Having Faces: Being Neighbor

I came to Guatemala with a Graduate Preaching Fellowship in 2004 to learn to be neighbor. I was ordained at the St. Paul Area Synod Assembly in June 2007 as a pastor of the Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala and commissioned for service by two Synods of the ELCA and the Global Mission Unit of the ELCA. I serve in Guatemala with the ILAG as a missionary and a pastor.

Name:
Location: Guatemala

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

One Step Closer

When I preached at Luther Sem on May 6th, the text was Matthew 6: 24-34.  These last weeks as I have been piecing together my days and months ahead, I have repeatedly had to remind myself to not worry so much... that God does indeed provide for us just as he adorns the flowers of the field and the birds of the air.  
And God does indeed provide!  I had been worried about two weeks in late August in which I will be in Guatemala but had no plans. Between hearing about hijackings, knowing that the first month will have enough culture shock without adding to it other concerns, and not feeling ready to be an intinerent in general, I prefered to have plans. The Iglesia Luterana Agustina de Guatemala has graciously offered me a play at the Lutheran Center and connected me with a delegation coming down from... West St. Paul! (Augustana Lutheran Church)
DanaLee Ommen recently emailed a narrative she had written... to many of us in the post-graduation inbetween anxiety in which we want to receive a call. In it she talked about the verse below... a verse that I will return to throughout my next year. 

But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you’, and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?’  God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’  He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to you.”’
                                                                                                Exodus 3:13-14

As one of my sem profs has been known to say... "God can use even the dullest tool in the shed."

Peace, Amanda

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Amanda, my dear.
You can come be a tool in our shed anytime you want to and you would never be dull.
We were delighted to receive your "blog" we had never heard of, so Russ Shiplet told me what to do, and we hope this gets to you!
WE MISS YOU AT SLC! It's been a bit hectic. Our new pastor's arrived and now there are three of them (a new baby boy has been added!), Carol Banach's contract was not renewed and there is a process going on to find a replacement. We wish Carol well. She is so talented!
My leg is letting me do almost everything...only slower..but it could be that another birthday arrived!
We are looking forward to sharing your adventures!
Take good care of you, you will be in our prayers!
Love, The Koster's

July 21, 2004 at 11:15:00 PM CDT  

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