Catching some precious zzzzzz's with my two little bears.I’m so behind on all the blogs that I’ve been meaning to write. I thought about trying to write a blog to catch you all up on everything, however, there are a couple problems with that idea. #1. It would be so long that no one would read the whole thing. #2. Every time I try to sit down and write this “catch-up blog”, there are at least ten other things vying for my time.
So I came up with an idea yesterday that I will just start blogging again and act like you have been with me every step of the way already. You may not like this idea…but you will just have to get over it!
MTS (Missionary Training School) has been incredible. Between all the reading, language learning, class time, and ministry time, it does prove to be a demanding schedule. In all my “free time” I like to squeeze in some sleep. Sleep is good. I could use some more right now. One of the most important things I’ve learned in MTS is that without training…missionaries will get eaten alive…sometimes, quite literally.
My favorite part of life right now is working with Chava in his carpentry shop. He’s helping to teach me Spanish as well as how to build furniture from the rough lumber available here in Mexico. On that note, we don’t have Home Depots or Lowes here…amazingly enough. When we go to the lumber yard to buy supplies, it’s always a crap shoot. For example, before we can even began building a table, we will spend hours cutting the wood down into 4X4’s, 2X4’s, and other common sizes that you can easily walk in and buy off the shelf in the States. Everything here is harder and more time-consuming.
As I work with the wood and watch the rough lumber become usable and then turn into a beautiful piece of furniture, I often think about what Jesus was thinking as he worked in the carpentry shop. Everything we do down here is in the hope that we can build solid relationships. In a society such as this, real change only comes about through relationship. That’s why I play on a soccer team, work in a carpentry shop, shop at the same fruit market every week, and eat every single funky thing set before me. Including the bowl of fried grasshoppers that was set before me night before last. It’s all about relationship.
On first appearance, many of the people here seem unapproachable. They sound different, look different, and often smell different. (Different is the P.C. way of saying “funny.”) Because of these differences, it’s easy to outright reject them as un-usable. But the more I learn to see through the eyes of Jesus, the more I began to judge them and accept them not for the rough lumber that they are, but the fine furniture that they will be.
So I came up with an idea yesterday that I will just start blogging again and act like you have been with me every step of the way already. You may not like this idea…but you will just have to get over it!
MTS (Missionary Training School) has been incredible. Between all the reading, language learning, class time, and ministry time, it does prove to be a demanding schedule. In all my “free time” I like to squeeze in some sleep. Sleep is good. I could use some more right now. One of the most important things I’ve learned in MTS is that without training…missionaries will get eaten alive…sometimes, quite literally.
My favorite part of life right now is working with Chava in his carpentry shop. He’s helping to teach me Spanish as well as how to build furniture from the rough lumber available here in Mexico. On that note, we don’t have Home Depots or Lowes here…amazingly enough. When we go to the lumber yard to buy supplies, it’s always a crap shoot. For example, before we can even began building a table, we will spend hours cutting the wood down into 4X4’s, 2X4’s, and other common sizes that you can easily walk in and buy off the shelf in the States. Everything here is harder and more time-consuming.
As I work with the wood and watch the rough lumber become usable and then turn into a beautiful piece of furniture, I often think about what Jesus was thinking as he worked in the carpentry shop. Everything we do down here is in the hope that we can build solid relationships. In a society such as this, real change only comes about through relationship. That’s why I play on a soccer team, work in a carpentry shop, shop at the same fruit market every week, and eat every single funky thing set before me. Including the bowl of fried grasshoppers that was set before me night before last. It’s all about relationship.
On first appearance, many of the people here seem unapproachable. They sound different, look different, and often smell different. (Different is the P.C. way of saying “funny.”) Because of these differences, it’s easy to outright reject them as un-usable. But the more I learn to see through the eyes of Jesus, the more I began to judge them and accept them not for the rough lumber that they are, but the fine furniture that they will be.
3 comments:
Praise God you're in MTS! That is such a huge blessing. You've hit the nail on the head with the building of relationships. That's what it's all about. Sometimes we can beat ourselves up with thoughts like, "I'm not DOING enough", or "I'm not teaching enough about God", but it all begins with relationship. The Nagels Rock!!!
Really nice blog Son. Love the picture and you very much. Mom
John...great blog. I got tears in my eyes when I read the last line...."But the more I learn to see through the eyes of Jesus, the more I began to judge them and accept them not for the rough lumber that they are, but the fine furniture that they will be."...isn't that how Jesus must see us all. :o)
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