes, inteligentes fueron trasladados por las palabras de esperanza y verdad hoy. Tres mujeres que dedicaron sus vidas hoy en día a la búsqueda de esa esperanza. De que el amor y la esperanza que viene de una vida de compromiso con Cristo. Sus eternidades están asegurados.

Soy desvergonzado de lo mal que me perdí mi compostura hoy. Soy un espectáculo desagradable cuando lloro, pero la preocupación de la apariencia es un demonio terrenal de todos modos. Hoy en día, lloré. Saqué Selina en mis brazos y la abracé. Ella me devolvió el abrazo, y yo la miraba rompiera como Cristo la llena del Espíritu renovador del perdón y la esperanza. Estábamos separados por una gran brecha de la barrera del idioma, pero de nuevo, insistimos en que el movimiento de Dios es un milagro universalmente entendido. Mientras estaba abrazando a una mujer a la que apenas conocía, llorando en su pelo como ella hizo lo mismo en mi camisa, Rita oró. Adilsa y Elena lloraron con nosotros, ya que todos nos juntamos en el centro de la habitación, temeroso de que en realidad puede romperse en piezas físicas si dejamos ir. Me sequé las lágrimas de humilde, noble rostro de Selina y recé para que mis ojos serían suficientes para transmitir todo el amor que sentía por ella, ya que mis palabras lo haría y no podía. 

SALVATION. ||  SALVACIÓN
[thank you, bernabe & zobeida for getting these pictures to us]
[gracias, bernabe y Zobeida para conseguir estas imágenes para nosotros]

SALVATION. ||  SALVACIÓN
[thank you, bernabe & zobeida for getting these pictures to us]
[gracias, bernabe y Zobeida para conseguir estas imágenes para nosotros]

SALVATION. ||  SALVACIÓN
[thank you, bernabe & zobeida for getting these pictures to us]
[gracias, bernabe y Zobeida para conseguir estas imágenes para nosotros]

THIS IS WHY WE CAME HERE. 

We came to work for Christ. 

Several parts of my heart will never ever leave this mountain. I stepped outside for the few minutes after our prayerful, tearful huddle to regain my composure. I managed to finish the class, but lost it once again as Talsy gathered me into a hug as we walked up to the building. This is not the first time I have been present at a person's moment of salvation, but not one is the same. The intensity of salvation is a force to be reckoned with. God is moving these mountains. He is reaching into the heart of Panama's villages and saving souls through His grace & mercy. 

This is why we came here.

This is why I came. 

We realized that we had not yet offered out all the pictures we had brought for the children to color. I gathered up the crayons and coloring sheets, and set in the midst of them on the small knoll between the kitchen and the soccer field. They found so much joy in the simple act of coloring and drawing. They completed picture after picture, wrote their names on the back and returned them to me, as they must be accustomed to doing in school. I will keep these pictures forever. I breathed in the smell of Talsy's team cooking, and listened to the blended sound of the river behind me and the soccer players in front. Adults and kids laughed together. The sun was out today, for the first time really since we've been here. Chris led the last evening service of our time today, before we returned to our building to prepare for our departure tomorrow.

POR ESO Vinimos aquí. 

Vinimos a trabajar por Cristo. 

Varias partes de mi corazón nunca jamás dejar esta montaña. Salí para los pocos minutos después de nuestra oración, se apiñan entre lágrimas a recuperar la compostura. Me las arreglé para terminar la clase, pero perdí una vez más como Talsy me recogió en un abrazo mientras caminábamos hasta el edificio. Esta no es la primera vez que he estado presente en el momento de la salvación de una persona, pero no es lo mismo. La intensidad de la salvación es una fuerza a tener en cuenta. Dios se está moviendo estas montañas. Él está llegando al corazón de los pueblos de Panamá y salvar almas a través de su gracia y misericordia.

Es por eso que vinimos aquí. 

Esto es por lo que vine. 

Nos dimos cuenta de que todavía no habíamos ofrecido a cabo todas las fotos que habíamos traído para los niños coloreen. Recogí los lápices de colores y hojas para colorear, y puso en medio de ellos en la pequeña loma entre la cocina y el campo de fútbol. Encontraron tanta alegría en el simple acto de pintar y dibujar. Completaron foto tras foto, escribieron sus nombres en la parte de atrás y les volvieron a mí, ya que deben estar acostumbrados a hacer en la escuela. Voy a seguir estas fotos para siempre. Aspiré el olor del equipo de cocina de Talsy, y escuché el sonido mezclado del río detrás de mí y los jugadores de fútbol de delantero. Los adultos y los niños se rieron juntos. El sol salió hoy, por primera vez, realmente desde que estamos aquí. Chris llevó el último servicio de la tarde de nuestro tiempo de hoy, antes de regresar a nuestro edificio para preparar nuestra salida de mañana. 

our last church service  ||  nuestro último servicio de la iglesia

God's people were happy today, and I know He was happy with us. 

Pueblo de Dios estaba feliz hoy, y sé Él estaba contento con nosotros.

Day 5 : SAVE SOULS. 

Check.

And He will continue long after we have gone!

Día 5: SALVAR ALMAS.

Hecho.

¡Y Él continuará mucho después de que hemos ido! 

xo | cmd

♥ | cmd

CLIF. BARS.

Guys, I wasn't kidding yesterday when I said I was going to buy Clif Bars in bulk today:

that happened.. 

FOUR DAYS.
I leave in FOUR DAYS.

panama! 

See you in a few days, Panama!

xo | cmd