Gem #1

La Jardin De Eden

I was overwhelmingly overwhelmed with the tremendously tremendous beauty of Armenia, Colombia. I kept blurting out, "It's a remnant of the garden of Eden!" And sure enough such was it's name in the region--La Jardin de Eden.

Gem #1
Country living provides the richest opportunities for the restoration of the image of God in man. 

          There's a sweetness in the simplicity of country living that embraces the purest spirituality. I discovered the white noise of the distractions and complexities of life in the States vanish as a shadow in the sun. Of course, life and culture are very different in Colombia. I could see country living at its finest, at it's simplest.

Harvesting beans

          I saw that simplicity is the seed of the sweetest spirituality. In the quiet hush of the mountains the whispering leaves blowing in the wind are the tenderest inducement for prayer. The stillness inspires us to "be still," (Ps. 46:10), and in the stillness the "still small voice," (1 Kings 19:12), is not so small and not so still. The words of Jesus--the voice of Jesus to the soul--become more audible. The tone and tenor of His voice become clearer and His breathe is as the breeze on our cheeks. The sweet songs of the beautiful fluttering birds echo the psalms of praise. The reality of Jesus' promised presence, "Lo, I am with you alway," (Mat. 28:20), is known and felt and His presence is with us throughout the day. There is no greater sense of security than this.

          God is love. His chief attribute is love. It is a self-renouncing love and it is the very essence of the bliss of heaven. Christ came to demonstrate this love and to acquaint us with the character of our Father, the Creator of all. In His image He made us. Though selfishness has taken the place of love in the hearts of man and His image has been lost, He is a Creator still. There is nothing too hard for God. Through His own presence He will restore His image of love in the hearts of man.

Colombia Mission Trip

I had the wonderful privilege to make a trip to Armenia, Colombia for the month of December (2012). I worked at a medical missionary training school in the mountains of Armenia called Fundacion Las Delicias. I was visiting to see if it was a good internship site. It was wonderfully successful in that respect. After working with the people personally I was able to obtain a clearer conception of their needs than all the books I could have read about them in the States. I have been studying for the last four years preparing for missionary work and I was wonderfully thankful and happy to see that I may be of genuine practical use and help there as a Bible teacher. It's wonderful to be useful. It's a wonderful thing to discover a place where your skills have the potential for the greatest exercise and development. In ministry, development is proportionate to the extent one is involved in personal work--working with individuals for the Master. I learned many wonderful, wonderful lessons there. I came to understand the purpose of grace to perfect God's character of love within us much much better. Something wondrous happened as I prayerfully, cheerfully worked alongside my family there. Thoughts I had never pondered before entered my mind and heart. I knew that such gems of wisdom were not of my own fashioning but were the special gifts of Him who is "the light of men," (John 1:4). "Every gleam of thought, every flash of the intellect, is from the Light of the world." (Education, 14). I wrote them down and I will share them here. "