December 15, 2009
Dear friends,
As I sit down to write this letter, Christmas is nearly here. I can’t believe that time has passed by so quickly! By the time that most of you read this, the holidays will have already past in a whirlwind of travel, time with family and friends, food, and piles of wrapping paper. That is already sad to think about, because I love this time of year. I love the smell of my Christmas tree and how the Christmas decorations add such a festive feeling to my house. I love getting to spend time together with my family. I love making piles of chocolate chip cookies with my dad, and last minute shopping and marathon gift-wrapping with my mom. Even though all of these are good things, I sometimes let them take away from celebrating the true gift of the season – Jesus.
Last night, I was reading the blog of one of my closest friends. As she reflected on memories of her dad who died 8 years ago and of this Christmas season that makes her remember him even more, she chose to focus on the hope that she has through Jesus. Her words so resonated with my heart. I know that my precious friend misses her earthly Daddy so much. But more than that, she desires for others to know the hope that only Jesus can offer. That is what this season is all about. Her words were a gentle reminder for me to fix my eyes on Jesus in this season and celebrate His gift of hope for a lost and broken world.
I too so want others to know the hope that only comes from Jesus. I can’t imagine living in this broken world without the hope that there will some day be restoration. Some day God will restore this world to the way that He intended it to be from the beginning. My heart longs more and more for that day to come. Come, Lord Jesus, Come. As I walk alongside parents in my job here who must watch their child suffer as cancer ravages their body, my heart cries out to the Lord: Come. As I remember my friends on the streets of Lima who are so lonely and oppressed, who don’t realize their worth as precious children of God, my heart cries out: Lord, please come.
As I think about the journey that I am walking toward returning to Lima full-time, I realize that my desire to go stems from the hope that I have in Jesus. I want to live a life marked by hope, and I want to share that hope with the world. Specifically, I believe that God is calling me to share His hope with the youth on the streets of Lima. I want them to know hope:
Hope for a future away from the addiction and oppression of the street.
Hope for a different way of life for their children.
Hope for physical healing for those whose bodies are afflicted by tuberculosis, AIDS, or other diseases.
Hope for a sense of belonging; a community where they can both love and receive love.
Hope for an eternity at the feet of Jesus.
As I pray these things for my friends in Lima, I pray too that your lives are filled with the hope of Jesus. I encourage you to find ways to share that hope with those around you in your lives.
In closing, I ask you to join me in praying specifically for a couple of things:
1. Please pray that I would take time to fix my eyes on Jesus. I need to be more committed to setting aside time daily to spend with Him.
2. Please pray that my house would sell. I am prayerful that the Lord would send someone quickly to buy my home so that I will be free to leave when the time comes.
3. Pray for a team of committed monthly financial supporters.
I am so thankful for the ways that many of you are partnering with me on this journey. I have been blessed by so many words of encouragement and love. I humbly ask you to consider whether the Lord may be calling you to join with me in sharing hope through monthly financial support. Thus far, I have received approximately $600. To my knowledge, this represents one-time gifts. Though my budget planning is not yet set in stone, I anticipate that I will need to raise approximately $1200 per month, which will include my monthly salary (which at this point I anticipate will be between $600-$650 per month), international travel expenses, health insurance, administrative and development costs (such as language learning, visa fees, etc.), and a community contribution (a percentage which supports the Word Made Flesh organization as a whole). I will continue to keep you updated with regard to these specifics.
Love and blessings,
Amy