Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire

¡Hola!  You're probably reading this because you want to know what I have been doing in my life for the past couple of months.  Well, fortunately for you, I plan on sharing that right now!  I'll share my ministry updates, a few personal challenges and revelations I have been working through, and my "current future plans" (since God changes them when I try to go my own way) and needs!

I started off 2018 fresh faced, hopeful, energized, and excited to staff the 2018 January Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Ensenada, Mexico.  As the DTS got closer to starting we realized there was a slight problem.  Out of the 10 students that were coming, there were 0 guys.  This was a problem because I am not a girl.  And while I wanted to staff DTS and go on outreach, it made more sense that I take on more of a supporting role and bring in other responsibilities from the base as well.  This was hard for me.  After leading the outreach last year, I was hoping to lead another outreach and improve on some of the mistakes I had made as a leader.  I was looking forward to grow and continue challenging myself in leadership.  Unfortunately, it did not work out that way.  I love the students we have and they are all great and I am so honored to get to know them and watch them grow.  I will miss them dearly while they are gone on outreach and it will be amazing to hear their stories of how God worked through them.

So one of the responsibilities I picked up was staffing our Mission Adventures program.  This program is sort of a camp.  We have speakers and worship throughout the week in the mornings and evenings and during the day we do evangelism.  Some of the evangelism we do is working with our Homes of Hope ministry, working with local churches and soup kitchens, orphanages, and other ministries.  Kids come for a week and get to be poured into while they pour into others and show God's love to the people of Ensenada.  I was not expecting to be doing this at the start of the year.  I have been surprised by home much I have enjoyed it so far.  Today is the last day of our first week, and while I am tired by the lack of free time, I am excited to see another group of kids come on Saturday ready and willing to experience God's love.  I have grown too routine and comfortable in my life this past year and getting to be thrust into ministry like this has reawakened my love for ministry and evangelism.  It has been so long since I have been out to evangelize and show love to the forgotten, the poor, the needy, the lost, or just the stranger on the street.  I have been so blessed to be a part of this ministry and I can't wait to see what else I learn and see in the following weeks.

One of the things that has been on my heart for the past month or so is my worldview.  When I look at the world and the choices I am making, I have to ask myself what lens am I seeing it through.  Do I look through a biblical worldview?  An American worldview?  A liberal worldview?  A millennial worldview?  And I have had to make changes in my life and my actions to fit my worldview.  Now an example I will use is about guns.  I don't do this to get political or argue a point, I do it because it has been one of the bigger things I have been working though in my life.  This is my personal opinion and personal belief.  I grew up around guns.  I have shot them quite a few times and, honestly, it is super fun to go skeet shooting or hitting a target with a rifle.  Through the last couple months of processing and thinking I have realized that I am a pacifist.  And if I am a pacifist, I should not be shooting guns, even if it is for fun and safe.  I have to look at my values and beliefs and see if they line up with the Bible and where they don't make changes.  Just like how as much as I don't think swearing is bad, the Bible says in I Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful.  All things are lawful, but not all things build up."  I've had to tone back my language and what I'm saying because I should be building up and helping.

Another place I have been challenged with is how I am living my life.  How much do I truly evangelize and show God's love to people in my life.  Am I willing to go out of my way to do it?  Sacrifice things?  When I go home to visit my family do I make an effort to go feed homeless, visit an orphanage, work with refugees during my time in Minneapolis?  If the only times I am evangelizing and working with the outcasts and the needy and the poor are the times that are formal and planned.  The times where I am at "work" and expected to do it, can I truly say that I live an evangelical lifestyle?  Or is it just my job and nothing else.  Can I truly say I am like Christ if I'm not willing to talk in broken Spanish to the drunk homeless man that asks me for change outside the store?  Or if on the weekend I have an opportunity to go to a soup kitchen and feed children and show them that they are loved and important, but decide to stay home because I want to watch soccer or sleep in.  When I look at the opportunities I have and the decisions I make I realize that I am not enough like Christ.  Being tired, not wanting to do something, or being "too busy" is causing me, and I think I can say many of you as well, to miss out on what God has for me.  God is giving me these opportunities to be more like Him and I am avoiding them.  My missionary work has become a 9-5 job instead of a lifestyle.  When I clock out at the end of the day I put away my Bible and put away my generosity to choose myself and what I want.  And when I look at Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and see how badly he did not want to follow his Father.  "Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matthew 26:39.   This verse screams to me that I need to be more willing to make sacrifices to follow God.  If Jesus is willing to be crucified and I say I want to be like Jesus, then I think I can give up the occasional weekend to feed hungry children.  Or to talk to the homeless man outside the door.

And lastly my future.  I will be doing Mission Adventures for the next month and also in the summer.  I also hope to travel to Cancun for a YWAM gathering and also Thailand for a YWAM gathering.  I hope to get to see more of my YWAM family and be filled with life and God at these events.  Unfortunately these things cost money.  And also unfortunately, my faithful laptop of 6 years has finally decided to stop working.  And being a missionary and considering doing more schools in the future, I need a laptop to work and learn.  If you are interested in helping partner with me financially there is a tab on the side that says Support which explains the ways to support me.  There is a tax free option for those that want one.  

My financial needs:

YWAM Together Thailand - 1200 USD

YWAM Mexico Cancun - 500 USD

Laptop - 1000 USD

Monthly supporters

My prayer needs:

Energy for this season

Discipline 

Clarity for my next steps

That my heart doesn't become overburdened by what I see during ministry.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and see more of where I am at and what I'm doing.  As always don't hesitate to let me know if you have questions or want to talk about anything.  I'm always available.  Comment here, facebook me, email me at colinlindstedt@gmail.com, if find me in person if we are near each other!