Crocodiles

  Since last Friday marked the final week of my language school training, Chris and Anita took me to visit a beautiful city about two hours north of Valencia called Albarracin. Actually, I’m not entirely sure it was a reward for finishing school but that is my story and I’m sticking to it. The city was breathtaking. I didn’t realize how much I had missed seeing land, mountains, and flowing water. The city was everything I ever imagined that Spain would look like. Large stone walls scaled the mountainside around the little city that lay below. We walked all through the city, stopping here and there in little shops and corridors to see what the little town had to offer our glimmering eyes. Can you tell that I never grew up?
While we were there, we met two men from North Africa. To one we gave a Jesus film and the other an Injil (Arabic NT). They told us there were only a few people from their country living in Albarracin. The men we met were cousins. One worked in a small shop that sold souvenirs from the city and the other was our waiter in the small restaurant where we ate dinner. Whenever we ask a Muslim if they would be interested in reading an Injil, we remind them that the Qur’an teaches that it is a holy book and should be read by all Muslims. I am learning a lot about Islam while I am here. For example, this weekend I learned that Islam operates on a different time table than the rest of the world. We live in the year 2011 because we mark the ending of B.C. and the beginning of A.D. with Christ’s birth. Since the Muslims believe that Mohammad is the true prophet of God, they begin their years with Mohammad’s life. Can you imagine becoming a Christian after having lived your entire life so completely opposed to the ways of the one true God? I find that I must continually remember who I formerly was as Paul says, in order to understand what our dear friends must be going through.
 
When we arrived home on Saturday evening there was much to do. I don’t think I ever realized how much work it is to be a missionary. These people NEVER stop! I’m young and I need a rest! Sometimes I wonder how they do it… We even went to the Internet café to talk to a man we met a few days prior from Pakistan (Muslim). We wanted to see if he would be interested in reading the Injil. He was interested but seemed a bit hostile. Pray for “Allen” as he reads the only words of truth he has ever seen. Since it seems he was not willing to talk to us, we are praying that God will move mightily as he reads those words. Pray that this living book will beckon him to discover its rich Truths.
   
Ngor, Chris and Anita’s first disciple Spain, also came to visit us this weekend. He works in a city several hours south of Valencia where he herds sheep. He is from Senegal and has not been home to see his family in over 6 years. He will finally return this Thursday and is praying for God to open his father’s heart to receive Christ. Ngor’s family worships idols and needs to know the freedom that Jesus’ blood can bring. He also plans to marry a girl from his country while he is there. Ngor explained that she wants to know how to have a relationship with Jesus- pray that the Lord will draw her heart to his and that Ngor will only enter into a marriage with a woman with whom he is confident loves the Lord as much as he does.

We were also celebrating Chris’s birthday! It was a blessing to have Ngor visit during this special occasion. You may remember that I included a picture of Ngor and Chris in my very first prayer letter, prior to my arrival in Spain. It was exciting for me to finally meet him in person after hearing so much about him. When I told him my name, he laughed and began to explain what my name meant in his language. At first I thought he said a small sea animal like a conch or shelled fish…then as he kept repeating the name in Spanish- “Cocodrilo, Cocodrilo”…I finally realized that it wasn’t something pretty at all…it was a scary, ugly Crocodile! You can imagine my disappointment. Then I explained to him what my named really meant. I told him that in Hebrew it comes from the word Iscah meaning God sees. I also told him that there was a name of God with this meaning as well, El Roi- the God who sees. I told him the story of Hagar when she left after being mistreated by Sarah and was found by God in the wilderness. He gave her water and told her of the great nation within her womb. He told her to return to her mistress and she responded in awe, “You are the God who sees!” I much prefer this story over the crocodile, don’t you? Anyway… after I got over being named after a Crocodile, we laughed and talked and ate until we couldn’t eat anything more. I do love a good party!
Last week Anita asked me to teach Hank & Nadine how to study their Bible Inductively, meaning to learn to study God’s word for themselves rather than continuing to depend on others to “feed” them. Oh dear… If they learned anything it truly is because the Lord taught them. It was very difficult for me to try to gather what I thought was most important to begin with. Language is also a barrier…there are many words that I needed to use that I only knew in English that really didn’t translate into Spanish. Remember that they speak French and Arabic…Ay yay yay! So with Anita’s help I did my best to break down the important concepts while she translated. So there we were…with our Spanish/Arabic dictionary, my English Bible, and the Lord who speaks every language. These are the moments when I wish I could speak in tongues. We are studying the life of Abraham. I love this study because it is such a perfect picture of the life of the believer. In many ways, I believe that Hank and Nadine will be able to identify with this man and his family simply because the Lord also called him out when he knew nothing of the One who spoke to him. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will teach them how to find the treasures that God has hidden for them in his word. My heart longs for them to taste and see that the Lord is good- because that is all I ever needed…one taste and I was hooked. I never wanted to live my life any other way.

I never realized the importance of praying for the scales to be removed from their eyes. And yet, in many ways our exposure to the word of God has left many of us blinded with the same scales of deception because we heard the word of God and did not obey.  There are so many biblical truths that I take for granted.Thank you, Lord for giving me the privilege of being born in a Christian nation. The Bible tells us that in the last days God will send a deluding spirit upon those who did not receive a love for the Truth. God help me to love your words and count them as treasures rather than words of offense. There is no life without you…