This week has been really awesome for me as it has been filled with working, digging into 1Peter more, and learning about how a "community" of believers looks like. This was our theme for the week, "Magnificent Community."
Fact: The number one reason why missionaries leave the mission field is because they can not get along with other missionaries!
--How disgusting is that?? We live to serve the same loving, and Just God but we can not even take steps to love one another?
We learned during training this week what Conflict looks like to God and how we as believers should approach it. I know what your thinking, Christians do not have conflict between each other because they are all happy all the time...wrong...and wrong again. Conflict between believers is common but should be dealt with differently than the world's view of conflict resolution. This is just one of the awesome characteristics of what community should look like. Another is the steps it takes for a community of people to reject praise to themselves and give it to God.
A story that our speaker told us is a good example of what this looks like.
So a symphony performed a piece by Beethoven and it was the hardest piece for anyone to perform and do it correctly. They did an amazing job and the audience rose to their feet and applauded greatly after. The conductor quickly sushed the audience and told them to hold their praise for "who are we to play this when Beethoven is the greatest one of all?"
This is a community of musicians who knows the difference between playing a song that is given to them and receiving praise for it and taking a song that is given to them and playing it for the glory to go to the creator of the song.
A Magnificent Community is one that longs to take their song, their lives, all of the praise they may receive, and give it to God, the creator.
WORK: I started my first day at Buffalo Wings & Rings on Tuesday! I am waitressing about 5 days a week so far and I love it. I honestly do not know if God gave me this job to test me or to just trust in Him with making the decision; but I quit Forever Yogurt. I am already building great relationships with the girls I work with, they know why I am here and they assure me I will leave with a "dirty mouth like them." haha They do have some filthy language and rebellious actions but that is why I there..to correct them? NO . That is one thing I want them to know. I am not there to judge them or convert them. I want to show and tell them that I was just like them, searching for significance in all the wrong places: boys, drinking, my appearance, and pleasing others. I simply want to get to know these girls, share stories, beliefs, and answer questions they may have about my reason for life.
Cookout-- This week I also lead a cookout at UIC for the students we have been meeting on campus. We enjoyed passing out waters, playing games, and getting into conversations with students we either had already met or just walked up to us! We had hotdogs, water, candy, and smores. We played corn hole, threw the football, and played a little frizz-bee. This was a fun time of fellowship with project people and UIC students to come together and simply share the love we have for them by serving them with food and fun!
Scripture:
This week we have been going through 1 Peter3:11-4:11 with reference to Isaiah 53. I encourage you to go read it yourself because there are so many things I could tell you that it has taught me about Jesus and His character. Jesus' birth, death, and rising from the dead was and is an example for how we are called to live: with submission to God's plan, humbling ourselves, trusting God, suffering for others, and not reviling when we are sinned against by others.
--"He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open is mouth" -Isiah 53:7
We are called to serve our Father in Heaven just as Jesus served His Father.
Prayer:
Last week of staff being here with us
Work -relationships I build there
Leadership on project as staff leave us their roles
UIC Students hearts to be open to the Gospel (Helen, Selina)
( Thank you for your prayers and your support!! )
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