A Quicky but a Goody

Hey everyone!
I was overwhelmed with the response to my last blog, and that's how it should be! God has done some amazing work lately and I love celebrating with all of you.
This is just an update on what has happened in the past couple weeks.

The thing that has amazed me most is the way the kids have been transformed. They are all still coming, even when I missed a day, they were all there the next day and no complaining. The biggest difference I see is in Shirley. She is not as shy as before. She laughs more and talks more. It really is a beautiful sight. Also, Luis Sayay who was one of the last kids to accept Christ has made leaps and bounds in only a short time. He is normally silent. He smiles and does his homework, but he keeps to himself. I often have a hard time even getting him to talk to me which can be very frustrating. Today during Student of the Day, Luis VOLUNTEERED to pray OUT LOUD on front of EVERYONE for the student of the day!! I was very impressed. Perhaps prayer means more to him now than before, I don't know. But it was shocking!

Today I talked to the kids some more about following Christ. I reminded them that now is the time to make the decision. Two kids stayed after again. Santiago (who is Katerine's older brother) and Kevin (who's brother is Luis Fernando) both stayed behind, and so did all their cousins and siblings who have already accepted Christ. It was obvious that they stayed behind at the urging of their relatives. In fact, Luis asked me if people could stay behind after to talk and I said, "yes, but you accepted Christ last week. What do you want to talk to me about?" He simply pointed at his brother.

So with Kevin and Santiago seated in front of me (and all the cousins and siblings around them) we talked about faith in Christ. The most interesting thing about it was that, because all the relatives were so excited about it they kept answering all my questions with enthusiasm. I had to tell them to be quiet and let Kevin and Santiago answer a few.

Both Santiago and Kevin accepted Christ today, which brings the total in two weeks to 12, and the total since I started here to 17!! The blessings keep on coming!

Santiago

Kevin

Please keep praying for these kids! And please pray for the future of the club. I have been informed that is someone doesn't take over it will be closed by the end of the summer. I do have a potential option right now, so please pray for guidance on this.

Reaping a Harvest

            This is another one of those updates I am giddy about writing. I’m giddy about it not because I think it will impress anyone, but because it shows how faithful God is!

            It all started when a group of friends decided to come down here on a missions trip to help me with the club and to encourage me. I cannot tell you how excited I was to have some of my best friends coming down because they value me and the work that God is doing here.
            In preparation for their arrival I worked hard over the past few months introducing English vocabulary to the kids so that they could ask for the school supplies they needed to borrow from me in English. I also taught them all to introduce themselves in English, giving their name and age. It wasn’t much, but the kids LOVED being able to communicate with the team when they got here.

            In the weeks prior to the team arriving I started getting concerned. Attendance went way down. I had maybe 15 kids on any given day. Sometimes as few as 8 or 10. I am firm with the rules I have set, because many of the kids lack structure at home. One of those rules is that if you miss too many times you are out of the club and not allowed back in. It sounds rough, but it is the only way to get the kids to keep coming faithfully. I was praying a lot about it, but I was very worried. I literally begged the kids to keep coming. Kids that I should have cut from the club for their poor attendance would have to listen to a 5 minute speech from me every time I saw them as I tried to convince them that they needed to keep coming, if not for me, for the group that was coming all the way from Canada!

            On the last day of the club before the group came I had the oddest line-up of events. As I walked to the club from the bus stop I ran into three kids that I removed from the club. One of those girls I had removed from the club in September for never coming and for bad behaviour. As I walked with them down the street and talked to them I felt led to invite them back to the club for this one week. Only one of the three ended up coming. Johanna. And she brought her two brothers and their friend.
            Then as I was doing the club that day a girl arrived at the door who I haven’t seen in months. Wendy accepted Christ in December but soon after that told me in tears that she wasn’t going to be able to come any more and she disappeared. Well there she was at the door. She just wanted to say hi. I talked to her a bit, and while I was feeling led to invite her to the club, I didn’t out of fear that I might magically have too many kids the next week. She walked away and I regretted it. But she was back in 20 minutes and I invited her and her brother back. They both came all week.
            Kids who had hardly been coming to the club were there that last day and by the time Monday came around and the group was here we had 27 kids! Praise God!
            The group got here and home with no hitches. Nothing bad happened the entire time they were here. There was no drama, no fighting, no complaining. In fact, I cannot imagine a more easy-going group. I was nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to entertain them well enough, but I don’t think they could have cared less. I spent the entire week laughing with them and enjoying every moment. Cassandra, John, Keith, Kelvin, Mackenzie and Steve (alphabetical order so as not to show favoritism), you guys were a HUGE blessing to me and to the kids and I cannot thank you enough for coming down!
            The group planned puppet shows for different parables of Jesus. Every day we did 2 or 3 parables and then one of the group members would say something about the parables and either Steve or I would translate. They planned crafts, amazing snacks, games, and English lessons. While we didn’t get to do everything they planned, the kids loved every second that the group was here (with the exception of the celery snack which might have been one of the funniest things I have seen).

            Day one and day two went by normally. On day three I gave the gospel after the parables and told the kids that if they wanted to know more about salvation they could stay after. The Holy Spirit convicted 5 kids to stay after.
            I did not give a light and fluffy talk to them. I told them from the get go that this meant surrendering the rest of their lives to Christ. No turning back.
            4 decided that they were not ready for that commitment. But Katerine stayed. She was the first kid to accept Christ since December. And she is one of three kids that I would say I have the deepest connection with. She is like a daughter to me. I know I have no kids so I cannot know what it is like to have flesh and blood children, but I would do anything for her and her cousins Martha and Luis. They have the roughest family situations and they are the ones that God has changed the most in the last two years.

Katerine and me

              Day four came and we did the same thing; Bible story followed by the gospel. Once again a large group stayed behind. One of those that stayed behind was Shirley who had stayed behind the day before but decided that she wasn’t ready to give everything to Christ. I later found out from Steve that she said she had been thinking about Christ non-stop since yesterday. At home, at school, and on the bus. She gave her life to Christ that day, along with Johanna who I invited as I walked down the street the previous week. Luis and Carla brought the total for the day to 4 kids!

Shirley overjoyed.

Johanna

Luis Fernando

Carla

            Day five and again a large group of kids stayed after. One of them was Vanessa, Shirley’s best friend. Shirley urged her to stay after and she did. So did Shirley’s brother, David. I explained to gospel and it was clear that Vanessa got it right away. She gave her life to Christ, but the others either didn’t understand that salvation is free or they didn’t take the conversation seriously. I let them go to craft and David, who had also stayed behind the previous day wouldn’t leave the classroom. “I need to get this” he told me.

Vanessa

            So we talked until he got it and he joyfully gave his life to Christ. After our previous conversations I would ask him, “if you die today, where will you be?” and he would answer “hell”. After he finally understood that salvation didn’t depend on him I asked him, “if you die today, where will you be?” and he said “with Christ!”

David

            Brittany stayed after as well. She has been the most anti-“free salvation” kid at the club. She would critique other kids for abandoning the saints. She told me on multiple occasions that salvation was not free, and that only good people got to heaven. So I asked her what made her change her mind. She essentially told me that hearing it straight from the Bible she had to believe it. Salvation was a free gift and she wanted it. By the end of the week 8 kids had come to Christ!

Brittany

            As we rode back to the orphanage where we were staying I said, “I don’t know what I have been doing wrong. No kids have come to Christ since December. I give the gospel and they don’t listen. Why now? Why this week?” I don’t know if they noticed, but I looked out the window and cried. I was so overwhelmed with how good God is. So happy to know that 8 kids that I love are all going to be in heaven with me again one day. This is not the last time I will see them. And so happy to know that these kids are going to be with Christ! He bought them at a great price, and they recognized it.

            On Monday there was no story planned so I went through some verses with the kids, explained what it means to call myself a Christian, and invited them to follow Christ again. Luis Sayay and Bryan stayed after and both gave their lives to Christ. 10. 10 kids decided that it is worth surrendering their lives to Christ because He surrendered His life for them. And I cannot explain the emotions that overcome me. One kid would have been amazing, but God used me and the group that came down to bring 10 people into God’s kingdom. If you have prayed for me and the kids, if you have supported me with cards, money, or with a visit, God used you to accomplish this amazing work! This is why I am here. This is why I do what I do. This is why many of you have chosen to sacrifice time and money to support this work! God blesses us when we are faithful. And what a blessing this is!

Luis Sayay

Bryan

            I asked why. Why now? Why this week? Why not any of the other weeks? Why not any of the other countless times they heard the gospel in the past few months? Was I too busy? Was I not in tune with the Spirit? Was it just because the group was here? What was it?? And the only answer I have is that, it was time. The harvest was ready. God allowed my friends to be part of this amazing experience and I am SO THANKFUL that they were! God works all things for His purposes and He does not use my timing. His ways are perfect and mysterious.
            As I get ready to go back to Canada in July I am more confident than ever that the future of these kids is in God’s hands. I often worry what will happen when I leave. I wonder how these kids will grow in Christ and how they will keep religion and relationship separate. But God has all the kids in His hands, and I trust Him to care for them. I will be praying for them constantly, and I ask that you do the same. Prayer does work. Prayer does make a difference. Prayer is strong. Please pray!
            And please pray for me. This is going to be a very hard and emotional month. I cried like a baby last June and I knew that I was going to be back in September. This time, knowing I will not be back, I am nervous about the wreck I will be. The kids already cry when I mention that I am not going to be back next year. Pray. Please.
            Thanks again for every one of you who have supported me in any way! But my biggest thanks goes right to God! He brought me here. He led you to support me. He did all the work and He will continue doing it! Praise our Almighty God who is so faithful!

All the kids on day one with the puppets they made. Thanks craft-lady, Cassandra!

Catholic vs Evangelical. The Litmus test for Christians

            I have been neglecting writing this for a while now. Neglecting it because I know I am going to offend people. I didn’t want anyone to think I am too liberal or too conservative. I didn’t want anyone to argue with me. But I’ve been thinking about this a lot this week. And I am finally writing it because I was reminded that if I speak the truth in love, people are still going to get offended, but at least I am speaking the truth.
            I have been living in Ecuador for almost two years now. During my time here I have been doing an internship for my school, Columbia Bible College. That means one thing: homework. And part of that homework is to really take a look at culture and religion in the country I am working in. In Ecuador, the religion is Catholicism.

            There’s no avoiding it. It’s everywhere. Images of Jesus dying on a cross. Statues of virgins and saints. Even Baby Jesus is worshiped, which was a very new idea to me. Mary is the Mother of God, making her God as well. I was disgusted. Not only were these statues worshiped, but many followers lived their lives with next to no religious conviction. They could do what they wanted and ask for forgiveness later. What a mess!

"Say NO to idolatry"

            When people asked me if I was Catholic I proudly proclaimed that NO! Indeed I was an Evangelical! This attitude carried over into my work with the kids at the club. I spent a lot of time discussing what was wrong with Catholicism. Idol worship, purgatory, priests, and Mary were all on my chopping block! How could the Catholics let the church become so corrupted?!
            I started spending more of my time with Evangelical Ecuadorians and wow did my superiority complex reach new heights! Most of my Evangelical friends had converted from Catholicism and had lists of reasons why the Catholics were wrong. The really bad word that was ascribed to them was “religious.” Ew. Good Evangelicals hate that word! It is dirty and reeks of false teaching!
            Then, over the summer, a man that I spoke to regularly at church in Quito who had been a missionary here for more than 20 years committed suicide. It was horrible. He had gone back to Kelowna which was where I was going to be working at camp for the summer, and we had made plans for me to stop by his place and visit. I didn’t make it to his house and only a few weeks later he was gone.
            Suicide is a tough issue. It isn’t really addressed in the Bible. There is no commandment that says, “Thou shalt not commit suicide.” I really didn’t know what my theological opinions on the subject were.
            One evening I was sitting down with some Evangelical friends who I respect very much and the topic of this missionary came up. One of them said to me, “Can you believe it? He committed suicide and now he is in hell!”
            Wait, what???? Hell?? Where did that come from? I thought that Evangelicals got all their theology right from the Bible...
            Over the next few weeks I found myself more and more uncomfortable with the way Evangelicals were glorified (among the Evangelicals). I was on the bus and the man next to me started a conversation. When he asked me why I was in Ecuador I told him I was a missionary. “Missionary?” he said. “I’ve never heard of that. What is it?”
            “It is a person who has a mission from God to tell people about Him.”
            “Oh! You’re a Catholic!”
            “Well no…I’m a Christian.”
            “What do you mean? A Christian?”
            It wasn’t until I explained that I was an Evangelical that he knew what I was talking about. I thought that was so weird. Why couldn’t I just call myself a Christian and people would know what I was talking about?
            That night again I was sitting down with my Evangelical friends. I explained the odd conversation on the bus. “Well of course he was confused. You are either Catholic or Evangelical.”
            I was taken aback. Something seemed off. Our conversation continued and the gist of it was, “Robbie, you are an Evangelical. Evangelicals have good doctrine and Catholics have bad doctrine. They have idols and we don’t. They pay penance and we don’t. They have doctrine that comes from outside of the Bible and we don’t. You are an Evangelical, and when you work with the kids your objective should be to get them to be Evangelicals.”
            I suddenly saw the title of “Evangelical” as just that: a title. It can be something to hide behind. As long as you have the right title you are okay. Catholics think Catholics are right. Evangelicals think Evangelicals are right. But let’s take a closer look at Evangelicals, shall we (seeing as the majority of those reading would consider themselves such).

            We have no idols. Yeah right. We may not bow down to worship a statue, but we certainly have a whole list of things that we care more about than God! I have idols in my life, and some of them I have gone to extremes to rid myself of. Others I have gone to extremes to justify. There is always something else creeping in to take the coveted place of God, and it will be a life-long battle to rid myself of idols.

           We don’t pay penance. It is true that we do not give money to the church to release our dead from purgatory. We don’t physically beat ourselves to please God. But don’t we often dwell on the guilt and work hard to make God happy again? Aren’t we often convinced that God loves us less or wants nothing to do with us when we fall into sin, but that He is happy and proud when we are “righteous?” How many times have we prayed and told God that if He would just do this one thing for us in our lives we would be different? Penance comes in many forms, yet somehow we are blinded to our own version.

            We don’t have false doctrine. HAHAHAHAHA Yeah right!!!! You can go to a thousand churches anywhere in the world and find people who base their doctrine on human feelings and ways of thinking instead of the Word of God! In North America some of the falsest doctrine comes straight out of the Evangelical church! The prosperity gospel is self-serving and empty. Its only goal is to win people over. To get numbers. Universalism is built on human ideals of love and goodness. Ideals that have been projected onto God in an attempt to make Him more palatable. What about smaller things? Our opinions on suicide. Our rules about when and how we pray (You can’t eat because we haven’t prayed yet). Our snap judgments we make about other people based on the denomination they belong to or originate from. We all get that theological superiority complex at one time or another. Yet somehow we think it’s okay. And how much of this do we get from the Bible? How much of it is just our tradition?

            What I have learned this year is that God doesn’t care about a title. While we hate the word "religious" we will find that we can be just as religious as anyone else. There may be people reading this who think they know Christ, but when they see Him face to face the Lord will deny ever knowing them. 

Matthew 7:21-23
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

            I don’t say that to judge. I say that to emphasize that a title will never save you! Call yourself a Christian all you want, but if there is no fruit in your life, then how could you possibly call yourself His? If there has been no renewing of your mind then how can you say that you have been transformed and know God's will (Romans 12:2)? If you live however you want and hide behind a title, how can you say that you are a follower of Christ? Isn't that what the word 'Christian' means?
            I have been there. I had hidden behind a title for years! But I am not interested in being an Evangelical anymore! I long to know Christ for who He is and serve Him the way he calls me to in the Bible. I want to be filled with a love for God that causes me to practice true religion by looking “…after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep [myself] from being polluted by the world (James 1:27). I long to see others meet Christ and follow Him. Not to see them conform to a denomination or a mold.
            God doesn't care about your title. He doesn't care about the group of people you hang out with. God looks at our hearts and our actions. The two need to be aligned with Him. If they are not, whether you are Catholic, Evangelical, or any other variety of Christ follower, you may want to re-evaluate whether or not you truly know Him.

            Again,  objective in writing this is not to judge or condemn. Christ didn't come to the world to do that (John 3:17). I hope to perhaps help guide us back to Christ and to re-evaluate the ways we share the gospel with others. People should be drawn to Christ through us! Not sucked into legalism or conformity to our own ways of doing things. It is all about true relationship with God, and the process of getting to know Him as we follow Him, and Him alone, on the road to eternity.