Disney princess theology

I listen to several podcasts.  Several of those podcasts would look at similar world events and have different ways to interpret those through different lenses.  Sometimes then, I disagree with them.  That seems like a good thing.  It certainly means I get challenged, and that is definitely a good thing.

This week, during one of those podcasts, the title to this post was mentioned, that when we read the Bible, we tend to identify with the hero in the story, the downtrodden, the righteous person.  Just like when we watch Disney movies, or dress up to be like them when we are kids, nobody dresses up like the villains or says they identify with them.  

But...real life, our societies can be Egypt, Babylon, or Rome, not Israel.  On the flip side, maybe we are Israel...when they were screwing things up for hundreds of years.  Am I acting like the apostles in the boat?  Am I a pharisee? Haman?  Jezebel?  

So the challenge was to read the Bible, and put ourselves in those people's places.  What would we have done?  What do we do?

Cool, interesting, thought provoking.  Then I got to live it.

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New outdoor staging area to keep distancing is working well so far. Each area has its own row of chairs to wait before there is enough space inside.

Food distributions continue...sometimes we can't fill the bags as full as we would like, but we have been able to send food out to every community in the mission since March.

Loader and backhoe? That is a lot of work that can be done. Maybe we can get the roads to being passable year round soon! Certainly sooner than we could otherwise!

God has been showing up in huge ways of late.  The corn container shipped and should be here mid August.  Not that long ago, I wouldn't have dreamed we would be getting another container of corn.

Plus, preparations are proceeding apace to fill the FAME container.  I can't recall a container filled with more direly needed items, specialized equipment, and more supplies than this one.  It may not be crammed full...but already what I know will be coming is huge.  Plus, donations have been strong...which is why we have been able to do all this.  We have received over $12,000 to buy things specifically for the container.  I have spent well over that...but have faith the remaining funds will come.  Who knows when we will get an opportunity to do this again?  Spending more now to ensure we can keep the clinic, and other areas, going long term...is almost priceless, except I know how much it costs.  

One thing we have not been able to do yet is secure oxygen supplies to open the COVID ward Darwin was thinking of doing for people being turned away from the hospitals.  We would have to charge for that, a lot, but right now...there are no good options outside the public system that start under $15,000.  But, we shall see.  If that happens, we would use the Milk Project building to house patients.  But without oxygen, we can't get started.  

Food distributions continue.  Just when it looks like we are going to run out of funds...more comes.  So far we haven't had to skip a week since March.  Not all the bags have been as full lately, but at least ten pounds per family of staples continues to go out, to about 230 families a week.  We are hoping the corn when it arrives will help supplement that as we see how we can continue to do this until people can get back working.

And then there is the tractor.  I have a few thousand dollars left to raise, but the response to this has been huge. This beautiful piece of gently used equipment is ours and will be on the FAME container as well.  

When I put that down on our original list of things we were seeking...it was a dream item, a God sized thing. 

​Now it is reality. The amount of road work and farm work we will be able to do with this in the coffee farms I am sure we don't full appreciate yet.  ​

All of that, and more...fingerprints of God's handiwork...going off like bombs around us.  Buoying us in many ways.  

But...when the bumps come, and they have been coming as well of late, how do I react?  How well am I remembering how much God is in control, and showing that right now, when those bumps are thumping me in the soul? 

Trying to go to sleep last night, I was reminded of looking at the Bible through a different lens.  Jesus walking on water.  Peter walking out to him...and 11 other guys scared out of their wits not even willing to get out of the boat. 

Today, I can identify a little more with the guys in the boat.  That's not really comfortable, but it is challenging, and that is a good thing.