El Valle de los Huesos Secos

A central part of my life in Guatemala is my church.  This year Jess and I have been attending St. Mark's Episcopal Church here in Xela.  Liturgy is not always my thing, but St. Mark's is one of few (maybe the only?) churches that has an English-speaking service in Xela.  Jess and I were seeking connection and community at church and we weren't finding it at our previous church.  We have found that at St. Mark's.  It is a small congregation.  The average Sunday morning has about 5-7 congregants.  The small number doesn't stop the presence of God.  We are thankful for our church and are thankful for God's provision in that area.

The service is led by Laurel McMarlin who has also served as Bible teacher and Chaplain at IAS in years passed.  Laurel has been a great blessing for us and I am so thankful for his commitment to and clear teaching of gospel truth.  One of my favorite aspects of the service each week is the reading of four scriptures--old testament, new testament, a psalm and a gospel reading.  I love the way the scriptures relate to each other every week and it is beautiful to see the way scripture reinforces itself and to see the truth that God has been revealing to us since the beginning of his creation.

This is Laurel.  He is a champion and I am thankful for him.

Today's blog is really about this morning's Old Testament scripture.  Old Testament passages can be dry  and sometimes seems disconnected to our world now.  This passage is a beautiful one that speaks to our lives and God's love for us and his power to heal and redeem us.  The passage was Ezekiel 37:1-14.  I've included it below.  Take a moment to read it.

Ezekiel 34:1-14
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.  He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.  He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"  I said, "O Sovereign Lord, you alone know."  Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!  This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.  I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life.  Then you will know that I am the Lord.'"  So I prophesied as I was commanded.  And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.  I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.  Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'"  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army.  Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.  They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.'  Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.  Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.  I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land.  Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.'"

This is a passage to the Jewish nation in exile being returned to God's promised land but I believe it speaks great truths to our lives today.   It is a verse that speaks about a very significant truth in my life--I am a pile of dry bones.  Death and decay have overcome my person and my life.  I have wandered from the promised land and am rotting in a valley of dry bones.  What a depressing thought.  Thanks be to God, the story doesn't end there.  "...there was a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone."  "...tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them."  "...and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet."  

It is Lent.  Easter is two weeks from today.  Egg hunts, jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and pastel colors are fun, but Easter is about the resurrected Christ.  God himself died for our dry bones so that His promise might be fulfilled.  "I will open your graves and bring you up from them.  I will put my Spirit in you and you will live!"  

These next two weeks, I hope to spend my time and energy reflecting on this truth and demonstration of God's love.  

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

I will spare the list of my transgressions, but I know well my short-comings and the ways that I have offended God.  I know the state of my soul on my own.  But I give thanks for the truth found in these verses.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you

Romans 8:11

God has breathed into me that I may live!  In Christ, I live a resurrected life!  

hay una fiesta abajo

So, it appears consistency is not my strength when it comes to blogging.  But, there is a party going on downstairs from my apartment and it is quite loud so I am not sleeping.  My apologies for the delay, but here is an update for my faithful followers.  ;-)

The last day I blogged was November 10, 2013.  This will always be a special day.  It is the anniversary of my dear friends Marc and Lacy and will forevermore be the day that Jessica and I were engaged!

Thanks to our principal Shawn Lohse for taking our wonderful engagement photos.

Since then we have been planning our June 21 wedding in New York and July 19 reception in Texas.  We are super excited about an action packed summer full of celebrating our love with the people we love and who have loved us so much over the years!

Soon after, we had a nice extended break for Christmas.  Christmas break was filled with many wonderful blessings but they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

My brothers and their children.  Brothers: Mike, Ryan, James, Sean (L to R)
Children: Elise, Ashtyn, Ian (L to R).

4th Brother Luke

It is a wonderful blessing to spend the holidays with family and friends.  Oneonta  is a place that is incredibly dear to my heart and will always be.  I was able to see those I love most and go to church.  Due to inclement weather we were in town a few extra days and got to spend an extra Sunday in church while Jess was visiting.  Now that I am away, I cherish each Sunday I get to spend with the body at Main Street Baptist Church.  They are responsible for much about who I am and how I live my life.  There were two specific church highlights.  First, watching my dear friend Josiah be baptized by my dear friend Ryan.  Second, playing music with the finest group of men I have had the privilege of worshiping God with.  After many years of wondering on meandering paths, God brought together a super-group.  I got to play with Ryan Alsheimer, Luke Moran, Josiah Zulkosky, Sam Judd, Joseph Sastic, and Jen Moran.  It was a profound experience and I will never forget that night.  Thank you guys.  

Josiah takes a dip

I am so thankful to have been able to be home for such an extended period and experience so much.  

After the aforementioned lovely winter weather, Jess and I returned to Guatemala a bit late for our second semester.  Things are flying along but going great.  This semester I am teaching an intro Theology elective.  It has been a great chance to help students grow in their knowledge of the Bible and encourage them in their faith.  I have been encouraged to see their enthusiasm for the course and the work they are doing.  

Also, this semester I have had the opportunity to organize and play music with the students for chapel.  We are a rag tag bunch but we are praising God all the same.  It has been awesome to see their excitement in playing and watching their growth as musicians.

The big news this semester is that Jess and I have decided that we will be moving back to the U.S. after this school year.  Our time at IAS has been a true blessing and we will be sad to part ways with a number of wonderful people and places here in Guatemala.  However, we feel confident that God is calling us back to the states.  Currently we are on the hunt for teaching jobs all over the country.  Our target is currently Chicago but we are staying open to God's lead.  I am finishing up my Master's degree in Educational Technology and am considering seminary after that.  We are excited about the potential opportunities that God has for us.  

Prayer requests:

• Patience and grace in planning a wedding from afar in the midst of a busy semester.
• Blessings on Jess' and my preparations for marriage and life together
• God's leading in my teaching and working with students on music for chapel
• A clear direction from God for next year regarding job, location, and potential future schooling
• Motivation to work hard through grad classes

Thank you so much as always for reading.  I hope to be a little more frequent than every five months.  God bless.

P.S.  It is the Lenten season and the following verse jumped out at me earlier this week:

Mark 5:34 NLT

And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over"

Christ has come to end our suffering and to make us well.