As the week ends and Sunday will be my last day here I think back on what my stay here has been like. ..the things i've learnt and the many happy times..
Some of the photos are of the last weekend.
This week I have been busy with a lot of wrapping up with the programs that I have tried to implement.
In paricular I have been working with the tutors about what is involved in being a pastoral tutor.
All of us are people in need of help and also people positioned by God to help those around us. We carry both these identities at the same time throughout life..
Through the person of Christ, the Gospel not only saves people but also transforms people. Christ brings meaning, purpose and identity to all areas of our lives and in every situation we find ourselves in.
The call to be a carer of children is a joy but also a responsiblility to present the truth to the next generation so that they too can follow Christ every day and to help them in all their worries and cares.
We looked into the area of pastoral leadership. We thought how, if pastoral leadership must need to be effective, it must target the heart of the individual. Whatever controls the heart will control behaviour. Therefore , if lasting change is going to take place, it must be through the heart.
We looked at why the kids do the things they do.. (Luke 6:43-46)
The heart(mind, soul, spirit, emotions) causes us to do what we do.
Therefore we looked at this question that they will look at with their kids.. Can people be transformed in character and behaviour without the heart being changed?
If you had an apple tree that produced bad apples, yet you stapled good apples to it for a season, would they last? Could we say that we have fixed the real problem?
If the heart change is required, then we need to examine what controls the heart and what needs to change. The Bible calls this , "turning from our idols" (Ezekiel 14: 1-6)
If we hold our hand over our face, our vision will be obstructed. The only way to clear vision is to totally remove our hand..
The Bible is what reveals our idols to us and shows us what we need to change. (Hebrews 4:12-13)
The Gospel rescues us from ourselves as we turn from being Lord of our lives to making Christ Lord of our lives more and more each day. This is the goal of pastoral leadership.
So as I leave and look to move to help in a Christian school in Arequipa near the city center, I keep that thought of how we impact others and what can we practically do: to love , know, speak and then do (guide and support).
This is our mission to help others to be transformed with the power of God .
Transformation needs to take place in the heart and is carried out not by a system or formula, but by a person , Jesus Christ, through his Word and Sprit and through those He called to be his instruments.
Let us pray:
- For the workers here in 'New Hope' as they do what God has called them to do in his ministry in Peru.
- For me as I seek to be that also here and now and for the future.
- As I still look to set up a childrens home here in Arequipa, Peru.. the need is great.. as God is choosing more kids to be taken out of the bad situation they find themselves in and placing them in a loving home where the truth of Christ can be presented in a deeper way to them.. God wants to practicly help these kids, to love and guide them.
...The phone rings , more kids -the Judge wants to send more kids to this Christian home.. as they know it's a very good home, but the rooms are full and the tutors are few...
- Pray as i seek God's guidance and He leads me in this direction of the vision to build His new home...
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