Friday, October 21, 2011
Yet another update
I've kind of taken up the hobby of taking pictures. I see so much of God's artwork that and I can't help but immortalize it in my camera! sort of. Just an update, I have gotten a little bit more adapted to life in Belize. I've been going to a Spanish speaking church and helping out the two drummers for their praise team. I'm more or less of a mentor to them I guess. I met with a guy who owns a christian radio station on the island and he really wants some volunteers to work at the station. Live Djs and such. I'm not sure if that's where I'm called yet or not, but I would love to help wherever God wants to use me. There are so many seekers here and many people are almost there, they just don't have anyone to walk with them and disciple them. Until now! We definitely have our work cut out for us. God will do awesome things in San Pedro! 
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Everything under heaven
"The LORD said to Job: 'Can you pull in Leviathon with a fishhook
or tie down its tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through its nose
or pierce its jaw with a hook?
Will it keep begging you for mercy?
Will it speak to you with gentle
words?'"
"... No one is fierce enough to rouse it.
Who then is able to stand against me?
Who has a claim against me that I must
pay?
Everything under heaven belongs
to me."
Job 41:1-3,10-11
Saw this little guy in the lagoon along the way to go fishing last night. When I got off of my bike to take pictures he came up on to the land because he thought I was going to feed him. Or he was wanting to eat me! I'm not sure, but I didn't want to stick around for that.
or tie down its tongue with a rope?
Can you put a cord through its nose
or pierce its jaw with a hook?
Will it keep begging you for mercy?
Will it speak to you with gentle
words?'"
"... No one is fierce enough to rouse it.
Who then is able to stand against me?
Who has a claim against me that I must
pay?
Everything under heaven belongs
to me."
Job 41:1-3,10-11
Monday, October 17, 2011
Fishing this morning
This morning was fairly adventurous. We got up with the sunrise at 5:30 to go spear fishing. We finally bought a spear to maximize our efficiency yesterday. It was raining as we traveled along the mud roads on our bikes. We were ready to catch our food for the first time out of necessity rather than just for fun. As we got to our favorite dock, it stopped raining. We swam around a little bit and eventually found where the larger fish congregate. Slowly learning what works and what doesn't, we eventually got a few black snapper. We saw all kinds of crazy marine life, stingrays, starfish, lots of colorful fish, some dolphins swam by, it was awesome.
A few of the local guys were on the same dock and showed me how to catch a barracuda. They showed me how to throw in our sardine net, put a lively one on the hook, through the mouth, then cast it behind the barracuda, slowly pulling it past him. The baros hang out in really shallow water and the water is crystal clear, so we could see when it was checking out the bait. It didn't show much interest unless the sardine was moving. Eventually he went for it though and I caught him! That was exciting.
Later, we fished behind Jeff's apartment in the lake (the conventional way for the most part), and we caught a ton of little snapper. We learned the cheapest and easiest way to fish is by winding the line around a glass coke bottle, then casting off the end of that. No fishing rod is necessary! We had fish tacos for dinner!
A few of the local guys were on the same dock and showed me how to catch a barracuda. They showed me how to throw in our sardine net, put a lively one on the hook, through the mouth, then cast it behind the barracuda, slowly pulling it past him. The baros hang out in really shallow water and the water is crystal clear, so we could see when it was checking out the bait. It didn't show much interest unless the sardine was moving. Eventually he went for it though and I caught him! That was exciting.
Later, we fished behind Jeff's apartment in the lake (the conventional way for the most part), and we caught a ton of little snapper. We learned the cheapest and easiest way to fish is by winding the line around a glass coke bottle, then casting off the end of that. No fishing rod is necessary! We had fish tacos for dinner!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Life on an island
This is our first week living on the island and we're learning how to survive. From day 1 to day 2, we discovered a lot about what not to do! The culture is entirely different than what we're used to in the states. I thought people from Texas were friendly but Belizeans put us to shame! There's a difference between being friendly and being hospitable. People you've never met before will go way out of their way just to help you out with anything they see you need help with.
To describe it here as 'laid-back' would be an understatement. No one's in a hurry to get anywhere. When we go too fast or appear to be in a hurry, the guy with a monkey on his shoulder will say, "slow down mon!"
We're eating pretty healthy and I love it. Fresh fruit, vegetables, chicken, fish, eggs and hot tortillas are the cheapest and most abundant things to buy here, aside from rice and beans. I'm glad to have two roommates who like to cook!
Fishing is still not our forte but we'll get the hang of it. We have a sardine net which we're still learning how to use and some coke bottles which we tie the line around and cast it out. Today we will buy a spear and a sling so we can spearfish! I can't wait for that. It's like snorkeling with ulterior motives.
We travel on bikes most of the time, but we walk if we're not going far. We can get pretty much anywhere we want to go in a fairly short amount of time. But when it rains, it gets really muddy. It's not like brown mud, it's more like clay, sort of a beige color.
It's very apparent that God has called us here to bring truth to these people. Many of our friends we have met are seeking but still without the Lord. Pray that we plant the seed in the right soil!
To describe it here as 'laid-back' would be an understatement. No one's in a hurry to get anywhere. When we go too fast or appear to be in a hurry, the guy with a monkey on his shoulder will say, "slow down mon!"
We're eating pretty healthy and I love it. Fresh fruit, vegetables, chicken, fish, eggs and hot tortillas are the cheapest and most abundant things to buy here, aside from rice and beans. I'm glad to have two roommates who like to cook!
Fishing is still not our forte but we'll get the hang of it. We have a sardine net which we're still learning how to use and some coke bottles which we tie the line around and cast it out. Today we will buy a spear and a sling so we can spearfish! I can't wait for that. It's like snorkeling with ulterior motives.
We travel on bikes most of the time, but we walk if we're not going far. We can get pretty much anywhere we want to go in a fairly short amount of time. But when it rains, it gets really muddy. It's not like brown mud, it's more like clay, sort of a beige color.
It's very apparent that God has called us here to bring truth to these people. Many of our friends we have met are seeking but still without the Lord. Pray that we plant the seed in the right soil!
Finally Here
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
psalm 147:10-11
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy one of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.
Isaiah 55:5
So is my word that goes out from my
mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I
sent it.
Isaiah 55:11
So here we are, in Belize! It's been a long time since we first began planning the move, 9 months in fact... Like a baby being birthed! The first day was pretty awesome getting here; God came through in so many ways and clearly paved the way. All of the things we expected to stand in our way just eased on by with no problem. We found a lot of favor with the people at the airlines and at customs in Belize. No extra fines!
Thinking of the trip here, Isaiah 43:1 comes to mind when the Lord says "I have summoned you by name". Two times on the way here were we "summoned by name". The first time was kind of our mistake.. As Cam and I were waiting in Houston for our connecting flight, thinking we had plenty of time, we made our way to terminal E. After about 10 minutes of heading towards our gate, we realized how late we were. Then over the loud speaker we heard "passengers Schmitt and Barlow, your flight is about to take off" and on top of that, Cam's shoes came untied. AH! we ran, shoe laces flying, we made it just in time. Praise God!
The second time we were called out was shortly after we got into the Belize City airport. As we walked outside to find Nick, who's flight got in a few hours prior, we were approached by a man who said "Jarod and Camden?!" "Yes?" "Nick sent you a ride!" We then saw a man holding a cardboard sign with our names on it, signed Nick. Lol He sent a cab for us when he left early.
All the way, God was with us and he provided.
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
the Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
psalm 147:10-11
Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy one of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.
Isaiah 55:5
So is my word that goes out from my
mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I
sent it.
Isaiah 55:11
So here we are, in Belize! It's been a long time since we first began planning the move, 9 months in fact... Like a baby being birthed! The first day was pretty awesome getting here; God came through in so many ways and clearly paved the way. All of the things we expected to stand in our way just eased on by with no problem. We found a lot of favor with the people at the airlines and at customs in Belize. No extra fines!
Thinking of the trip here, Isaiah 43:1 comes to mind when the Lord says "I have summoned you by name". Two times on the way here were we "summoned by name". The first time was kind of our mistake.. As Cam and I were waiting in Houston for our connecting flight, thinking we had plenty of time, we made our way to terminal E. After about 10 minutes of heading towards our gate, we realized how late we were. Then over the loud speaker we heard "passengers Schmitt and Barlow, your flight is about to take off" and on top of that, Cam's shoes came untied. AH! we ran, shoe laces flying, we made it just in time. Praise God!
The second time we were called out was shortly after we got into the Belize City airport. As we walked outside to find Nick, who's flight got in a few hours prior, we were approached by a man who said "Jarod and Camden?!" "Yes?" "Nick sent you a ride!" We then saw a man holding a cardboard sign with our names on it, signed Nick. Lol He sent a cab for us when he left early.
All the way, God was with us and he provided.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The Counterculture of Jesus Christ: verses in Matthew
To study the culture of Jesus, I began by reading the book of Matthew and writing down every instance I could find where Jesus demonstrated or taught something that was opposite of the social norm. Here they are.
Matthew 5:11-12
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Matthew 5:38-39
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."
Matthew 5:43-44
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"
Matthew 6:1
1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
Matthew 6:19-20
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."
Matthew 6:25
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"
Matthew 6:32-33
32 "For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 7:12
12 "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 10:38-39
38 "Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."
Matthew 15:10-11
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Matthew 16:24-25
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
Matthew 18:3-4
3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:9
9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Matthew 19:21
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Matthew 19:23
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:29
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
Matthew 19:30
30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Matthew 20:25-27
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
Matthew 20:28
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 23:11-12
11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Matthew 25:40
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Matthew 5:11-12
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Matthew 5:38-39
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."
Matthew 5:43-44
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"
Matthew 6:1
1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
Matthew 6:19-20
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."
Matthew 6:25
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?"
Matthew 6:32-33
32 "For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 7:12
12 "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 10:38-39
38 "Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."
Matthew 15:10-11
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Matthew 16:24-25
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
Matthew 18:3-4
3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:9
9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Matthew 19:21
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Matthew 19:23
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:29
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
Matthew 19:30
30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Matthew 20:25-27
25 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
Matthew 20:28
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 23:11-12
11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Matthew 25:40
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
The Counterculture of Jesus Christ
I have been sitting on this blog post for a while, reluctant to put anything out there due to the depth of the topic itself. Frankly, I'm intimidated by it! So, I'll start with this.
Somewhere within every person is a desire to go against the grain. A desire to be different than society and no longer be bound by the norm. Typically, people will go through a rebellious stage, but come to realize that being different for the sake of being different is not practical. Society has shaped and evolved over the years into the most accommodating mechanism that it can be for the purpose that it serves.
However, 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ came to Earth and turned everything as society knows it entirely upside down. Jesus didn't just go a different way that was unique and winding, he went dead on against the current.
To look at the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus Christ, we see that everything he did was entirely opposite of the norm and entirely more effective. How could we have been that far off?!
When God created the Earth, He created man in his image, and the world was perfect. Life was just as God had intended for it to be. We were created to live in a pure, selfless way. But from the moment sin entered the world, things began to slide. As God gave us the law, we began to see just how far we have strayed from life as God intended.
Then right in the middle of time, God sent his son, the second Adam. He stepped in to seek and save that which had been lost. He stopped the world and pushed everything back, spinning the other direction, redeeming it to its original purpose for those who follow him.
To study the culture of Jesus, I began by reading the book of Matthew and writing down every instance I could find where Jesus demonstrated or taught something that was opposite of the social norm. The verses are in the following post.
Somewhere within every person is a desire to go against the grain. A desire to be different than society and no longer be bound by the norm. Typically, people will go through a rebellious stage, but come to realize that being different for the sake of being different is not practical. Society has shaped and evolved over the years into the most accommodating mechanism that it can be for the purpose that it serves.
However, 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ came to Earth and turned everything as society knows it entirely upside down. Jesus didn't just go a different way that was unique and winding, he went dead on against the current.
To look at the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus Christ, we see that everything he did was entirely opposite of the norm and entirely more effective. How could we have been that far off?!
When God created the Earth, He created man in his image, and the world was perfect. Life was just as God had intended for it to be. We were created to live in a pure, selfless way. But from the moment sin entered the world, things began to slide. As God gave us the law, we began to see just how far we have strayed from life as God intended.
Then right in the middle of time, God sent his son, the second Adam. He stepped in to seek and save that which had been lost. He stopped the world and pushed everything back, spinning the other direction, redeeming it to its original purpose for those who follow him.
To study the culture of Jesus, I began by reading the book of Matthew and writing down every instance I could find where Jesus demonstrated or taught something that was opposite of the social norm. The verses are in the following post.
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