"If I'm out of my mind, it's You!"

Craziness has been a theme to the last few days... and super-sweet QTs in Joshua!

I'll try and be more concise... Wednesday was a day I tried to film myself through out the day to give a picture of what a somewhat average day in my life here in Riobamba looks like... but it was anything but average. The day began with a cycling competition on the main road, so I was unable to catch a bus (and I was running late to class. Great...) and had to take a taxi. Once there, I had a great time asking crazy questions to the kids, like "who is your favorite super hero", "if you had three wishes, what would you wish for?" and "if you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?" They really enjoy the questions and have fun answering them, so I enjoy those hours very much! John Mark then did a good job with a song, "What If", for the second hour. We left and I headed over to Wang's house for teaching and lunch. The internet was down for the day, so we tried to go to a "Cabina" (a small place where you can make calls or access internet) but the internet was down there, too. Apparently Riobamba was without internet (confirmed by the Coupes and Mausts), and it has been without internet for up to two weeks before! Crazy!

After reading a bit in Matthew 2 in English with Wang (please keep praying), I learned some new Spanish phrases from Diana and taught her some things in English, as well. The "day after tomorrow" is "pasado mañana" in Spanish, which literally means "past Monday" (and not past like last week, but past as in the future... if that makes any sense at all. It took me quite a few minutes to figure it out, but just think about it). Next was a lovely lunch, "encebollada", with the family. Encebollada is a fish and onion type soup. Not two of my favorite things ever, but I really enjoyed the soup! I also learned a lot about the area the Father serves in... he does a lot of medical work for people who can't afford or can't reach good hospitals (ie in the communities without much technology). Please pray for that ministry as he and his wife both serve in fantastic ways! They also need a lot of financial help, so if you know anyone with money lying around, let me know ;-).

After lunch I shared a taxi (jumped out early) with Wang, walked across town, and caught a bus back to the Coupes house. The internet magically fixed while I was there (thanks, God!), I was able to check some quick e-mails, get some important skype calls done and head off to TKD! This is when the real madness began to unfold... I was wearing my athletic pants (for TKD, like usual) and they were a bit extra full today. I was running late again (because of the important calls- they truly needed to get done, and thanks be to God, they did), so I had to take the first taxi that would pick me up, which happened to be an unregistered, probably un-official taxi. Somewhere between getting out of the car and walking into TKD class, a space of about 30 meters, my wallet fell out of my pocket. It could be with the taxi driver, someone picked it up, or it's lying all by it's lonesome somewhere in Riobamba. Regardless... it's not with me. Time to freak out? Neh... God's in control, and that's what I've known and rested in from the first second I discovered it missing. But it would be nice to have back :-). In the past 36 hours, I've called all the necessary banks and have had a ton of help from both missionary families that I'm close with here in Riobamba, so please pray that the Lord would bless them ten fold for the blessing they've been to me. So that has been a big chunk of the last two days... but by the glorious grace of God, it's all gonna be alright! Please do pray for the person with my wallet, too... may the Lord use this to bring this person to Him.

Also, to add insult to injury, after TKD class I discovered that someone took one of my socks. Just ONE of my socks. I ask, why not take both?! Those who do laundry know it's one of the worst feelings to come out with one extra sock... and that's what I'm faced with for the rest of my life. I actually would have rather them take both socks... haha.

In TKD, I actually discovered something I'm sort-of approaching being good at! They were going through the line doing a jump-kick (I don't know the correct English, Spanish, or Corean name. Forgive me), and they had to actually get on a chair and raise the pad up really high for some of us. I was able to still kick almost every high pad, much to the "ooohs" and "ahhs" of the other students. It was a ton of fun! So those vertical jump programs came somewhat in handy after all... although I'm still a few cms from dunking 10 ft. All in God's timing... so it was nice to finally be kinda good at something in TKD... haha. All the glory to God! Also, flexibility seems to be improving...

After class, Henry and I talked some more (continue praying- he's really growing. You can meet him by watching below!), I took the bus back to my house, grabbed some grub, and spent a bit of time at the Maust house searching for the "Two Towers" (which was found today), and then skyped the night away with my family, Wachovia, and Entrust. Fun fun fun!

This morning I had the blessing of sleeping in! Praise the Lord! Afterwards, I ate some food, had another sick quiet time in Joshua, and edited the video below. I went and met with Milton (you may remember him from my Sunday morning of basketball) for an hour and just talked life with him. I tried to share the Gospel with words a few times, but he wasn't super-receptive. He's very content in his Catholic faith... he's been married twice, and unfortunately, the second wife lives 2 hours away and, because they're both teachers (on different class schedules), they don't ever see each other. He used to be a great basketball player and we talked a lot about that. He invited me over anytime, because he lives alone (kids in the States), and really seems to enjoy company. Please pray that the Lord will show Him that there IS a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). The same prayer for Henry, as although he doesn't desire companions, he needs them.

After Milton, I chilled at the Maust house, getting more necessary bank/skype stuff done (also having a lovely conversation with Mi Padre), and then went once more to TKD. I waited around outside to see if the person would come back and try to find me there (for I have no address in my wallet for here in Riobamba. Heck, I don't even KNOW my address here in Riobamba). He didn't, I went up to TKD, did some more flying kicks (oh yeah), and then we put on pads and started kicking each other. I was pretty bad at this and accidentally kicked my partner outside of the pads a few times (he returned the favor). It was great fun, and we got to spar one-on-one at the end of class. I didn't get totally destroyed, but actually held my own, by God's glorious grace! We went back and forth, blocking and kicking, and Wang reminded me that I'm not very flexible. Haha...

After class, more good talking with Henry (and Alex, my sparring partner, joined us tonight). I forgot to mention that we learned how to say "my name is" in Corean last night. I'll write it phonetically: "Nay- Irrum- Oon (name) In-Me-Da". The "Inmida" part is for respect, and the first part is for when you're with friends. Pretty sweet!

Tonight was dinner at mi casa, watching most of Batman Begins (oh man... SUCH a good movie) and working out. Chillin' with the Coupes has occupied the rest of my night, which is where I am now. They have been such a blessing to me, so please pray (as I asked above) that God would truly bless their return to the States for 10 months. Their furlough begins a week from today, and while they're excited, I know packing up is taking a lot of time and energy. Yet they continue to welcome me into their home...

For those of you (most of the United States) who have already seen The Dark Knight, I look forward to joining your club as soon as I can. Mmmm...

Joshua?! Oh yes... GREAT stuff.

Joshua 3:5 reads "Joshua told the people, 'Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.'"

WOW! Can you imagine the excitement that must have gone through that camp that day?! To know that the Lord is going to do something amazing "tomorrow"... wow. But we must understand that the Lord is constantly doing amazing things in our lives, as well! I fear that we too often focus on the parting of the Red Sea and Jordan River parts of our lives, considering them amazing, and forget about the "amazing" manna the Lord provides. The Israelites had this every day until they began to eat of the "produce of Canaan" (5:12). There's a reason that the Lord doesn't give us miracles of the Red Sea magnitude every day: we'd get bored. We would begin to take it for granted, just as we've probably taken the "manna" the Lord provides each and every day for granted. So I encourage you to look at your lives, realize what the Lord is blessing you with on a daily basis (the blessing of breath, of freedom in Him, of His word at your finger tips, etc) and thank Him for that manna. Jesus recognized its importance by putting it in the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6: "Give us this day, our daily bread..." (vs 11). So should we recognize it's importance and not only pray for it, as Jesus instructs, but also be thankful for it, and let God know that we're thankful for it!

Joshua 5:13-15 reads:

"Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, 'Are you for us or for our enemies?'
'Neither,' he replied, 'but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.' Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, 'What message does my Lord have for his servant?'
The commander of the Lord's army replied, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.' And Joshua did so."

Yes, yes, and YES! I LOVE this passage... First of all, the courage of Joshua. When the "man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in hand" appeared before Joshua, he didn't back down, surrender, or show any fear in his words, but coolly replied "Are you for us or for our enemies?" His confidence was truly in the Lord... this is also evident, for while he was super-brave and courageous when it was just a man with a sword in front of him, as soon as the man said "I'm of the Lord", he fell to the ground "facedown... in reverence." He knows where his courage lies and where to show respect.

Secondly, the answer to Joshua's question blows me away. The Lord was very clear that He cannot be claimed with one army or another. Although He did shine favor on the Israelites while they were following Him (and forgave them when they're not), He let Joshua know that He was not permanently for one side or another. He was not "for (the Israelites) or for (their) enemies". I think this applies in our lives, as well... we are not in charge of God, He is in charge of us. We cannot tell Him to "go left, go right, attack", but He decides what's best for us. If the Lord had said "I'm for you guys" to Joshua, the Israelites could have become cocky and figured that the Lord was like another soldier in the army (albeit a very powerful one). They would have lost thankfulness and respect, and God would have lost glory. But God knew this, which is why He responded through the angel as He did. We serve an AWESOME, OMNISCIENT God!

And finally, Joshua was humbled. Put in his place by God. Just in case he was getting any kind of big head being the leader of the Israelites (appointed by God, merely a servant doing his duty), God reminds him who is REALLY in charge of the army. "But as commander of the army of the Lord I now come." I love Joshua's humble response, too: "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" He did not forget his place and come back with 'wait, wait, wait... I'm the commander of the Israelites, God's chosen people, so wouldn't I technically have that title?' Nope! Joshua, coming on the heels of the "most humble man on the earth" (Moses- Numbers 12:3), had learned a lot from watching his predecessor. Oh, Lord... may I embrace this humility in my life, find my courage in You alone, and know that You alone are in charge of my life...

I love You, Jesus.

Please keep in prayer patience, humility, and dying-to-myself.

Thanks for your prayers.

Luke

A day in my life usually takes 24 hours, so I did my best to condense it and got it to 9 1/2 minutes. Please enjoy! Praise the Lord for the breath He gives us to praise His glorious Name (Psalm 150:6) and live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24)!