So 10 weeks of pure God-encounter in the heart of revival in Mozambique...
...Absolute best trip I’ve ever taken and yet totally different than I expected.. The things that God did in my life over those weeks are the number 1 thing that I have taken from Pemba. I made life-long friendships and witnessed miracles and loved kids and preached and many other awesome things. But they all come in second place to God’s work in my life. And this is what He showed me...
The simplicity of the gospel. It was revealed to me so fresh and so sweet by Holy Spirit! It’s nothing complicated or new. But there’s something amazing about surrendering all you know or think you know to God and saying, “I don’t want that stuff. Teach me from scratch.” After doing that, God revealed to me such truth as if to a little child. And I got it! I understood in my spirit the truth! The truth that sets us free! And this truth is all about identity. I am a son of God. I belong forever as a son and have access to His excess without limit. I am one with Christ forever. And guess what? The sons are free! No longer slaves to rules. But free to live from the grace of Jesus.
Everything else is religion and it sucks. Anything that says ‘work for a relationship’ and not ‘live abundantly from sonship’ is a lie. That is the beauty of the gospel. That is the real good news. Jesus did it ALL! And He is worth it ALL!
So...that leaves me back in America on January 3, 2012. And now what? I’m making plans to waste my life on Jesus... And can things ever be the same again? I guess they could if I chose to let them be. But they can’t if I choose to live in the reality of faith. Because faith is not a feeling, it’s a reality. So things can never be based on how I feel, but on the finished work of Jesus on the cross. That’s what’s real! And that’s how I live, as a son, by faith. There’s no other way.
Well. Thanks for reading. And thanks for praying for me and supporting this adventure. I would love to catch up and share so much more of my Iris trip with you individually. If any of this sounds interesting or you want to hear more about Africa, please let me know. I would absolutely love to grab a coffee or a meal and just chat. But it’s much harder for me to contact all of you than you to get in touch with me.
You are amazing and there is no flaw in you.
Love always,
Juan
Below are a few pictures. But I'll put more on Facebook if you’re interested. Enjoy!
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| Pemba Airport |
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| beautiful little princess in a village |
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| our classroom hut as the sun sets |
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| king of a village where we did outreach |
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| king's wife |
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| baptisms in a knee-deep water hole |
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| Mama Heidi learning to braid straw rope |
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| me with mama and papa pastor at Macomia outreach |
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| Macomia outreach team with our friends |
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| little one grabbing mama at graduation |
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| with Mama Heidi after graduation |
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| baptized in the Indian ocean |
