Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Gospel has no limits

It's been so long since I've blogged that it took me a while to even remember how to get to it... that's bad. Most of the time I have no time to blog, then occasionally I have so much to say I just don't say it. Then I get rare moments like these when I just make myself take some time out of the busyness of everything and start writing. This week has been quite crazy trying to pack and make those last minute preparations to leave for El Salvador on Friday. I've had to remind myself to quit being Martha and just be a Mary. To think that it's been a whole year since I was in El Salvador blows my mind a little bit.. Not a single day has passed since I got home last April that I haven't thought about El Salvador and the people and children of that country that have so captured my heart. To have to wait an entire year to go back has definitely been hard, but God has used this year to teach me so much and prepare me for whatever lies ahead. For the past couple of weeks I have found myself many times at a loss for words, and that there were no words adequate enough to really express what I've felt. More than ever I've felt like words are so cheap. To tell you the truth, I would get frustrated because I couldn't figure out for the life of my why I felt like this, but I had a feeling God was teaching me something, I just couldn't figure out what. I love those moments when God makes it really clear the lesson He's been trying to teach me because I just wasn't getting it. A friend was talking to me tonight about a spanish class she offered for the team of us that is getting ready to leave, and was saying how well it went and everyone in it really learned a lot. Somehow, I completely missed the memo about this class. She proceeded to ask me how my spanish was, and my response was something like "It's so awful. I can say hola and adios, and that about does it". As I was driving home I began thinking about the language barrier between me and those in El Salvador, and getting a little frustrated. I don't want this trip to just be another mission trip. I want it to be fruitful, I want to see the kingdom advanced, I want to see lost souls come home, chains be broken, and lives be healed. How in the world am I really supposed to be an ambassador for the Gospel if I can't even speak their language? Granted, we have the most amazing translators on the planet, but it's just not the same as speaking to the person directly. God began to remind me of my recent frustrations with words being cheap and inadequate, and began to speak this simple yet profound truth into my heart. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has no limits. There is absolutely nothing that can limit the power of the gospel.. God is the only one that is mighty to save, and I am just a vessel that in all of his grace and mercy He has chosen to shine through. He is teaching me to love, to shine, to share the Gospel, and to display my faith through my actions before I learn to speak the language. Words are cheap if your actions don't align.

My hope is to blog every night while I'm down there, so if you're curious about what's going on in El Salvador while I'm there, check here periodically and hopefully I will have something posted (if John doesn't confiscate my computer first :) ) Also, the starfish blog will be updated with new posts every morning, here's the link http://starfishorphanministry.blogspot.com/

2 comments:

  1. Olivia, you are such an awesome young lady-all the way around! I love reading your blog and I'm really excited you are back at it. I'm like you, I love to see and experience what God is teaching me or saying to me - it's like an AHA moment. We will be praying for you guys for the El Salvador trip. I really wish we were going! I'm sending a few things for you to give out to the kids. Have a great trip...love you Sweet Liv!

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    1. Thanks Aunt Kathy! I so wish you guys were going too, we will definitely miss you and Drew. Ill call you a few times while I'm down there and let you know how it's going, so if you see a number you don't recognize calling you, its probably me. Maybe I can even get Orsy, Lilly, and a few others to call you too :) Love you!

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