20 Mennonites

It's been too long since I've written on my blog! I've been busy I guess. And usually without Internet. Living at Ken's house didn't permit me to use the Internet very much. Now that Ken is back in Bolivia, Mike and I thought it best to move back to the Hebron Guest House. We like staying at the transition house, but it would have been difficult.

A little bit ago, we were able to visit an area out of the town, Pailon. We were in Mennonite country indeed. The family we stayed with were of Mennonite background, and the food we ate indeed showed it! The trip was a nice change and a chance to get out of the city and relax, while still learning and seeing other missions. We spent some time playing Settlers of Cattan with some other short term missionary friends we've made here, along with slack lining as you can see in the picture, and riding a motorcycle. And crashing a motorcycle... oh wait, I just did that alone.

Please pray for a fast and full recovery of my shoulder.

A kind and God-fearing man named Ruddy took us around in his truck to show us different colonies in the area. Minus how green some of the trees were, I actually felt like I was back in Farm Land Saskatchewan. Ruddy told us about the colonies and it was quite interesting to hear the difference between Mennonites here and other places. There are of course different levels of... intensity... with the colonies. I'll describe the most extreme case and just make it less extreme, and those are the different colonies. The more extreme groups only speak Low German and some Spanish amongst the men, but not the women. So because they don't speak High German, they can't read the High German Bible. Yes, there is now a Low German Bible, but it has (along with the written language) only been around for 10 years. They believe that only the pastor at the church is allowed to read the Bible, though not even he does. In fact, all the sermons (in High German even though very few people even understand it) are simply repeated and the pastor doesn't even read his Bible. There about usually about 15 sermons, so the few people who know High German can tell you what sermon will come the week after, as they've heard it every 15th Sunday of their life. As I said before, only the pastor is allowed to read the Bible, and the punishment for reading the Bible for anyone else is to be shunned from the colony. And they believe that the pastor has the power to kick people out of Heaven. So to make it simple, people believe that they can be kicked out of Heaved for reading their Bibles. Their basic belief is that they must continue with tradition and the more things change, the farther away from Heaven they get, so the more primitive, the better for them. This makes farming very difficult for them, as iron tractor tires are not good for the ground.

After this, and after a German church service the next day, we went to visit Casa Mariposa (The Butterfly House). Not to be confused with the park down the road with lots of pretty butterflies. The Cools in Caronport are planning on working here, so it was neat to see around it and get the background on the future work of some fellow C'Porters. And, Cools, you'll be happy to know from my own perspective, that it was a great experience, and they have some good work there. There is lots of abuse on the Mennonite colonies. By that, I mean fathers get a little close to their daughters. And the Cools can use all our prayer with their work with the girls at the home. Some of them are new moms and most of them are quite young. It is a wonderful mission with very good people involved. Very nice people! So all the best to you.

19 The Future

God is indeed great!

As of late, I've been growing more and more envious of a younger me. Simply listening to one song by Hawk Nelson would put a deep burden on my heart to return to the life of my grade nine year. There was nothing special about grade nine (minus the first week of school when I was somewhat popular, though this was useless). A smell in the air would make my heart ache for sitting at the table, eating with the dear Reed family in the days I lived there years ago. The colour of the sky controlled my life as it plagued my mind with memories of walking Elsa, that beautiful dog in the days of dog-sitting. And somehow I had a pressing on my mind of the childhood interest being Pokemon. I had a yearning to spread my wings and fly, until I realized I was wingless.

Since my childhood, I've felt this yearning to return back in time, or to be somewhere in the past that I believed would have been a better alternative. It has never been as strong before as it has this past day, and even this past week. Minus the first time my mind did this to me, which only seemed large because I didn't know what my mind was doing. Anyways, I wasn't able to do anything today because my mind was so overridden by past events, and though I tried to concentrate on the present, the mind is a hard thing to control, especially with this issue.

I'm not sure how much sense this is making. It just entered my mind that my mind is indeed unique and I'm not sure how many readers will be able to relate, or at least understand what exactly it is that I'm talking about. I am confident that these words I say will not fully be able to explain how exactly I have been feeling as a result of this.

Anyways, I asked God for help. I was so exhausted by my mind and simply wanted out of it. But the thing is... it's a mind. So then I sat down and read 21 chapters in my bible. I stood up a different person that I sat down being. This day, God has answered my long time question of "what's next?" I had plans of going to Briercrest and studying in the Global Studies program. And don't worry (to those who would), this still is the plan. But as far as serving Him, what's next? At this point, after reading these 21 chapters about God's dealings with the chosen people, I spoke deeply with God and felt the passion stirring in me to serve Him by serving others in a way I have been served by someone serving me, thus serving Him. I have made it my purpose to serve Him with my life, and He has shown me clarity.

Where is this going, Tim?

When I was in grade 10, I met my friend and high school mentor, Vinny! I didn't realize until now how much of an influence he was in my life. And God is showing me that the young men in Caronport don't have Vinny anymore. Another group of fortunate souls do enjoy him, but the man who was there for me in that point in my life is not there anymore. And who is going to be going to Briercrest next year? Who by chance will be living in the same dorm he once lived in? Yeah! Now don't get me wrong, I'm not just a copy-cat of a respected friend. I am following God's will and what I feel called to do, which is similar to what a respected friend was also called into. It's either foolish or wise to post this on the internet. It is foolish if nothing comes of it, but it is wise if I am posting it knowing that if it is God's will, then it will come about in time, and I have all my readers to told me to it, but I feel that God is calling me into discipling the youth of Caronport during my years at Briercrest.

I feel so at peace with this, and look forward to giving the youth a mentor relationship I was blessed with having when I was there age. Now I just have to be careful that I don't get so carried away with the future that it does the same as what the past was doing to me.

So about Bolivia, things are going very well. The buses are currently on strike, hence why we stayed home all day today, on a day of which we normally work at Talita Cumi. I'm thankful for the strike. For this one day to be enlightened.

I'm not sure if I've done a good job at pointing out how exciting this is, but for me, it's God inspired and I feel that His hand will be over me in my work that I do for Him here in Bolivia, and back in Caronport.

It's been great getting to know the boys at Ken's house here. I pray that we will be able to bless them and be an encouragment to them to live out their faith. "Walk by faith, and not by sight." Can I have an amen!?

So in closing, things are wonderful here, and God is showing me lots, and it is such a blessing to be able to volunteer at all the places we do so, and help them out while proclaming the Name of our Father in Heaven. Oh, how I am blessed.

A huge thank you to everyone who got me to this point in my life. If you know me personally at all, that includes you. I have been affected by everyone I know and I am thankful that I know you... Probably... No... indeed! You have taught me something just by being you. And the better I know you, the more you have affected me, and you deserve a sincere thank you. So thank you.

Um, time for bed!