Meaningless and Hopeless

"Meaningless! Meaningless!"

      says the teacher.

"Utterly meaningless!

     Everything is meaningless."

Ecclesiastes 1:2

So go the opening lines of Ecclesiastes; and, upon honest reflection, so appears the world.  Our friends on the street live to feed their passions, whatever they may be at any given moment.  Many of them are simply repeating the pattern established by their parents, adapting the cycle of sin, poverty, and brokenness to their own age and environment.  The chaos and destruction that appears in the wake of their choices does indeed seem meaningless.

But the writer of Ecclesiastes was not merely referring to the obvious ways that sin perverts the goodness of God's creation and distorts the semblance of its moral order, nor did he only illustrate his point with those whose lot is endless toil with no reward.  His examination cuts deep and his diagnosis poetically describes the impression given by a horizontal survey of this world.  Rich or poor, oppressed or free, educated or ignorant, yellow, red, black, or white our best efforts are meaningless in our sight...

Even so, the stark reality of the truths of Ecclesiastes are brought into sharper focus in the darker corners of this sin stained world; the absurdity of  selling and buying a person's body for the fleeting pleasure of sexual gratification, an unquenchable fire that consumes all who attempt to tame it; the pointlessness of huffing glue to cover the pain of past abuse only to be aroused from a stupor with a pounding headache and a profound sense of shame; the closed wombs of countless women who, along with their husbands, are mentally, emotionally, and financially prepared to care for children, while the fertility of so many others bring children into this world without fathers, homes, or love.  Everything is meaningless.

 Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole [duty] of man.

For God will bring every deed into

judgement,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

So ends the wisdom offered by the writer of Ecclesiastes; and, upon honest reflection on the testimony of Scripture, so is the world.  But if this is the end of the story, we have simply been moved from meaninglessness to hopelessness.  The writer of Ecclesiastes has contemplated all of creation from a worldly perspective and has found it to be utter vanity.  He moves from the horizontal to the vertical in order to identify our purpose, banishing the pretense of triviality.  We were created to honor and glorify God by knowing Him and obeying His commands.  But the honest reader, while gaining a since of purpose, will not be moved one inch from the despair he felt when life appeared meaningless, "for God will bring every deed into judgement..." (emphasis mine).  Now everything is hopeless.

...but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks,

Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God...

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us the wisdom of God - 

that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.

1 Corinthians 1:23, 24, 30

So writes Paul; and, upon honest reflection on the testimony of the Spirit through the Scriptures, so is Christ.  When we honestly look at the world around us and consider the brevity and seeming incongruity of our lives, we are tempted to stumble under the weight of a horizontal vista (see also Psalm 73).  When we recognize that Scripture teaches that we were made for an end, that our lives are not meaningless but, instead, are imbued with purpose, we are tempted to stumble under the burden of that unreachable goal, that is, to honor and glorify God with all that we are.  It is in the revelation of Christ alone that we find that our purpose brings hope, because it (i.e., our purpose) was accomplished in Him.  Jesus Christ fulfilled the "whole duty of man," fearing God and keeping His commands.  By this He became our righteousness and holiness.  Then, He was judged for "our every hidden thing," all of which was evil. By this He became our redemption.  In Christ there is purpose (to love, serve, and enjoy our God and Savior) and hope (eternal life with the Triune God).

Oh, the depth of the riches of the

wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgements,

and his paths beyond tracing out!

"Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?"

"Who has ever given to God,

that God should repay him?"

For from him and through him and to

him are all things.

To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Romans 11:33-36

Just Plain Peru.

This week Lily asked me if she could write on our blog and since Geoff is out trying to take care of a required test for our car (and this, like many things here, could take hours), I decided this would work out nicely.  The below post, written by Lily, is her thoughts on some of the things she has noticed about Peru.  

My name is Lily and I am writing this week on my parents' blog.  I want to share a little about Peru. Peru is very different from the USA.  The food is different, the schools are different, and the people are different. 

Lima is also different from the rest of Peru.  It is huge.  Because most people do not have cars, they ride taxis or buses.  The streets of Lima are very busy and there are speed bumps everywhere!  Rapidly, the cars shove in front of each other in order to get where they need to go.  There are little stores called bodegas located on almost every street.  They are jam packed with Peruvian treats as well as other simple foods.  Many people live in apartments and others live in one room houses.  Conveniently, there are vendors who sell food on the streets.  These are a big favorite in my family.     

Below are some pics of just plain peru!

One of the things I love about Peru is the food!

O so good.

Intestines for sale at the market. Gross!!!

The market, where most Peruvians buy there food.

In this picture you can see some of the buses people ride. Lima is very busy. 

Peru can be different depending on the place.  This is Santa Rosa. 

An Incan chief at a dance show we saw.

A Peruvian dance at the dance show.

The USA is very different from Peru, but that does not mean Peru is different in a bad way.  God made all countries and all people.  He is working with Peru as well as North America.  At first, I wanted to move back so much.  But as the time draws near, I don't want to leave the people and the country who, like America, our great God is working through.

Meet Esperanza

Meet Esperanza

It is with immense joy that I (Geoff) publish this week's post.  One of our greatest blessings during the years that we have been in Peru has been to work along side our "forever-family" from Peru.  We have grown to deeply love our Peruvian brothers and sisters in Christ and have enjoyed laboring beside them for the glory of our Father.

It has been remarkably humbling to see how God is using Peruvians to reach Peruvians.  The Spirit is transforming the hearts and minds of the people here (as He is all over the world), empowering our Peruvian brothers and sisters to carry the message of the Cross to every corner of this country, and beyond.  We have witnessed the wisdom of Peruvians ministering to Peruvians (not to trivialize cross-cultural ministry and its important place in God's mission).  National servants never get homesick nor falter with language.  They know their culture better than any foreigner ever will.  They know and love their people, and they speak with an understanding and perceived authority not possessed by those of us who come from the outside.   Our experience here has impressed upon us the inestimable value of Peruvian leadership in the work of God in Peru.

It would take a 100 posts to enumerate all of the lessons that we have learned from our friends here.  Our lives have been enriched and our hearts have been enlarged through these relationships, and I would love to share, however inadequately, this gift with all of you.  Towards this end, in this blog, I will introduce you to my friend, and dear sister in Christ, Esperanza.

Esperanza joined the Word Made Flesh staff around the same time that we moved to Lima.  Her love for the Lord and her passion to see our friends reconciled to Christ is exemplary.  She is tireless (apart from work meetings, where she sometimes reenergizes by taking a short catnap) and driven, giving sacrificially of herself and inspiring others to the same.

Personally, Esperanza has been an invaluable part of my experience here.  Because she is bilingual, I have been able to participate in the ministry of Word Made Flesh in more significant ways with her help.  She intuitively knows how to finish my thoughts, and when I reach the end of my tiny repertoire of Spanish expressions she is always ready to fill in the missing pieces (which is often and many, respectively).

My favorite thing about Esperanza is her heart for lost people.  More than once, I have been profoundly impressed by her passionate pleas to our friends who live on the street.  She shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with tears in her eyes, entreating our friends to consider the goodness of our Father in sending His Son to obey and suffer on our behalf.  Her's is not a cold and calculated argument for why we are "right" and others are "wrong" but a sincere, heart-felt message of grace and forgiveness to broken and sinful people like ourselves.  She has taught me much about the heart of evangelism.

The following is an interview (via email) that Raechel had with Esperanza:          

• Tell me a little about your family and where you all are from?

I come from a large family, three sisters and one brother, I am the middle one. We are all from Lima, Peru, my parents too; though my grandparents are from the mountains of Peru, Cajamarca, a place most of my extended family loves to go for vacation.  I am blessed that my parents were Christians when my brother, my sisters, and I were growing up because they taught us Christian values.  But more importantly they showed us the best thing a person can get, God's love and forgiveness.

• What does a typical day or week look like?

Well, during the weekdays is pretty mechanical, I get up early for devotional, then get ready for work in PHH, I also have a tutoring class from Monday to Thursdays. I usually get home by 8:00 and then take some time to study, because I am taking a 9-month course in the university that ends in December this year.  Friday nights, music rehearsal at church. On Saturdays mornings, I visit my aunt to practice English and then dance rehearsal. Saturday afternoons I just stay home or have other plans. Once a month I go to classes at university. Sundays, I usually spend all day at church.

• What are your hobbies or things you enjoy doing?

Easy, singing and dancing.

• What do you like/enjoy about working with PHH?

The possibility to work in the ministry full time, seeing God’s work in the life of my friends, and seeing God’s work in my life through their life.  I also enjoy being able to get into their environment and be recognized as a friend, but a friend that is looking for their good, I mean a good relationship with God.  Another thing that I enjoy is to see how God supports his work. 

• What is difficult about doing full time ministry?

One of the most difficult things is dealing with frustration. Many times I was expecting fast changes, a quick response, but I am learning that God has his perfect timing to do his work, and I just need to keep praying and trusting that I am going to see that change.

• What is your hope for your future?

Many families and individuals changed by the blood of Jesus and embraced by the church. I hope to see families and individuals, regardless of their situation, trust and honor God and also be a testimony for others.

Esperanza has done lots of translating for us and our teams

Something not mentioned above is Esperanza's gift with kids.  She is amazing with children.

Sure Calling

It is no secret that speaking Spanish has not come naturally to me.  Some days are better than others, but in general, everyday is a battle.  Living in Peru has made me appreciate all the more the gift of conversation, especially dialogue about the Truth that has set me free.

Over a year ago, I accepted the fact that the Spirit of God had given me an extraordinary passion for the Holy Bible, a desire to give my life to God's Word and to be, God willing, anchored in its propositions, subject to its convictions, and submitted to its exhortations.  This zeal was not new, but the recognition of its uniqueness and its purpose were.  

Last year, I was convicted that this compulsion to immerse myself in God's special revelation(i.e., His inspired Word given to us in the Bible)is not for me alone, nor even primarily, but this gift is for the church.  Raechel can testify to the fact that I did not come to this conclusion quickly, nor comfortably, but with much fear and trepidation.  Yet, I have never been more sure of my calling to proclaim the glories of God the Father in the face of His Son by the power of His Spirit.

It is this calling that makes weeks like the last one extremely challenging.  This week was one of those weeks when my tongue seemed to utterly fail me and all attempts at sharing the hope that I have in Christ felt undermined by the language barrier that constantly mocks me (cursed be the leaders at Babel!). Convinced of the gift I have received and burdened with a desire to share it, my inability to communicate the Truth that has so captivated and transformed me is a great struggle. This burden is made endurable by the obvious ways in which God is working through my Peruvian brothers and sisters.

(Allow me to emphasize this last point.  The burden that I feel to preach and teach the truths of Scripture is not born out of an absence of such proclamation here and now in Lima.  I have been greatly encouraged by the gracious gifts that the Spirit has showered upon my friends in Palabra Hecha Hombre and in the church in Santa Rosa.  My Peruvian brothers and sisters who are laboring for the Lord here are equally burdened to see God the Father glorified by people loving and honoring His Son through the Spirit.  They work tirelessly to this end, and I am humbled by their faithfulness and zeal.  I pray that God allows me to be as passionate and bold as my Peruvian friends when I return to the States.)

Even now, my burden to proclaim the only Name under heaven by which people can be saved (i.e., Jesus, the Son of God) is being translated into action.  I have spent the last year spending my free time taking seminary classes in preparation for my calling to be a pastor.  In sports fitness terms (recall that I used to be a personal trainer), I am in preseason, training my heart, soul, and mind for the task that lies before me.

Finally, since the very beginning of my time here I have found that one of the ways that I can best support my ministry partners is by entertaining kids.  Most of the youth we minister to have children, and crying kids are not conducive to effective discourse.  Therefore, I employ my natural childishness in the service of the Gospel.  Below are various pictures documenting one of my "jobs," i.e., playing with kids.  It is tough work, but somebody has to do it.

A Reprieve From Seclusion  

I (Raechel) have a friend here in Lima who keeps an amazing blog.  She does a great job of sharing her struggles with her reading audience, and I have been encouraged and edified by her willingness to be vulnerable.  Her transparency has inspired me to communicate some of my trials and the lessons that I have learned from them.  So, for better or worse, here I go.

Honestly, Peru has been exceedingly difficult for me.  Living in a city has been a change in itself, but add to that the cross cultural component and it has made for a huge adjustment.  Everything is a challenge.  Sometimes something as simple as buying fruit at the market takes all of the energy I can muster and never knowing exactly what is going on around me takes an emotional toll.  

During our first year in Peru, Geoff and I would put the kids in bed at 7:00p.m., collapse onto the couch, drooling and staring off into space until around 9:00, and then lug our exhausted bodies into our bed.  The tasks of normal daily living and parenting our four kids, combined with the process of acculturation, often left me feeling like an amoeba, void of all attributes common to mankind.  

Although things have gotten easier over the years, they still come with various challenges.  Ordering pizza still requires unceasing prayer and unfaltering fortitude.  Going anywhere without Geoff incites dread and trepidation.  And there are still some days when my Spanish seems barely adequate to communicate the most basic ideas.

I have always been a homebody, but as I have been faced with the laboriousness of living in another culture, I have found myself less and less willing to leave the house and engage the outside world.  My home is my safe haven, my comfort zone, the place where I am understood and where I am free from the burden of dealing with the pressures of the foreign milieu outside my door, so at home I stay.  

Now, this withdrawal did not happen over night.  Sure, I always preferred being at home, but in the beginning I gave it the old college try.  When we first arrived in Lima, we tried to get involved in a variety of activities with our kids.  We did cooking lessons and soccer, and Lily even participated in a drama class.  We had Zeke and Chi in a local preschool and kindergarden, and even discussed putting Lily in a Peruvian school.  But these efforts to engage the culture soon began to cost us more than they seemed to benefit us.  Little by little, I disengaged and found myself, and unfortunately my children, secluded in my "safe haven."

Aside from the general attempt to adjust to life in Lima, there was the more specific endeavor of finding my fit in the ministry.  It did not take me long to wrestle with the tension of feeling the need to do ministry and the reality of not desiring to participate in ministry events.  In the beginning, I told myself that things would get better with time and that I would want to be out there doing more ministry after I was more comfortable with living here.  But as time went on, I found that my aversion to working directly with the ministries only increased and that my focus on the ministry that I had at home consumed more of my energy and time (homeschooling and being a wife).  

In addition, I slowly began to come to grips with the tension that pulled my heart in divergent directions.  In reality, I love my calling.  I love being a wife to Geoff and a mom to my four crazy kids.  I feel so blessed to be able to do these things full time and could not imagine doing anything else.  Yet, after the first year, the tension still existed.  I felt guilty for not wanting to be out there doing more.  I felt like I was not being a good Christian because I was under the impression that good Christians go out and do ministry.

Then, God challenged me, reminding me about the all-encompassing nature of the Gospel of grace.  I was reading A Prodigal God by Tim Keller and through this, as well as Geoff speaking truth into my life, I was brought back to my true identity in Christ and the completeness of the salvation I have received in Him.  I realized that the tension that I had been wrestling with stemmed from my prideful desire to earn my place in the Kingdom of God.  I was no different than the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, thinking that I could earn God's favor by working for my keep.  

I would have never been able to articulate this at the time, but the move to Peru to do missions, in a lot of ways, was, for me, motivated by a yearning to become a "better" Christian.  I was doing what I thought all good Christians should do, working to please my Father.  Over the last few years, my works, born in my own strength, efforts to please God and earn His commendation, have only served to bring me to my knees and humble my prideful heart.  

I am who I am in Christ because God has reached down and pulled me from the pit and set me on solid ground by His grace.  In Christ, I have already received an inheritance that I could never earn in a thousand lifetimes of overseas missions.   So, I do not have to have a ministry outside my home to please my Father.  My Father is pleased with me because I have been clothed with the righteousness of Christ, not because of my work with any ministry.  There is no tension when I remember this, only freedom to be the best wife and mother I can be in Christ.

So, what does this have to do with the pictures below?  Like I was saying, I am a homebody.  I prefer to be secluded than to be amidst the hustle and bustle of this insane city.  But one of the goals for our last few months in Peru is to acquire pleasant memories from our time here.  I am aware that the problem is not Peru.  This is a beautiful country with precious people made in the image of their creator.  So, I want to experience and remember some of that beauty.

I confess that even with this new commitment to get out and see more of Peru, Geoff had to convince me this week that it was time for a reprieve from my seclusion.  On Monday we left for a three day trip to the mountains and spent an enjoyable few days outside the city.  Below are some pictures from our trip. 

 

Lily

HERE'S LILY

With or new weekly commitment to blog about our time in Peru, we have decided to highlight each of our kids at some point during the next few months.  Being that Lily is the oldest, and because of a recent change in her life (see below), we thought we should start with her.  

When we moved here nearly three years ago, Lily was only 7 years old.  She has spent a little under half of her life here and has grown not only physically, but is growing into a mature, beautiful, young lady of God.  As she has faced the many challenges that come with living in another culture, she has dealt with loneliness and frustration, but has also experienced tremendous blessings and growth.

Lily has always cherished participating in ministry events with her daddy.  Of all our kids, she is always the first to volunteer for ministry related activities, loving a good adventure.  A few months ago, she was asking to accompany Geoff on Wednesdays for the regular ministry program at the center.  Last year, I had told her "no" because she needed to focus on her school work.  This year, I was convicted that I was elevating her education over something far more important.  I decided that I would rearrange her schooling to allow her time to serve alongside Geoff.  On Tuesdays, after she finishes the day's assignments, she starts right in on Wednesday's schoolwork.

I am so grateful for the opportunity she has to serve with her dad.  She is an enormous help to the ministry, while being discipled through the process of working with Geoff.  I am confident that this has been a formative year for her, and I thank God daily for the evidence of His grace at work in her life.  Geoff and I both pray with steadfast hope and great expectation that the seeds that are being planted today will issue forth in a glorious harvest in the life of this God-honoring young women.

Pictures of Lily in Action   

Lily loves her some babies!!!

Helping with a skit at the Family Bible Study.

I can't understand why the kids love her so much.

Her favorite job in the world, holding babies.

She has the gift of endless energy.

A Short Interview With Lily

Mommy, "Tell me some things you love about Peru?"

Lily, "The food, traveling in Peru, the Ocean, and I love going to the ministry center with dad"

Mommy, "What are some things that have been hard for you here?"

Lily, "Speaking Spanish, being away from family, and I love climbing trees and being in the forest, but here it is all city." 

Mommy, "What do you like about working with Word Made Flesh?"

Lily, "I love playing with the kids and having them come to me, and holding babies."

Mommy, "What have you learned during your time here?"

Lily, "I have learned that God has given me a gift to work with kids.  It is really hard, but I like it because I love kids, and once they get to know me, they come to me.  It has taught me patience.  For example, one time I was walking around with a crying child because she wanted her mom.  I just kept trying to comfort her, and I had never realized a child could have so many tears."

Mommy, "How have you changed during your time here?"

Lily, "I have seen a lot of poverty and sin and this has changed my perspective on things.  For example, I visited a lady's home and she had one room with two beds and a small table.  I was amazed that people live like this, while we have big houses and lots of stuff we don't even need.  I also sometimes think about the little kids I work with.  I don't want them to grow up like their parents who are often rowdy, with no manners, and maybe on drugs."

Mommy, "Is there anything else you want to share?"

Lily, "Peru has been a good experience for me.  I have learned a lot and seen a lot of things that have changed me.  Although it has been hard, it has been good."

Mommy, "What do you want to do in the future?"

Lily, "I want to have lots of kids and maybe be an artist or a writer.  Maybe I would like to be an owner of an orphanage.  Hopefully, I can live on a farm because I like nature and animals, and I think my kids would like that too."

Pictures from Lily's time here

Lily's first birthday in Peru.  Her neighborhood friends threw her a surprise birthday party.

Our trip to visit Elita's family included a visit to the third largest waterfall in the world, Gocta.  Lily and the boys rode mules, while the grownups walked.  (Side-note:  Elita and Raechel almost died from exhaustion on this four hour trek.  Raechel would like to add that the trail was nearly vertical...in both directions.  "It was the hardest thing I have ever done." - Raechel)

Lily enjoying a Christmas celebration...In the summer!!

In Santa Rosa, Lima, and the world round, Lily is a kid magnet.

Lily enjoying a visit from her cousin and friend.

Lily and Daddy acting a fool.

The two most beautiful women in the world...In my humble opinion. - Geoff

A Day At The Beach And Other Unrelated Topics

Here we go again!  As we begin the process of wrapping up our time in Peru, we have committed ourselves, once more (a final last ditch effort, if you will), to share some of the memories that we have made over the course of the last two and a half years.  Some of these stories will carry us back to our arrival to Peru, while others will reflect our more recent adventures.  Through these accounts we will endeavor to also communicate some of the lessons that we have learned and the various ways that God has forever changed us during our time here in Lima.  Our goal is to publish these recollections every Friday for your reading enjoyment.

At the end of this past summer (in March), we decided to take our friends to the beach.  Three young ladies, a young man, and their respective kids piled into our car early one weekday morning, and we left the smog-filled foulness of the streets of Central Lima for the open-air splendidness of the beaches south of the city.  The car ride alone was worth the price of gas as we lifted our voices together to the blissful sound of Eighties music and filled the remaining moments with congenial conversation.

We arrived at our destination in time for lunch and hit a local eatery a stones throw from the beach.  The food was typical Peruvian cuisine.  True to form, Lily and Chi demolished adult sized portions of the delicious fare while Eli and Zeke bemoaned the fact that I wouldn't allow them to just eat the crackers and apples that I had packed for a mid-afternoon snack.  Our friends ate their fill quicker then usual, and we all felt a little anxious about being so close to the beach yet not quite there.

After lunch, we made the short drive to the beach where we passed the afternoon breathing deep of the fresh ocean air and bathing in the golden drops of sunshine that warmed us just enough to allow us to brave the frigid water off the Peruvian coast.  The kids attempted to burrow to China, and made amazing progress towards that end.  The youth played volleyball and dodged jellyfish in the sea.  As for me, I soaked it all in.

For just a moment, life was grand, literally, "a day at the beach."  We weren't standing on a street corner amidst the tumult and depravation of Central Lima.  We weren't surrounded by kids reeking of glue and looking like the streets that they live on.  We were on the sandy shore of the Pacific Ocean amongst the grandeur and glory of God's creation.  We were in the presence of young women and a young man, with their children, who seemed to be in all visible respects no different than me and my kids.  What a difference a change in venue can make.

On the drive back to Lima a solemness replaced the jubilant atmosphere that marked our trip to the beach.  Each of us seemed to be wrestling with words to express our gratefulness for the day God had given us, free from our normal worries, concerns, and battles, while sensing the impending return to reality that awaited us in Lima, very different realities to be sure, yet each weighty in their own respect.

As I pulled into downtown Lima to drop off my young friends, they identified the corner where they would disembark.  I stopped at the place they asked me to and immediately recognized it as the infamous intersection of Grau and Iquitos, where broken young women gather to sell their bodies to depraved men.  We were not at the beach any more.