Sunday, July 17, 2005
Baptism
So, brother James got baptised tonight. How could I stay away?
A while back I asked James some questions about his missions trip to Costa Rica. They were:
What were the 2 most significant things you came back having learned as life changing things? What piece of the people have you taken away from there in your heart, and what did you learn about yourself?
Instead of me reiterating what he said, I'll cut and paste his answers.
Aber and I helped silvio, the caretaker, lay new cement in front of the church. I got along with silvio last time too. I think he likes me. When aber broke a folding chair silvio and I thought about ideas to fix it. not by talking, but by hand gestures and actions. we thought of the same solution. I like silvio, he is a cool guy.
Last year there was this girl who always watched everyone. This year I decided I needed to make the girl feel more comfortable. it was great that her sister was there too. her sister would run over and play pass with me using a soccer ball. I would then kick it accross the fence and the other girl would kick it back. but she wouldn't come over just yet. I kept doing this then asked again and she jumped accross to play too. after that she came over quite often with her little sister. I would be sitting down and then have these two come and sit beside me. they loved to play with my camera, i didn't care they weren't going to break it. Then there was their little brother. this boy was full of energy. his name was samuel. samuel would play pass too. then i knelt down for a second. a few moments later I had samuel fastened to my neck on my back. umm he wouldn't let go. so we played soccer with samuel on my back. all i could hear was laughing. I turned myself upside down to shake the sucker off but he hung on and screamed Noo! Noo! and laughed. so I kept making sudden moves to make his ride a little more exciting. it was kinda funny. I looked over later and saw his mom signal to me. so i went over and she took him off my back over the barb fence. I guess it was time for him to go home.
I also met the new Pastor. his name is Jose. 37 years old. he is a cool guy. we couldn't talk to each other too well, just some, but he would do his best to get his thoughts accross to me. we were able to communicate just fine. I helped him with the sunday school project. The rest of the team went to watch a soccer game and I decided to join pastor jose. susan asked if I would understand what they are saying. I said nope and off I went to help. it was kind of funny. I would watch and they would be talking to me in spanish. but of course I have no idea what they are saying. I just laughed and they laughed. i was still able to help anyway.
I spoke twice when at churches. once in nazerine church and once in amparo church. both times I wasn't really that nervous, but of course I still was. i was able to make people laugh. i like doing that, even though it may not seem that way.
I can do things even if i don't think i can. like communicate with people who don't speak english. it is possible, just takes work. and I can do it. I tell myself too much that I can't do it, so I don't.
I seemed to make the best relationships with the kids that were quieter. maybe because everyone else went for the lively ones, i tried to go for the ones that didn't say anything. like the girl accross the fence. I wanted to make her feel special and important too. I wanted to make their day. and I think I achieved that in my own little way.
I still need to bring my work life into my every day life. i act way different at work than I do in public/church/etc. I am more free at work and don't think about what people may think or say. i guess i feel more comfortable because I know them very well.
I don't know what you read into his answers, but to me they show a man of maturity. He sees the needs of others, perhaps even those who may be overlooked. He looks for those who may feel like I think he has in his life. He accepts fully. I know I've experienced that with him. I see in him a real man of God, growing month by month.
I love you, brother.
A while back I asked James some questions about his missions trip to Costa Rica. They were:
What were the 2 most significant things you came back having learned as life changing things? What piece of the people have you taken away from there in your heart, and what did you learn about yourself?
Instead of me reiterating what he said, I'll cut and paste his answers.
Aber and I helped silvio, the caretaker, lay new cement in front of the church. I got along with silvio last time too. I think he likes me. When aber broke a folding chair silvio and I thought about ideas to fix it. not by talking, but by hand gestures and actions. we thought of the same solution. I like silvio, he is a cool guy.
Last year there was this girl who always watched everyone. This year I decided I needed to make the girl feel more comfortable. it was great that her sister was there too. her sister would run over and play pass with me using a soccer ball. I would then kick it accross the fence and the other girl would kick it back. but she wouldn't come over just yet. I kept doing this then asked again and she jumped accross to play too. after that she came over quite often with her little sister. I would be sitting down and then have these two come and sit beside me. they loved to play with my camera, i didn't care they weren't going to break it. Then there was their little brother. this boy was full of energy. his name was samuel. samuel would play pass too. then i knelt down for a second. a few moments later I had samuel fastened to my neck on my back. umm he wouldn't let go. so we played soccer with samuel on my back. all i could hear was laughing. I turned myself upside down to shake the sucker off but he hung on and screamed Noo! Noo! and laughed. so I kept making sudden moves to make his ride a little more exciting. it was kinda funny. I looked over later and saw his mom signal to me. so i went over and she took him off my back over the barb fence. I guess it was time for him to go home.
I also met the new Pastor. his name is Jose. 37 years old. he is a cool guy. we couldn't talk to each other too well, just some, but he would do his best to get his thoughts accross to me. we were able to communicate just fine. I helped him with the sunday school project. The rest of the team went to watch a soccer game and I decided to join pastor jose. susan asked if I would understand what they are saying. I said nope and off I went to help. it was kind of funny. I would watch and they would be talking to me in spanish. but of course I have no idea what they are saying. I just laughed and they laughed. i was still able to help anyway.
I spoke twice when at churches. once in nazerine church and once in amparo church. both times I wasn't really that nervous, but of course I still was. i was able to make people laugh. i like doing that, even though it may not seem that way.
I can do things even if i don't think i can. like communicate with people who don't speak english. it is possible, just takes work. and I can do it. I tell myself too much that I can't do it, so I don't.
I seemed to make the best relationships with the kids that were quieter. maybe because everyone else went for the lively ones, i tried to go for the ones that didn't say anything. like the girl accross the fence. I wanted to make her feel special and important too. I wanted to make their day. and I think I achieved that in my own little way.
I still need to bring my work life into my every day life. i act way different at work than I do in public/church/etc. I am more free at work and don't think about what people may think or say. i guess i feel more comfortable because I know them very well.
I don't know what you read into his answers, but to me they show a man of maturity. He sees the needs of others, perhaps even those who may be overlooked. He looks for those who may feel like I think he has in his life. He accepts fully. I know I've experienced that with him. I see in him a real man of God, growing month by month.
I love you, brother.
// posted by Annette @ 9:27 p.m. 