Translating the Barking Pastor and Spinning

In June I had the privileged of going to Peru with an awesome group from Beltway Park in Abilene, Texas.  The purpose of this trip was multifaceted, the first part was a pastors conference. We arrived to Peru late Thursday night and even later to Huacho, where the conference was taking place.  Tommy Hood, the missions pastor at Beltway Park, asked me to translate the sessions for the first evening, Friday.  Of course the role that I was going to play in this trip was translator, but for some reason I thought I would get more than just a few short hours to get re-acclimated to speaking Spanish all the time.  During this previous year in Texas, I have not had much opportunity to practice my Spanish.  Upon returning to the U.S. last June I experienced a strange phenomenon where my prayers and conversations with God switched from English to Spanish.  Then in January I moved in with roommate and one owned a chihuahua.  I told the chihuahua that since she is is a chihuahua then she must speak Spanish and only spoke to her in Spanish from then on.  I also had a short work experience as a waitress in a Mexican restaurant where I spoke more Spanish than the majority of the other waiters.  To summarize my Spanish practice over the last year, I spoke to God and a chihuahua and very little elsewhere.  

Tommy began to share in the evening session missionary stories from other parts of the world where Beltway teams had gone.  While he was sharing a fascinating story about Trinidad and Tobago, there was a part where he was talking about this barking dog, which he copied to better relate his point.  I very calmly translated "and the dog barked just like the pastor just did." I then waited for Tommy to continue.  He, however, did not know that I was not going to bark so he waited.  Now, let me please point out that sounds do not have to be translated considering that there is no translation!  I don't translate sounds, or so I thought.  The congregation caught on to the fact that Tommy was waiting for me to bark and that I didn't want to.  So they began to giggle. I realized at this point that I had to do it, so I swallowed my pride and did my best to copy Tommy.  Everyone roared with laughter and I am pretty sure that my face turned a very deep shade of red.  It wasn't over though.  The barking dog came back and as soon as Tommy copied the dog.  Everyone began laughing and calling out encouragements for me to copy Tommy, this time I just barked without pausing.   We repeated this a few more times.  After translating for three hours that night, I was dead tired.  The whole trip passed somewhat in a blur and I didn't have a lot of time to process what we did.  When one of the team members asked me what I thought about what we were doing one evening, I just looked tiredly at them and said, "I don't know what I think because I have only been thinking everyone else's thoughts for the last 5 days". I am making this point for a reason, First, because I am just now processing what God has done in my life over the summer.  And finally to illustrate the point that I had decided something for myself (that I was not going to translate sounds) and that it required me to change my plans.  

I flew directly from Peru to Ecuador.  I had been anxiously awaiting this day for over a year.  Once through immigration and customs, I walked through the sliding doors and immediately saw my friends, Cira, Darren, Mafer, Mercedes, Emily and Michaela.  I think it was seeing Emily and Michaela Facanha, my team leader's two youngest daughters, that caused my heart to overflow.  This was the first time in my life that I have cried because I was so happy.  The month passed quickly.  I was able to connect up with the youth from Santay Island (one of my previous ministries), work in a Medical clinic in Tenta, Ecuador, and listen to my team member's hearts.  At first it was a little strange because I was coming back with a completely different role than what I had before, but soon I was at home again.  Roberto, my team leader, looked over at me at one point and said "Tabitha, sometimes it feels like you never left." When I did leave I was not as sad as the previous time.  It seems like my heart finally understood that these friends and practically family are part of my heart and always will be.  It doesn't matter where I am living or what my role is, they are part of me.  

This all brings me to the spinning.  Many of you will remember the illustration of God as the potter and us as the clay (Jeremiah 18).  Recently someone said over me, "Tabitha, you are the clay.  And what does the clay do? It spins. God molds." This began to hit home.  See something happened back at the beginning of June that I was not expecting and it caused me to start to ask God, does He really want me to go back to Ecuador or was that my plan.  Many of you might be thinking that I am weak and wishywashy to arrive back to the USA and then be thinking that I possibly shouldn't go back.  Previous to June, I had not even considered it.  God has been gently reminding me that He is the potter and I am the clay.  When I consider what it means to just spin, it makes me think of control.  Who has the control?  Not me.  Who decides how the clay will turn out?  Not me.  What does it require of me?  Complete surrender.  What is complete surrender?  Surely giving up my country, my language, my culture, my customs, and my things is enough, right?  You would think that giving up all these things would make surrender all the more automatic, but I have realized something, my pride wants to say that it is enough.  God is telling me something else.  He is telling me that He wants everything, not just my willingness to give up possessions, but my studies, my marital status, my career, my thoughts, my sins, my good works,  my dreams and my plans.  It means everything.  Sounds like I will be left with nothing right?  Do I really believe the promise, "but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." The eight previous verses talk about our plans in life.  Do I dare trust God with Ecuador? Yes, I do.  Even right now my heart is at peace.  I do not know what the future brings, but I do know that God holds it in His hands and He will direct my paths.  I do not know what to plan for other than to seek His face everyday.  I want to spin. 

A Mototaxi in Peru

Medical Clinic in Tenta, Francine (New Zealand), Tabitha (USA), Dr. Diego (Ecuador), Candy (Ecuador)

Mom and Dad in Tenta, Ecuador

Yes, I did swim in the Guayas River, tradition...

My Ecuadorian family (minus three), Michaela, Sebastian, and Emily

One Year and Counting

I SURVIVED MY FIRST YEAR OF GRADUATE SCHOOL!  I still find my self confused in the mornings when my alarm goes off trying to remember if I'm late to class.  I feel uncomfortable watching a movie without a book open in front of me.  I have an irrational fear that haunts me that there is still one more assignment that I haven't finished.  But I'm told this is normal for grad school, so I'm not too worried.  I completed 32 hours of grad school and 400 hours of internship and I didn't go crazy!  They did make the mistake to talk to us about the second year (another 32 hours of class and 500 hours of internship AND a thesis) just as we were finishing our first year... But for now I will just enjoy my freedom!  Social work is an interesting field and it is applicable to many situations. 

Now for the fun part, the news!  I have the opportunity to return back to Latin America this summer!  On June 27 I will fly out to Peru with a small team from Beltway Park Baptist Church to translate.  After that I will fly to Ecuador from Lima, Peru on the 6th of July.  I will be with my team there for one month (the 7th of August) and I am so excited!!  Please pray for me in this journey. 

My first semester I lived with my aunt and uncle out in the country, however over Christmas break I moved into town near my University.  The house that I moved into had one nurse and three nursing students.  I was the only non-medical person, needless to say it was a pretty open house.  All of the girls attend my church too and by the end of the semester we all ended going to the same small group during the week.  This small group is amazing!  I started attended on Thursday nights in January.  Around 30-35 people attend, most are graduate students or professionals, some are married and some single.  We took a mission trip to a little town in Texas over spring break.  We ministered to the house parents at a youth ranch.  It was an amazing experiences because God came and blessed these people (and us).  They told us that many groups come to work with the kids but this was the first time that a group had come just to focus on the workers and it was a needed relief. 

I spent most of my time this last semester working on projects for my classes.  So there isn't a whole of interesting things to say about that :).  I still struggled with my English and writing papers sometimes came out with Spanish grammar styles...

God has been using this past semester to teach me about peace and rest in the middle of craziness.  Craziness I definitely understood even way before graduate school, but peace?  That was something that I desired but couldn't seem to quite attain.  To be honest, I have struggles more with worrying about finances during this last year than I have in a very long time.  However, it has been pointless to worry and I see that now.  I know because every month God took care of my needs, sometimes though unexpected ways!  Actually most times through unexpected ways.  I have been teaching Spanish classes and tutoring in my spare time.  Now I am looking for a month long job but so far that has been a fruitless search.  But still I am not worried. God has taken care of me through every step.  I know that I am where He wants me to be and doing what He wants me to do.  Now it is up to Him to take care of everything else!  I want to stay in this peace and trust in God and who He is, when you pray for me please pray that I will continue to know Him more!  That is what I need! 

Thank you for continuing to follow me in this journey!  And for your patience when you don't get updates every month! 

Kristen, Natasha and Me (two of my classmates and friends)