3 weeks later . . .

A damaged power cord has kept me away from my blog for 3 weeks.  It's nice to have a valid excuse.

The church I have been pastoring on an interim basis is an Anglican Church that has the claim to fame of being the first Protestant Church in Venezuela (1832)  If you click on the picture you should be able to read the information.  The building in its present form is much newer, of course.  

The days have been long, and I've been missing my wife a lot.  As a matter of fact today is our 42nd anniversary!  Only 27 days to go. 

1st Sunday

The "Encuentro Con Dios" Church rents an Anglican Church for it's meetings, so our service doesn't start until 12:30, a half-hour after the Anglicans finish.  Makes for a nice relaxing morning.  I spent the morning reading and studying and then went with my host family, Tomas and Gisela Siquera, to the church.  The fact that I had already met 6 couples during the week took away some of the stress that a new pastor usually feels when he is being introduced to the congregation.  Venezuelans are friendly beyond belief, and it's not hard to right away feel at home here in Caracas.  I felt again today that the Lord has me here for a purpose, and even though it's hard being away from family, He has promised to walk along side me and give me the strength I need for each day.

Caracas

The trip went smoothly - no surprises.  Spent 3 hours at the Houston Airport with Ricardo Diaz, a friend from Bogota days.  I have never gotten together with Ricardo that I didn't come away feeling like I had just been given a gift from the Lord.  

I arrived in Caracas at 5:30 a.m., was met by Eduardo Mercon, and was taken to the home where I will be staying for the next 2 months.  I have a small room with my own bathroom. It's actually the maid's room, but since they don't have a live-in maid it works perfectly for me, and will be a good reminder that my role as a follower of Christ is that of a servant. The family is very gracious and have gone out of their way to make me feel at home.   

The evening was spent in a home Bible study, where 5 couples are studying the Sermon on the Mount.  I'll be continuing the study with them during my time here.  Tonight will be another study in a different home.  

Seattle

The Ebys left this morning for Saskatchewan, and a few hours later I left for Seattle.  As I sit in a Day's Inn tonight, I think of Arlene, suddenly alone in a quiet, empty house.  I pray that she won't be too lonely, and that she will be able to sleep.  I love her very much!  She has a day off tomorrow and then goes back to work on Thursday.

Tomorrow I fly to Houston, and then on to Caracas.  I go with a mixture of fear and anticipation, wondering what the next two months will hold, but also knowing that the Lord will direct my path.

Venezuela Trip

Over the next two months I plan on using this blog to keep family and friends informed regarding my time in Caracas.  I leave Prince George this Tuesday (Aug 5) and fly to Seattle where I will spend the night.  On the sixth I fly to Houston where I have a six hour layover before taking a red-eye flight to Caracas where I arrive at 5:30 a.m..  A good friend from Colombia days, Ricardo Diaz, is planning on coming to the airport in Houston to spend a couple of hours with me.  I always look forward to opportunities to connect with Ricardo and catch up on what's happening in his life.  I just saw in the news that a tropical storm (might turn into a hurricane) could be visiting Houston at the same time that I am, so we'll see what happens.

While in Venezuela I will be filling in for Pastor Eduardo Mercon while he takes a sabbatical.  I don't know where I will be staying while there, but he assures me that everything is under control, and that if worse comes to worse there are lots of parks around.  Arlene won't be with me on this trip, as she has a real job, plus a new grandson (Jackson Eby - born July 15th) to look after.  

My soul is a child.

 We are often encouraged to dream big.  Big goals, big accomplishments, big legacies.  And certainly, the awesome God we serve wants to do great and awesome things through us.   But there is also an unhealthy aspect to dreaming big.  It too often feeds off of our own personal ambitions and can quickly turn us into arrogant tyrants.  The psalmist, David, knew what it was to dream big, but he had also learned the blessedness of dreaming small.  "Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty.  I don't concern myself with matters too great or awesome for me.  But I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a small child is quiet with its mother.  Yes, like a small child is my soul within me." (Psalm 131)

As my soul becomes a child, quiet and dependent in the presence of God, I am in a better place to dream big.

"I am not skilled to understand

What God has willed, what God has planned.

I only know at His right hand

Is One who is my saviour."

An offer from Eduardo that's hard to refuse.

It looks like I'll be heading to Caracas for the months of August & September.   Pastor Eduardo Mercon has asked if I would pastor his church while he takes a little sabbatical.  This has just come up in the last two weeks, and there are still a lot of details to be worked out, but everything looks like a go right now.  One of the things I like about Latin America is that you don't let details slow you down. You avoid paralysis of the analysis.  "La carga se ajusta en el camino," which loosely translated means, "don't worry about getting the load perfectly distributed when you are first packing your mule.  Let him walk the trail for awhile, and then it will be easier to see what needs to be adjusted."   Of course, that philosophy has gotten me in trouble from time to time, and so it's usually better for me to hold off on my first impulses, so I can spend time in prayer, consult with my wife, talk to people who are wise, and check with my bosses.  Having done all of that, it does seem like the Lord is giving the green light for this ministry trip.  

Having said that, there are things that make it hard to go, like having a grandchild due to be born the week before I leave,  like being separated from Arlene for two months, like knowing that people here at Lakewood Alliance will be needing pastoral care while I am gone.

So if you are the praying type, Arlene and I would appreciate your prayers.  I'll try to keep you up-to-date on how things go.