Life in the Deep End

The Wedding Liturgy….Again!

October 12, 2014November 4, 2019Vona Wilson

There may be nothing more humbling than the practice of the wedding liturgy. Because it represents so much of our human experience, our human hope. It is the poignant moment of standing with these couples and knowing their stories…THAT moment takes me down to my knees. I remember this bride in 6th grade standing in the hall at church looking for a ride home. I remember that groom sitting at the piano making music. I remember your growing pains, your spiritual journeys and now we keep arriving at the altars where vows of lifetime commitment and love emerge. Your lives change. Forever.

From this day forward…
Honor, cherish, comfort, keep…
With all that I am and all that I have…
I honor you.

It is hard to forget the intent of the covenant of marriage when I am constantly standing at the altars with couples who come to make the covenant. Oh yeah….that IS part of the promise…in sickness and in health. Cherishing IS part of the deal. Honor IS part of the deal. Choosing to be Christ to one another…that IS part of the deal.

I am not the one taking these vows today but I am being refined and sharpened with every word. There is no escaping the promises. The living out of those vows will smooth the rough edges of those who live them. Their hearts will be like the stones in a river that have accepted the current’s refining. Their strength and beauty will increase. What was once “being in love”, becomes a treasure no words can measure. Grounded in God who is Love. Not a bed of roses; but a refuge experiencing God’s love while living in the world together.

And if not…as sometimes happens; If not, there will be crashes. But the river will find another course because Love does persist. Serving as a pastor is the most grounding experience of my life. Daily surrender. Daily confession. Daily awareness of my weaknesses and equally aware of God’s grace to disguise them in divine strength. I live the words Paul penned for us: “My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:9) My life changes. Forever. Every time. Let it be.

Water for my Soul

June 9, 2014November 4, 2019Vona Wilson

The rains of Latin America are different. I can only speak from Nicaragua and Guatemala. It is like the heavens open and a river flows from it. Powerful, destructive, life-giving…..RAIN! I am always happy for it, though it changes everything, a bit like snowflakes (no blizzard required) change everything in Tennessee. The rain in these other countries beg me to come in the streets and walk. They entice me to remember the joy of playing in puddles and being muddy with creation. Rain also reminds me of tears. The tears of war pour down in Nicaragua. They pour out in Guatemala. Sometimes they pour out in me….maybe also in you.

On the way to Maria's... — On the way to Maria’s…

I’ve come to see tears as water for our souls. God created us with them and gave us moments when they well up and pour out; much like a river that cannot stop itself from flowing. The rain this morning takes me back to just a few days ago when we encountered the pouring rain in Guatemala. Every team got soaked, some more than others. On this particular day, a few of us were walking through the jungle path to visit the home of a young girl who wanted to come home with us. She showed up on our worksite ready to go. We know her; and she knows BJ from team’s past. At first glance, if we had only had time to listen to her once and not visit her home, we would have left saying, “She needs the USA”. But that is not what Maria needed or wanted. She needed Love. A little encouragement that she, in her child-like wisdom, knew would heal her.

The rain is watering the earth for life this morning. And when we have tears – like some shed for Maria, or like we release when an experience is too beautiful to contain, or when the land cries from the shedding of blood; no matter what, our souls are being watered. And after the rains…we bloom, a bit like flowers. God’s bouquet. Praise God for the rains and for tears!

Estufa y Bendiciones

June 4, 2014Vona Wilson

Stoves and Blessings

Our stove team is having an awesome experience. Rain, sunshine, tools working, tools not working. But more than anything what I’ve heard from them is the humility of being served. Rachel has had someone carrying her backpack every day. Pastor Felix and his son, Luis, and later other sons, have joined their work each day. This is the practice we want: working side by side with our Guatemalan friends. The LORD is good to allow it. It is a humble hospitality that welcomes foreign teams into homes…into the holy space. We are grateful for the welcoming.

Pappa Grande (AKA Steve Fulton) is many things for our team and his passion for the stove project has kept him on that site each day. He has provided “momentum” when they were going uphill and “momentum” when they needed to stop. Steve’s mind and attention to detail are a blessing for us.

Jorge Berrios is on his third international mission, first time in Guatemala. He is of the Las Primeras Iglesia in Nashville. His work on the stove team has been fabulous, providing interpretation and presence, in addition to the task. And Jorge brings blessings to us back at the base. Jorge has a beautiful gift of singing. He has shared several songs with us in prayer and to encourage. He is compassionate and respectful with the people. He teaches us with his life. Having him here means we see more of God because he shares what God has given him to share. WE met through Pastora Myriam last year and the three of us have committed to continue creating environments where multi-cultures can find a common peace and joy in serving together.

The Equipping

June 3, 2014Vona Wilson

Today we experienced a wonderful blessing of God. We were in the San Antonio community and specifically in a church called “Iglesia Evangelica Nacional Metodista Jesus El Buen Cristo”. This is the church I wrote about a few months ago, where the pastor had died and the wife, Catalina, had offered her gifts to continue leading the church. Pastora Catalina is being “installed” on Sunday as the lead pastor of this congregation. Today we were there to lead a Woman’s Circle and engage with the children. We did not ever expect what really happened!

The women that came for the Womens' Circle — The women that came for the Womens’ Circle

Pastora Myriam began teaching the women. Gloria began teaching the children. Soon the Spirit was moving and all types of things began to occur! A crowd of about 75 gathered. The women were praying with power and eager spirits.

The children that came for teaching and singing and sharing!

The children began to sing and they opened their hearts to yearn for more. I asked them, “what is that you want?” They want us to teach them the Bible. They want to sing in English. They are eager and ready. We allowed them to ask our teenagers questions and we asked them about their hopes and dreams. When we asked them what they wanted for their churches they said, “for them not to close.” What do they love about their country? “Unity, respect, love, friendship, solidarity, and justice”.

Three young men God is equipping: Marvin, Moises and Elias

Three teenage boys showed up and stood on the periphery listening closely. When we needed chairs, they set them in place. When we needed help carrying things, they offered their hands. These young men were hungry for God. They stayed the whole time so I asked them to help with several things. And then they wanted to engage in the hand activity…where we were placing our hands of prayer on a cloth as a physical act of solidarity and love. The women had a cloth, the children had a cloth, and we gave these young men one of their own. They wanted to make a clear sign of their presence, commitment and desire. I don’t know how to type the Joy I have over this. As Pastora Myriam put it so perfectly, “God is calling his daughters”; and as I have seen over the past 3 years, God is calling the youth!

There is a clear movement in the body of Christ all over the world! A new generation is rising up and the LORD is equipping many of all ages to embrace, empower and prepare them. Today we have seen a bigger picture of an unfolding miracle of God. My heart is full of joy.

In the end we formed a huge circle that wrapped around the entire church and we all prayed. Let God do with us whatever God will. Amen.

Giving Your “All”

June 3, 2014Vona Wilson

Jennie and Rachel with one of the families that received a stove.

Each night we gather to share stories from our days. We are usually tired but full of energy too, as we take a few minutes to reflect on what God showed us throughout the day. The stories are too many to write. They lodge inside each person’s heart and maybe even for the rest of our lives we are sharing glimpses of what we experience. The stove team shared a “glimpse” last night.

The stove we are installing this year. 40 stoves in Zunilito

Rachel Luna told the story of a woman that was “the cook” in her home. She was so old and frail that she had to be helped by two people to get up to the stove. But every day this woman gets to the stove and prepares the food for the family. It is as if all of her love and all of her being is focused on that one task. Physically and spiritually, she is giving her “all”. The story reminds me of the widow who showed up with her offering of only a few coins…but they were the only coins she had. When Jesus saw this he said that even though there were other putting in more “money”, she put in the greater gift because she gave all she had (Luke 21:1-4).

What is your “all”? What is mine? The other thing Jesus said that is so difficult to embrace is that it was the woman’s poverty that she gave from. In other words – her most vulnerable, weakest part. Oh my! Can you imagine? Our weakest part is the part that we can offer? Moses had to do it. He could not speak well but he was chosen to be the voice of God to the Israelites.

Jennie on her first international mission...making a new friend in Guatemala. — Jennie on her first international mission…making a new friend in Guatemala.

Maybe we need to think on this. “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:10) Whatever our weakness or vulnerability….maybe this is where God’s power is being revealed in us. Let it be.

Visual Aids

June 3, 2014Vona Wilson

I’ve been thinking about blindness a lot lately. It began during Lent and it persists. What is the world like when you cannot see it? Other senses heighten, of course. But there is much more than this. My first friend that was “legally blind” came into our family’s life when my brother and I were teenagers. I can’t remember the circumstance of their meeting but I remember when Nuna (my brother’s nickname) brought him home for an overnight visit. We played basketball. That boy was good at basketball. They made a few improvisions in the way they did everything but mostley they just played. It was clear that Tim could not see well; it was equally obvious that he could live well.

My neighbor of 12 years, Mary Lizzie Manier was my next experience…many years later. She had macular degeneration. We were together every day. Her front porch was our “office” for girl talk, sharing wisdom and telling stories. I still miss her. We would go out a lot. neither of us had kids and the age difference (she in her 80’s; me in my 30’s) was nothing. Our senses of adventure, love and friendship were well matched. She helped me with many things in life. Wisdom and joy on ordinary days. And I helped her: I checked her lipstick before we left the house. I helped her find things in her kitchen that had been misplaced. I drove; she chatted. We kept confidences and prayed for each other. We were a perfect match.

I’ve closed my eyes a few times while I’ve been here in Guatemala. What would it be like if you could not see the colors? What would you think when you heard the fireworks and trumpets? What would inspire you when you passed through the markets or walked into an incensed filled cathedral?

Most days I engage in situations where spiritual blindness is present. It is part of what I do, what I’m called to touch. Two things linger in my mind along with all the answers I do not have on blindness today. One: Jesus asks us to trust him at a depth that requires walking blindfolded through life. Two: Although I’m so very far from it, I want to live that deep. My hand is open; Christ’s fits right in it.

Lunes Mañana

June 2, 2014June 3, 2014Vona Wilson

The rains have come which gives me an extra moment to write; I am thankful. Yesterday was a wonderful day of cultural and spiritual experiences. Some attended a wedding. Others enjoy the Hot Springs. Still others visited friends and families. I love the way the team is moving into the spaces God is opening for us. Our conversations at night are diverse and edifying. They are experiencing Guatemala in new ways that provides a new picture of the country and people. The challenges of poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition and lack of education are one part of what is here. But also here we find beauty that takes your breath away. We discover friends that will go the extra mile to take care of you. We meet families that are woven together like a fine fabric that does not allow any outside force to unravel its bond. In the end, it comes down to being about relationships. We all carry inside us a part of God that needs to be expressed on earth. No matter our country, our gift or our situation…our spirits have something beautiful to offer.

This morning we are calling upon friends for more meds so our dental team can keep numbing mouths before they pull teeth. We are getting supplies for the artists within our team to keep creating. We will start a new women’s circle in another community and do home visits in La Toma. The stove team will continue and the dental team moves to a new community as well. Amazing day ahead!

I love the rain. Not only is it refreshing, it also helps us understand more of what daily life is like with pouring rains during the rainy season. As we are told, there is a shift in climate right now and the rain is more than normal. We are having a shift in the team as well. Maybe we are growing more in prayer, as we have increasing opportunities within our group and with the people of Guatemala. I am convinced that God is creating spaces that require us to move out of our “norm” and come together in prayer. What grace to lead us into these moments!

(Pictures later when the rain and connection improve)

Family Practice

May 31, 2014May 31, 2014Vona Wilson

There is something very special about families that engage in adventures together. When those adventures are aligned with God-guided missions, it is very powerful! We have three “families” on this team. Pastora Myriam with her mom, Gloria, and her children, Julio & Angellie. The other siblings: Ronnie & Ashley Leftwich and her brother, Alex. And a father/daughter duo: Dr. Sam Lynch and his daughter, Kaylee. Wow! Parents, grandparents, spouses, siblings, children… pretty amazing when you stop and think about it.

Families are not perfect. And sometimes when you are a “Christian” you think your family life should be “perfect”…and, if it’s not, then something is terribly wrong with you. Nothing could be farther than the truth. In fact, I’ve believed for a long time that it may be quite possible that our messiest days in family life are the days that Christ’s love is most deeply manifest. I will never forget a call from a work colleague many years ago. She was crying. It had been an “awful” morning. Her kids were screaming, they were late for school and work…it felt like life was falling apart. She thought she was the worst mom ever. But in that very moment as I prayed for her it was crystal clear to me, and I shared with her: “this may be your most holy moment as a mom”. Because it is not about the easy days or the smoothness of life.

It is about the love that keeps on going beyond teenage rebellion, beyond divorce, beyond addictions, beyond dysfunction and heartache and financial woes and all sorts of “life”. It is the reckless AND intentional persistence of Love.

Pastora Myriam with her children Julio & Angellie, and her mother, Gloria. Three generations!

Being with a multi-generational team that includes families is probably one of the most beautiful expressions of this Love that I’ve ever seen. Here these people come into another country to serve with strangers they hope will accept them. That alone is a risk. Creating memories with your family is a practice of Love. Taking that practice into a culture you do not control or create is a risk that says, “I trust you enough to experience this moment by moment without knowing the end result. Let’s do it together.”

Last night the dentists among us (Dr. Robin and Dr. Sam) shared powerful stories that I will never forget. Sam had a morning devotion that reminded him to “trade fear for confidence” in the Lord as he embarked on his first dental mission in Guatemala. The scriptures that tell the stories of Joshua and Moses are clear examples of how faithful God is to walk with us in EVERY situation and circumstance. Sam experienced that scripture all day long as the team took care of over 60 patients and probably 100 teeth. And then, much like the teachings of Jesus, Dr. Robin shared a story of a blind man that came to the dental chair.

And before you read on…take a moment to remember how most all of us are nervous or even fearful about the “dental chair”. It’s scary! OK…continue:

This amazing man who is blind walked in to be seen by a doctor he does not know, from a country he will likely never visit, who speaks a language he cannot understand and whose credentials he cannot verify. He climbed straight into that dental chair and by doing so, he was saying something like… “I trust you enough to give you complete access to the two primary modes of communication I have with life: taste and speech. Please fix this.” That is what God wants us to do: trust and surrender. Dr. Robin was Christ to that blind man, and you are probably Christ to someone today too. It is an act of Love; don’t be afraid to trust… and don’t be afraid to be trusted.

Dreams and Teams Part I

May 30, 2014Vona Wilson

I had a dream in 2008 when I took the youth to Nicaragua. It was our last night before going home. That dream sealed the deal between God and I with my call to ministry. Every question I had was put to rest because the dream told me without a shadow of a doubt: this is your path. I had a similar dream the night before the team arrived here in Guatemala. Both dreams involved teams that were experiencing life-transforming moments in Latin America. God has a way of speaking to us when we are out of our daily context and standing in the place of dependence on the Spirit. I have learned to enjoy this adventure. And I love the team assembled for the adventure we are having this week.

Angellie returns for a second time in Guatemala. She is great with the children – an automatic magnet for the little hands that reach out to see if she is really there. And she definitely is “really there”. Angellie’s heart has grown even more over the past year. Her bilingual skills make her spiritual gifts tremendously effective. I see a great leader emerging in this girl. Very soon the days of awkwardness with cultural differences and language challenges will be finished. Angellie’s generation doesn’t know that awkwardness – they only know a multi-cultural “norm”. How wonderful! The vision Christ paints for us “all nations, tribes, languages and races” is coming into full view. Angellie is part of that vision.

Pappa Grande at the Zunilito worship and gathering

Pappa Grande (AKA, Steve Fulton) was in Guatemala on a team mission in 2011. The Spirit nudged him back in a leadership role in 2013 as he helped us assess projects and make sense of an overwhelming list of needs. His leadership has blessed us in many different ways. We laugh at each other; clearly experiencing the truth that we all have different gifts, and each of those is needed for the things God invites us to join. Steve’s heart is a big as he is…grande! And no matter how frustrating a moment can be, one little hand reaching for his, is all it takes to make Pappa Grande melt like snow on a Colorado mountain top. The Son has a way of doing that every time:)

Jennie is our champion of courage. She joined our team without knowing anyone. She skyped in on team meetings while still at college. On the first night at the mission site when the team had to do impromptu introductions, Jennie stepped right up and gave her first mini-speech of “hello” in Guatemala. Today she worked on the stove team and all her Spanish classes paid off quite well! A sophomore at UT Knoxville, she and Rachel are trying to convince us that UT is producing some amazing young adults for this world. Well…maybe they are right; these girls are IMPRESSIVE! I’m thankful for the courage of this generation. And equally grateful for the adults around them that have eyes to see what they offer us. We are blessed.

Jennie's first speech in Guatemala — Jennie’s first speech in Guatemala

I believe with certainty that each team is nudged into reality by the Spirit’s power. The timing is God’s. The guiding is Christ’s. The equipping is the Spirit’s. Every person on this team brings something that we need as “whole”. Part of the adventure is figuring out what that is and setting it on fire for God’s glory. This is what it looks like when a miracle unfolds on earth.

All is Well

May 30, 2014Vona Wilson

My blog app on the IPAD is upset so last couple of blogs are lost. If time allows I will recreate. Our arrival to Bambu went smoothly and everyone is safe and settled. We have breakfast in 10 minutes. Last night we were hosted at a gathering in Zunilito which is the community where we will be installing 40 stoves over the next few days. It was amazing. They hired a band to come in and play for us. We had two preachers – Pastor Felix and his son, Luis. Luis preached, Pastor Felix gave speeches and the 40 women who will receive stoves he gave a word of thanks and hospitality. Very humbling! And delightful. This community has a wonderful heart and spirit. We continue to be blessed by the friends and communities we know in this land.

Pictures and stories later. Prayers are appreciated and welcomed! Today: Stoves; Dental clinics; Art mural; Women’s Circles….and whatever else God has planned that we don’t know about yet:)