I love words. They carry so much WEIGHT. You can say so much more than you actually say. Hebrews 4:12 says For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. You can also say so much more than you actually … Continue reading words and the Word
I spent the other night watching movies with M and C. Last Night (starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes and Guillaume Canet) proved to be incredibly thought-provoking. The premise is simple: young married couple, wife sees chemistry between her husband and his co-worker and gets jealous, then the film centres on what happens the following day when he and his colleague are out of … Continue reading movie to make you think
I’ve missed solid Bible teaching, both hearing it and teaching. It’s funny how I feel more enseñada (accustomed, at home) here in Loja city than in Gonzanamá, and I’m generally content with how things are going with my ministry (in spite of frustrations I know are a natural part of being in ministry) – but this element has been a little lacking. Out in the … Continue reading teaching the Word
Came back to Loja from Quito the day after New Year’s, strangely heavy with melancholy. Similar sensation to coming back to an empty house after touring South America with my sister – though there was no reason that should’ve been the case. Couldn’t quite figure it out, couldn’t quite get to the heart of it, even praying over it. Then last night, an unexpected visit … Continue reading distilling melancholy
The very fact that you are foreign is, on its own, a key part of whatever ministry you do. As a foreigner, you generally have more respect, authority and liberty in whatever you do, and people will want to be friends with you. The flipside of that is that being foreign can also be a limiting factor in ministry – especially in terms of language, … Continue reading Ten things you should know about being a missionary
In two months living in Loja, I’ve had the chance to “tour” the various evangelical churches here. A number of things have caught my interest: There are quite a lot of them! Twenty churches is a big number for an extremely Catholic city of only 120 000 -odd people. Praise and worship is generally livelier across the board. P+W teams are largely made up of … Continue reading Observations about church
Yesterday I had the unnerving experience of realising I have been communicating in a very Ecuadorian way – without meaning to at all! The culture here is that when you have a problem with someone, you go tell a mutual friend, who then passes it on to that person. This is very much in contrast with my “If you have an issue with me, tell … Continue reading communication – ecuadorian style
Apparently it’s a good combination here. Go figure. One of my colleagues at El Sendero has commented on my “piernas gorditas” (chubby legs) a couple of times – in a positive light, saying I should wear a mini to show them off. She has thin legs, which in Ecuadorian culture seems to not be the great thing it is back home. But, seeing as I … Continue reading miniskirts and thunder thighs
I was saying to myself, I believe more in the universal church than in the local church. Then I retracted that because I remembered the local church is a biblical concept. So I re(de)fined my initial statement to I don’t believe in denominations and choosing a church to attend based on geographical location and worship style, because church is so much more than that. Hey, … Continue reading Thoughts about church
So the other day I went downstairs for dinner (as is my daily custom). Casually started eating, as usual. Then one of the boys started talking about the “borrego”. I said “What kind of animal is a borrego?” They pointed out the window. Sheep* in the backyard :O While my mouth was hanging open, the boys started chattering about the farm, maybe shearing the sheep … Continue reading Baa
⎯suansita⎯ 