Shifting

I leave for Colombia in less than a week. I don't feel completely ready, but I'm praying that the Lord's grace will be sufficient. That verse in 2 Corinthians has given me a lot of peace in the last few weeks.
I've been in my job nearly two months. Because of the commute, I had to buy a car - my first car. I bought a stick shift because I wanted to master it in anticipation of driving in Spain, and I kept the verse right in front of the shifter to remind me during those first, faltering weeks. Praise God for his mercy. His grace is sufficient.
Please pray as our Tenth team as we leave Thursday. I'm assigned to a medical team conducting a cardiology clinic. Please pray that we would work well and the love of Christ would show through our work. Please pray for fluency (I'm feeling a bit rusty) and understanding. Finally, pray for the two sister churches down there. Pray that we would be an encouragement to them.
And please pray for Spain. The Lord continually reminds me of the work and friends there.

Speed Bump

I wouldn't be honest if I didn't admit that it's been a hard week. I've been challenged in a few sectors and convicted in others. As I posted on Facebook a few days ago, "All I need is Jesus. And copious cups of coffee." The presence of caffeine doesn't downplay the need for the former. The last few mornings I've awoken and thought about how scary my life would be if I didn't have the Lord.

And the Lord has been very gracious to me this week. In the midst of perceived difficulty, I've been ministered to by my brothers and sisters in Christ and reminded of truth. I am so blessed to have such godly people in my life.
I say perceived difficulty because I see the images from Japan and realize that my fleeting anxieties are not as grave as losing my home, family, or fear of the specter of radiation poisoning. But just as Christ has been gracious to me, I pray for grace for the Japanese. The devastation and the horror is great, but God is greater still.

The picture on this post is graffiti from South Street in Philadelphia. I was praying while wandering around South Philly, and looked up at just the right moment. Spain was written three separate times in a line, but I could only get the last two in the frame, and I took it on a low-quality camera-phone. Seeing just the words sprayed on the top of a building was enough to tug at my heart. I miss it so much, and I just want to return to work there. In God's timing...