Japan meets Texas meets Cusco

It has shaped up to be a very international summer! After returning to Texas from Guatemala, a good Japanese friend of mine visited for about a week. He was studying abroad at the University of Oregon, and my friend and I met him on a college ministry trip we took back in January with our school's BSM. Before returnig to Japan, he wanted to see the rustic west, and we were thrilled to show him! Some close Tarleton friends and I had a fantastic time showing him around Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Stephenville. It was unforgettable to reconnect with our friend! As sad as it was to see him go, I am glad he is back home safely in Japan.

I am now blogging from Cusco, Peru! After a cancelled flight in Lima and lots of sleeping in terminals, my team and I were welcomed with a giant banner, balloons, and new smiling Peruvian friends! They work with a ministry called Zona Segura (check them out on facebook). The ministry reaches out to 18-25(ish) yr olds in Cusco. They provide a "safe zone," as the name describes, by building relationships with people, telling them of salvation in Christ, and teaching them everything Jesus taught! My team will be working alongside them this week in different schools and universities. There will also be an opportuntiy to go into the mountain villages in Cusco. We will also get to visit Macchu Pichu on our last day! I am very excited to see what God doe this week. The team consists of teo amazing families, 2 beautiful girls from my church, my parents, and four of my closest friends!

I love y'all! Thank you for your thoughts and prayer!

Guatemala Synopsis

"Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” - Exodus 15:22-26

This was a passage of Scripture that the Guatemalan pastor of the Church of God in Candelaria read in Spanish upon my team's arrival in his village. From day one, my American team and the Guatemalan Living Water Intl. staff were welcomed with open arms, delicious food, and expectant smiles by the people of Nueva Candelaria. Until this day, there was no governmental or organizational aid going into their village. What an incredible honor to be a conduit of God's love in this remote area on the eastern coast of Guatemala! The Lord does not use super-humans to do his will. I am living proof that he uses ordinary, broken, scatter-brained people to meet others' needs.

If I were to summarize this trip in three words, they would be FULL (We were awake for work before the sun rose and asleep after it had set), DIRTY (I was covered with the 'elements' of a drilling rig on a pretty constant basis), and REFRESHING (I cannot think of a better way for the Lord to have quenched my parched tongue after such a difficult semester).
I got to see the hues of meeting the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs of Nueva Candeliaria converge through Living Water Intl. Here's a bit about how this happened:
PHYSICAL
Drilling a 150 ft. deep water well through 4 natural aquifers met a physical need. The village had a shallow open well of about 20 ft. that was easily contaminated by the latrine that was dug at about the same depth. This water and the water from the nearby river are both problematic sources of drinking water. I washed my hands in the village's caramel-colored water and spotted a small, black, worm-like creature floating in my palm. A school teacher later said that their water had many problems with leeches. A child said that after playing at school, he would not want to drink the water that the teachers had to offer him because it tasted bad. But since he was thirsty and the water was the only refreshment available, he would drink it.

EMOTIONAL
Working alongside the Guatemalan villagers of Nueva Candelaria enabled them to take ownership of the water well as a new part of their community and lives. From set up to tear down, men from the village helped our team make the well a reality. We had no intention of walking in, drilling, and leaving without the people understanding and being a vital part of the process. The women of the village sustained the drilling process by cooking lunches for the team, mayor, and pastors who came to drill as well. My leader also mentioned that having women on the drilling team provides the men of Nueva Candelaria an opportunity to see men work alongside women in a biblical, mutually-respectful way. This can speak volumes in a male-dominated society.

INTELLECTUAL
Teaching hygiene and well maintanence supplied the women and children with practical information to imporve their quality of life. The village was equipped with knowledge on how to keep their new gift in running condition, so they will not be dependant on external help (although Living Water Intl. will be in continued correspondance with the village in case help is needed). Other topics that were taught and readily learned included oral hygiene, germ transmission, and diarreah treatment. Sadly, many infants die in these areas from dehydration after bouts with diarreah. Rehydrating the baby with a simple water, salt, and sugar mixture is a very attainable solution that we taught on this trip. I feel like the villagers were the ones who taught me volumes about working together, being hospitable, and simply living life in a productive way.

SPIRITUAL
The hygiene team was also able to share Bible stories during their lessons in the school and the church. So, hundreds of children and their mothers heard of the God who created them and loves them personally. The men also heard the gospel multiple times throughout the well dedication ceremony, as well as through personal conversations on the drilling rig. The drilling and hygiene teams both began each day and each meal with prayer to the only One who can bring success. I was so encouraged when I heard the pastor, mayor, and many members of the church and community say that while the new water well is a beautiful gift, Jesus is the only Living Water. He is the ultimate gift to recieve.

On a personal note, the Lord showed me that I continue to love agriculture, and that I enjoy drilling water wells! You know how you sometimes need reassurance that you actually like what you want to do someday? As a grad student who struggles to trust his guidance sometimes, it was sweet of the Lord to steady me in this fact: I love what he is leading me into. I have also been reminded that I have been blessed in many ways so that I can bless others. Am I Mother Theresa? As awesome as that would be- No. My name's Elizabeth. But I can still make a difference in Jesus' name.

To wrap this synopsis up, I'll share a quick, but very dear story. I thought of my late friend Kim Peacock every day of this trip. On the second day of drilling, I could not get her out of my head... not that I tried very hard. However, for the sake of keeping emotions at bay, I was trying to focus on the drill rig. Emotions finally won. I couldn't hold back tears when I thought about how cool Kim would have thought this whole water drilling experience was. So, I walked over to the van to take a moment to get a drink and collect myself. I prayed.
Lord, I don't understand you, but I do know your character. You are good. You are trustworthy. So, I will trust you. Help me to be fully here in Guatemala. Please heal my heart in this moment without my friend. I trust you with her.

God really did comfort me. I was able to say amen and walk back over to the drilling rig with healing and hope. I found out that night that it was the month anniversary of Kim's death, May 28. I told my team a bit of her story after dinner, and they got to love her and praise God for her life with me. So, the beauty in all this heaviness is that God was glorified in Guatemala in that moment because of Kim. The impact of her sweet faith has officially gone international.

Thank you SO much for your thoughts and prayers for this trip. The well was a success! Connections were made across two different languages and cultures! The gospel was shared! God was glorified! And I even got to make tortillas! All of this is cause for celebration.

Hola from Champerico!

Hola, Estoy aquí en Guatemala! It has only been two days, but it feels like much longer! I am enjoying this country very much. It is, hands down, the most colorful place I've ever been. I've decided my future house will be painted electric blue (maybe with orange accents)!

The team met up with the Living Water Intl. Guatemala staff and traveled to a team house to stay last night. A couple teammates and I got the chance to hear our leader, Jaime's heart for drilling water wells and sharing the gospel while we drove from the airport. Hearing how God brought him from a poor village with no access to safe water, to now working with LWI reaffirmed my enthusiasm to be here. It's obvious that God has been at work through Jaime and LWI for the past eleven years. They have drilled around 250 wells in the country!  How exciting that I get to step into a piece of what God is (and has been) doing in Guatemala through LWI this week! Upon arriving at the team house,  Jaime's family fed us a feast of wonderful, authentic Guatemalan food. They won my heart when I spotted the homemade guacamole. Then  there was the meat, rice, tortillas, chile, coffee, hand squeezed lemonade... I mean c'mon. 

Sleep was deep last night, and the day started early. We were packed and out of the team house by 6:45am and on our way to breakfast in the city of Antigua. After entering another drowsy Guatemalan food coma, we attended a bilingual church service in the area. The songs and sermon were in both English and Spanish. It was refreshing to worship with believers who spoke a different language. Two languages being spoken to passionately proclaim and adore one God. I even met a man who graduated from my alma mater, the Baptist College of Florida, was a Journeyman missionary on a continent dear to my heart, AND attended seminary with his wife in my home town! We had many close, mutual friends. What a small world! God is faithful to keep me in a state of awe when I consider His immense networking capabilities.

After church, the team headed out on a four hour van ride to a hotel in Champerico. This town is closer to the costal village where we will be drilling this week. The road we travelled took us through many different settings. Being an agriculture student, I have been amazed at how lush and productive this country's land is! In a single van ride, I saw expansive sugar cane fields and rubber tree forests that run up onto the sides of mountains and cloud-tipped volcanos. We also drove past a large rose greenhouse operation, a pineapple farm, and multiple fields of coffee plants that are planted alongside a certain native tree to provide shade for the coffee until the beans are ready to mature. I've been taking some serious notes! Praise God for the passions He gives each one of us for His own glory. He is being good to cultivate my love for international agriculture on this trip.

After many great conversations with my teammates and the LWI staff, I'm even more excited for the week to come. I will get to start work as a member of the drilling team tomorrow! I'm very excited to see all that goes into soil testing, aquifer location, and the actual drilling process. We have prayed for the village we are going to and will go into tomorrow expecting great things from God. 

¡Hola! I am sitting in the Houston airport heading to Guatemala for a week with Living Water International. I'll be part of a drilling team that will drill a water well in an area that doesn't have access to clean drinking water. We'll also be teaching hygiene and sharing Bible stories along the way. I'm excited about the team that I was assigned to, and I can't wait to learn all that I can about water drilling! It'll be a good time. I'm brushing up on what little Spanish I know!

Grad School Musings

"Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into the fog of the future, I will strain my spiritual eyes so that I will not see clearly what is required of me now." -Elisabeth Elliot

I am in an introspective mood today as I sit in my living room, sipping my second mug of hot apple cider and nibbling a few cookies. I'm studying Agriculture at Tarleton State University so I can be able to help people of different countries raise crops and livestock.

Agricultural concepts, while still a bit strange, are exciting and interest me deeply. The benefits of my classes are not simply intellectual, either. The knowledge I gain of working land and animals seems to weave its way into my reading of the Bible as well. Jesus' parable of the sower in Matthew 13 comes alive as I remember what it was like to sow legume seeds into a plowed field a month ago. I can more fully relate to the hard working farmer in 2 Timothy 2:6. In Animal Science class last week, hearing how to prevent predator attacks on a flock called to mind how Jesus is the Good Shepherd. As I also catch and pin various six-legged nasties for Entomology, I have to remind myself that God not only created them... but He also called them good. (Your ways are not my ways, Lord.)

However, amongst the bustle of studying for tests that are coming up, there's an interesting tug-of-war that is going on in my spirit. While graduate school has been full of new experiences, all of this learning launches my imagination to wonder about future possibilities. Then, like a swelling wave, comes anxiety. What job will I get? What country will I go to? Will I get married or remian single? What does the future look like? But then. Then I'm reminded that God chose me before the creation of the earth, and that my work is not in vain. Silly me. Breath returns, and I keep studying. This is the daily rinse and repeat cycle of my spirit.

Where will I be in five years? 6 months? tomorrow? I don't really know. But I can praise God that he alone holds my future. All I can do is live in the present here in Stephenville, TX while making sure eternity is constantly on my mind.

I do not know what tomorrow will bring. For what is my life? I'm a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, I ought to say, "If the Lord wills, I will live and do this or that." -Outlook taken from James 4:14-15

A New Land

Grad school is, in many ways, like learning to operate in a foreign country. I am still relying on maps, signs, and GPS to find my way around. If I get really turned around, I can always ask a more seasoned Tarleton national to point me in the right direction. Thankfully, however, I don't have to overcome a language barrier here. In this new land, most all of the signs are in English.

While everyone is speaking the same language, I still find myself on a completely new playing field academically. The familiarly rigid schedules and class requirements of undergraduate studies have been replaced with a new graduate-level fluidity. A degree program is no longer telling me what I must do to complete and pass its agenda. As a graduate student, I am now telling my advisors what I want to do, and they are then cherry picking my classes to specifically equip me for my future career goals. It has been amazing to see how many holds and red tape can be lifted by one email from my advisor. Within half an hour, my entire student trajectory can change to be more refined towards what I want to do.

Socially speaking, being surrounded by people while not yet knowing anyone can easily fill someone with a sense of isolation. However, after having to settle into Bible college in 2008 and then settle into a new job and church three years later, I've had some practice in adapting to new surroundings. I haven't been letting isolation seep too deep this time around. I simply replace it with a sort of "foreigner boldness" and start conversations with whomever I happen to be standing next to. It's paid off so far with some great contacts! While aquaintenceships are still shallow and inevitably punctuated with awkward silences, they are seeds that can defintitely grow into some solid relationships.

Praise God, He's taken such good care of me. I have a lease on an apartment signed, and I move in on September fifth. Until then, I am staying with a couple who are former neighbors of my parents. The four of them lived on the same street and went through the adventurous years of "first house, first kids" together. My hosts couldn't be more gracious and accomadating, not to mention they live only ten to fifteen minutes from campus! I have eaten for free at the hands of the Baptist Student Ministry, local churches, and the local restaraunts. The sun is shining, and the free food is flowing here in Stephenville.

Also, like adapting to any foreign culture, learning the ropes here at Tarleton is exhausting. More after a nap.

Galatians 6:1-10

"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."