Monthly Updates

This is just a short entry to ask for some input from you. I have been posting my monthly prayer update to my blog but most, if not all, of you receive it by email. Is it useful to you to have it posted here? If it isn't, then I won't take the time to do it. Just let me know by posting a comment to this entry by clicking on the word "COMMENTS" below.

Thanks for your help!

EET Team Meeting in Zaragoza

We had a team meeting for all the folks that work with EET (Escuela Evangélica de Teología), our online theology school. It's always good to be together since most of our work is done in our separate homes via email and internet. It was the first time I had seen the home of our teammates in Zaragoza, Jon and Meta Nelson, and it was nice to spend some time together as women when we weren't required to be in the meeting with the men.

Here is a photo of our team: Jon & Kathy Haley, Jeannette & Francisco Portillo, Tivo Rodriguez (his wife Fabi wasn't there) and Meta & Jon Nelson (I'm taking the photo). They are a great group of folks to work with and I feel privileged to be part of the team. If you'd like to take a look at the school website (which Jon designed) click here. It's in Spanish but you can at least see what it looks like even if you don't understand what it says.

Easter Thoughts from Max Lucado

THE TORN CURTAIN - - -
by Max Lucado

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Matt. 27:50-51 NIV).

It’s as if the hands of heaven had been gripping the veil, waiting for this moment. Keep in mind the size of the curtain—sixty feet tall and thirty feet wide. One instant it was whole; the next it was ripped in two from top to bottom. No delay. No hesitation.

What did the torn curtain mean? For the Jews it meant no more barrier between them and the Holy of Holies. No more priests to go between them and God. No more animal sacrifices to atone for their sins.

And for us? What did the torn curtain signify for us?

We are welcome to enter into God’s presence—any day, any time. God has removed the barrier that separates us from him. The barrier of sin? Down. He has removed the curtain.

But we have the tendency to put the barrier back up. Though there is no curtain in a temple, there is a curtain in the heart. Our guilty conscience becomes a curtain that separates us from God. As a result we hide from our Master.

That’s exactly what my dog, Salty, does. He knows he isn’t supposed to get into the trash. But let the house be human free, and the dark side of Salty takes over. If there is food in a trash can, the temptation is too great. He will find it and feast.

That’s what he had done the other day. When I came home, he was nowhere to be found. I saw the toppled trash, but I didn’t see Salty. At first I got mad, but I got over it. If I was cooped up all day with only dog food to eat, I might rummage a bit myself. I cleaned up the mess and went about the day and forgot about it.

Salty didn’t. He kept his distance. When I finally saw him, his tail was between his legs, and his ears were drooping. Then I realized, “He thinks I’m mad at him. He doesn’t know I’ve already dealt with his mistake.”

May I state the obvious application? God isn’t angry with you. He has already dealt with your mistake.

Somewhere, sometime, somehow you got tangled up in garbage, and you’ve been avoiding God. You’ve allowed a veil of guilt to come between you and your Father. You wonder if you could ever feel close to God again. The message of the torn flesh is you can. God welcomes you. God is not avoiding you. God is not resisting you. The curtain is down, the door is open, and God invites you in.

Don’t trust your conscience. Trust the cross. The blood has been spilt and the veil has been split. You are welcome in God’s presence.
____________________________________
From Next Door Savior
Copyright 2000, Max Lucado

North & South

I think I have discovered another favorite movie to go along with Pride & Prejudice. I have so enjoyed all of my Jane Austen movies that I decided to check out some others of the same genre. A couple of months ago I discovered "Wives & Daughters" by Elizabeth Gaskell and enjoyed it so much that when I saw another BBC movie of the same author, I decided to buy it. My daughter gives me a bad time for buying movies that I haven't seen yet, but this time the gamble paid off. I love this movie! It is very similar to P&P in that the female lead (Margaret) is very strong and the male lead (Mr. Thornton) is very proud AND there is an early proposal that has the same result so you spend the rest of the movie waiting for Margaret to realize that she loves Mr. Thornton and hoping they get together in the end. (I can just hear my son saying, "Not another one. Mom, all these movies have the same plot!") But I can't help it, I'm a sucker for romance, I guess.

I've tried to figure out what draws me to these period pieces. And while I'm not totally sure I have the answer, I do love the language and the costumes and the self-control and respect that is exhibited between those of the opposite sex. I think I'm so tired of seeing couples jump into bed before they're married and claim that it's love, that it's refreshing to see people exercise restraint and a kind of love that encourages someone to be a better person. So if you're inclined to this kind of movie, watch this one. I think you'll love it.

South Africa

I promised you a report and some photos from my trip to South Africa last month. So here it is, finally.

Our conference was held at Ekudeni Conference Center, about an hour and a half from Johannesburg (or Joburg as the natives call it).
It was a lovely setting but there were so many of us that they had to secure three other locations for us to sleep at and they shuttled us back and forth between the main location and our particular hotel.







As you can see in this photo, it was the beginning of fall in South Africa. It was the first time I've ever been south of the equator, so it was a little strange for me to adjust to an opposite season but I was grateful for the cool weather.













Each morning after a light breakfast, we would begin with worship in the chapel. The teenagers would join us and then after brunch they would head out for their day's activities and we would head to our meetings.







Hans Finzel, President of WorldVenture, would begin each morning with teaching on the life of Moses. We would then spend the rest of the day hearing from various staff members or missionaries regarding leadership and teamwork.








Each evening around supper time, animals would show up near the back fence and we would rush out with our cameras to try to get some pictures.










There was usually a beautiful sunset as well.













On Friday about half the group went on a full day trip to Pilanesberg Game Park where we were able to see lots of different types of animals in their natural habitat, although most were very far away. Thank goodness for telephoto lenses.


























It was a good time and I am so grateful for those of you who provided the funds to pay for this trip. I am indeed blessed!