Lessons from Quba

This post was a long time comming.... Sorry it took me so long. As always, I hope late is better than never. :)

And if you want another link to my pictues, here it is again: Enjoy!!!

I went into Quba expecting things to be very similar to Guatemala. And in many ways the two countries are similar but they are also so different. In Guatemala the poverty seemed so much more extreme... at least externally. Some of the villages we went to were so poor that houses were made of sheet metal found in the street. In Quba, everything seemed more stable. I didn't see a singe tin roof house. Everyone seemed to live in concrete buildings at least.

We were told that the government gives the people a pair of shoes, a shirt and a pair of pants a year. Anything else they have to buy (with what money). Almost everyone I saw was wearing American clothing (with English wirting). I assume it is because people come over and bring it because I didn't see any stores that sold American clothing... The people are also given rations for food. Beans and rice mainly. They go to the supermarket and get their food for the week. If they want more they have to buy it. I am not all together sure how they get paid. I don't know if some professions make more than others as is the case in America or if they are all supposed to live on the same level. Judging from the appearances of the people I would say some have to be given more than others. But I never could fully figure out how the system worked.

The country is absolutely breathtaking though. It was one of the coolest places I have ever seen. The architecture was beautiful and it almost seemed like a blast from the past at times. Most of the vehicles on the road (there are not many, mind you) are American made and from the 50's. It was pretty cool to see them all still functioning. H-town (the capitol) was one of the prettiest cities I think I have ever seen. And the beach that we went to on the last day was ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING.

The first few days we went to evangelical seminaries and churches throughout H-town. The pastor of a Church in Houston went to Quba about 10 years ago with a vision to win the country for Christ. He started a ministry (a ministry that First Baptist Houston now partners with) that has exploded in the last few years. The ministry started out with one seminary and now I don't even know how many seminaries are scattered all throughout Quba. (They told us the number but I can't remember now.) The seminary is a two year intensive training program and afterwards the graduates go out and become missionaries. Hundreds of people are now out sharing the Gospel in Quba as a result of this ministry. And it is only growing. The bottom line is every part of the country has the opportunity to hear the gospel as a result of the vision of one man. I was so convicted by this. God calls us to pray big prayers and expect Him to move... yet so frequently we do nothing.

Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "be taken up and cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you. Mark 11: 23-34

I am pretty sad by my lack of faith most of the time. I have gotten to a place where I don't expect God to change a country through the vision of one man. Praise the Lord that He is renewing my vision. I have seen the fruit that one person on fire for the Lord and on His knees for a people can bring. I want to be that kind of prayer warrior!!!

Camp was quite a bit different than I was expecting. We were told we would be going to a leadership retreat with 50 student leaders, but instead it was a general college retreat with about 500 students. I went into this trip expecting small group time to be my favorite part. And God definitely used it to grow me, but it was not at all what I was expecting. I thought I would be leading a group of 5 women and instead I had a group of 15 and it was co-ed. I had a translator named Odalys that helped me lead the group, but other than her I was on my own. I think that the best part of camp was meeting my translator. She has an amazing heart for the Lord and we are going to be corresponding with one another from now on. I have a friend in Quba!!! Pretty exciting. :)

The main thing I will take away from our trip is just the immense blessings the Lord bestows on us just by living in America. We really are blessed so abundantly. Even those of us who make no money and are living on loans still have it better than the bulk of the population outside of America. I was really humbled by how much I have that I take for granted. Not just money but freedom. I was struck by how little they live on and yet they have such joy for Christ. I began to wonder how much more we would praise the Lord if we had less toys to distract us. I kept hearing the following scripture in my head.

From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. Luke 12:48

I kept thinking of all that I have just by being an American. I kept thinking about the responsibility that brings. God obviously blessed me for a purpose but that comes with so much responsibility because that means much is also required. I want to live worthy of the blessings I have been given. Throughout my trip and even since, I have been thinking about the parable of the Talents (Matt 25: 14-30). I don't want to be a bad steward of what He so graciously provided (freedom, money, intelligence, time). Especially since it is all His anyway. Needless to say this trip brought me a lot of conviction. A good conviction, but conviction none the less.