Sunday, January 17, 2010

Week 2 Update

Well, as I am writing this there is some sort of tribal ceremony going on a few hundred feet away from me. Lots of tribal chanting and singing and a huge fire they are dancing around. I really am in Honduras!! :)

This was the 1st week of lectures and it was so great! Our speaker this week was Jon Peterson who came in from Washington. Jon is a retired pastor and teacher at Fuller Seminary. His lectures were focused on Biblical Studies-how and why we should ready and study our Bible. We were required to read the Gospel of John 5 times in 5 days. If you've never read one of the Gospels straight through, believe me, it takes some time! We read it straight through like a novel, read it out loud, backwards, and in sections. We also were tested on it and had to be able to correctly identify main points and the chapters in which they occurred.

I loved learning about best practices for being in the Word-making sure we understand the context and history surrounding the passage (the 'what'), learning about how to apply it to our lives (the 'so what') and the action we need to take (the 'now what'). So often I've tried to just open up my bible and read it from the beginning to end and always crash and burn somewhere around the book of Numbers. So it is awesome to have been given some guidance!

While we were learning about studying the Bible, we also talked a lot about the fact that while knowledge is important, it can't supercede a genuine love for Jesus. I often get really wrapped up in trying to know everything and having all the answers. But God doesn't call us to know everything, nor does he want us to have all the answers! He only calls us to LOVE him and each other. We were talking at dinner the other night how intelligence and being 'well-read' have become trendy...nowadays people seem to be in competition with each other about what and how much they know. I'm not saying that knowledge or book smarts is at all a bad thing, but the point that Jon was trying to make is that having all the facts straight and lots of knowledge doesn't substitute genuine love and faith in Jesus. God is revealing to me just how complicated I have made my life-when it doesn't need to be! He calls us to lead simple lives-lives that are not so focused on knowledge but more on simple things like love. I think we can more clearly see Him working through us when we aren't distracted by "stuff" of the world.

Each Monday afternoon we have a quiet time with God for 1 1/2 hours. No iPods, no books, no Bibles. At first this was weird to me because how often in life do we ever just stop and BE? Before I came here I would never have even considered such a thing! But I'm telling you-God really showed up in those moments of stillness and solitude! How awesome! Just me and God-letting it BE.

Anyways, in other news, it was a great weekend. I got in some great snorkeling and did some wakeboarding too. We also discovered this iguana farm right by where we are anchored. I've never seen so many iguanas in my life! They were huge and EVERYWHERE! I also got to play with some little monkeys :). Tonight one of the guys in the group was snorkeling around and found some HUGE starfish. I'll try to post some pictures and video soon!

My team continues to get more comfortable with each other. Lots of dance parties and silliness. I love it :).

I hope you are all doing well. Please be praying for the people of Haiti. I pray for healing and peace. May God show up in big ways for them.

Love to you!
Brittany

3 comments:

  1. Quite a change of pace from Chicago, ci? And you can see the stars and hear your own digestive system at work finally, ci? Willy has bad cataracts and is going blind but everyone else is fine. We saw Uncle Greg and Aunt Mary Sunday, they were passing through en route to their condo in Florida. Ma made pulled pork, cake and cookies and we watched the IU-Minnesota game. IU es victor! Grandma R said she'd be cleaning up her dancing shoes for my wedding.....bbye

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  2. Sounds like wonderful things are happening to you! Thanks for keeping everyone updated (oh, what technology can do for us today). Please stay safe and keep in contact...I love knowing what you are doing down there! Theo says, "tell the monkeys 'hi' and have a wonderful time!"
    xoxoLoveyouMissyou!
    Kate

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  3. You guys have a pretty relaxed schedule. Practical work? I love you and I am so glad that your not the old lady on the boat nor the only English speaker but I guess who else but Americans would be able to afford that DTS! Praying for you time there. Danielle

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