Dear Rachel Cannon (and whoever else would like to read over your shoulder),
Your question about a newsletter made me realize that I haven't kept you very informed about one of the big things I've asked you to pray for: Palermo.
You may have seen a picture like this...
...or this...
Where I look glowingly pale (I sparkle in the sun?) giving people hugs or just looking crazy/confused (it's the expression of my life).
What you can't hear in the picture is the question of the other people in the picture, asking us what you're asking me: what's going on there, Jill?
Big picture:
Palermo, like most of Buenos Aires, can be an incredibly lonely place. People in Palermo need to know that someone (and Someone) cares about them. Enter: community; this is the mission of the Church, y'all. Right now, there is no church presence in Palermo...
Little picture:
...but there is a city park (Bosque de Palermo- literally "Palermo Forest"). And there is a group of us from the seminary who thought "che, why not go there and offer to listen to people and pray for them?"
So, two weeks ago, armed with construction paper and mate (an Argentine communal tea experience), we stood along the main loop through the park with our signs. Waiting. Praying. Smiling. People were curious about our signs, particularly one I was holding- in English- that said "free prayer." Suddenly a guy came up and gave us all hugs. "I don't know what your sign says," he confessed, "but you look nice and I know the word 'free' so I assumed you're giving free hugs, right?"
Um, YES!
So, dozens/hundreds of hugs, conversations, and prayers later, we went back to the seminary to dream, plan, pray, ang make contact info for "Comunidad del Bosque." Last Sunday we went back to give hugs and prayer, and when we moved back to sit down in the grass and debrief, people kept coming up to us and asking questions. Namely: who are you? where are you from? do you know my cousin in California? no? why do you care about me? ...really?!?
Have you ever noticed how Jesus tends to draw a crowd?
So, here's what's coming up, praying peeps: tomorrow we'll be back in Palermo giving hugs, praying, and hopefully having more people join together with us in God's community here in Palermo.
So now that you're more in the loop, how can you pray with us? (I know you like that rhetorical question as much as I do- ha)
First, thank God that we can share His love and acceptance with a community.
Thank God that the seminary car is running again so we can bring music and candy to share (not to mention 10 of us!)
Thank God that people in Palermo are coming to know that God cares about them, and that on the seminary side of things, we are united in mission and ministry.
Ask with us that...
-People would not only come to know of God, but KNOW
-We'd be able to make disciples of Jesus in Palermo
-We would be guided by the Holy Spirit in all righteousness, truth, and love
Long letter, but I like hearing your ministry stories, too. Thanks again for your prayers!
Peace, Jill
Your question about a newsletter made me realize that I haven't kept you very informed about one of the big things I've asked you to pray for: Palermo.
You may have seen a picture like this...
...or this...
Where I look glowingly pale (I sparkle in the sun?) giving people hugs or just looking crazy/confused (it's the expression of my life).
What you can't hear in the picture is the question of the other people in the picture, asking us what you're asking me: what's going on there, Jill?
Big picture:
Palermo, like most of Buenos Aires, can be an incredibly lonely place. People in Palermo need to know that someone (and Someone) cares about them. Enter: community; this is the mission of the Church, y'all. Right now, there is no church presence in Palermo...
Little picture:
...but there is a city park (Bosque de Palermo- literally "Palermo Forest"). And there is a group of us from the seminary who thought "che, why not go there and offer to listen to people and pray for them?"
So, two weeks ago, armed with construction paper and mate (an Argentine communal tea experience), we stood along the main loop through the park with our signs. Waiting. Praying. Smiling. People were curious about our signs, particularly one I was holding- in English- that said "free prayer." Suddenly a guy came up and gave us all hugs. "I don't know what your sign says," he confessed, "but you look nice and I know the word 'free' so I assumed you're giving free hugs, right?"
Um, YES!
So, dozens/hundreds of hugs, conversations, and prayers later, we went back to the seminary to dream, plan, pray, ang make contact info for "Comunidad del Bosque." Last Sunday we went back to give hugs and prayer, and when we moved back to sit down in the grass and debrief, people kept coming up to us and asking questions. Namely: who are you? where are you from? do you know my cousin in California? no? why do you care about me? ...really?!?
Have you ever noticed how Jesus tends to draw a crowd?
So, here's what's coming up, praying peeps: tomorrow we'll be back in Palermo giving hugs, praying, and hopefully having more people join together with us in God's community here in Palermo.
So now that you're more in the loop, how can you pray with us? (I know you like that rhetorical question as much as I do- ha)
First, thank God that we can share His love and acceptance with a community.
Thank God that the seminary car is running again so we can bring music and candy to share (not to mention 10 of us!)
Thank God that people in Palermo are coming to know that God cares about them, and that on the seminary side of things, we are united in mission and ministry.
Ask with us that...
-People would not only come to know of God, but KNOW
-We'd be able to make disciples of Jesus in Palermo
-We would be guided by the Holy Spirit in all righteousness, truth, and love
Long letter, but I like hearing your ministry stories, too. Thanks again for your prayers!
Peace, Jill
No comments:
Post a Comment