here is the rest of the week

On Friday morning we were planning to go to the beach and play soccer and volleyball with some Brazilian friends but it was raining! We still went to the beach and some played soccer but most of us did not stay long.  We hung out at the hotel the rest of the day most people were really tired and the STJ group left around 6:00 for the airport.  I was really sad to see them go! 

One of things that I pray for the STJ group and myself if that this experience teaches us more about God´s heart and through that we are changed forever! On the first Sunday that I was here the preacher talked about David and Goliath and how his past experience (David being a shephard had killed some big wild animals) gave him the knowledge that he would be able to defeat Goliath.  Our past experiences with God help us understand His heart and character and help us understand the future.  God is an unchanging God (this is one of my favorite things about Him!) James says that our Father does not change like shifting shadows.  Also, I have thought a lot about my walk with God and what God is trying to teach me and what my calling is.  I thought about Hebrews 11.  It starts out with one of the verses that most people know "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of the things we do not see."  Right after that verse is a long list of things God has done.  Stories of how people have stepped out in faith and God has really used them.  It is our history as Christians and I think God reminds us of that because we so easily forgot all that He has done.  I know I do, I let doubt creep in but when I stop and really think I know how much God has blessed me.  But that is all in our history as Christians, think about the Isrealites, God parted the sea for them and they must have forgotten that when they started worshiping idols.  And then when the Israelites wanted a king, not because God told them to but because they wanted to be like other nations, they must have forgotten about God providing the promise land and all God had done for them because they turned to their own selfish ways and wanted to be like the nations around them.  The list could go on and on throughout the Bible of times we forgot God´s love.  This made me think of what my Hebrews 11 list would look like.  I took some time to journal about some of the big things God has done in my life and then I wrote out a list of cool thing God has done on this trip.  And that is my prayer that I remember those things and more than that I pray that they change me.  Right after this long list of things God has done through people who stepped out in faith, Hebrews 12 starts out with this verse "Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."  So that is my prayer that after being surrounded by this great cloud of witness, this wonderful journey with God is Brazil, we can run with perseverance on the course that the Lord has for us.  That we will not forget but keep our eyes focused on Jesus and His work for our lives.  We have seen God work, seen the power of prayer, seen God´s blessings, felt his love and his Holy Spirit in worship and I pray we never forget that.