Semillas de Esperanza

Dentists to the Rescue

2012-03-01T15:33:00.002-06:00

Maybe the title is a little overstated, but I am sure a lot of my neighbors felt thankful for a recent dental clinic. I really didn't have any part in it! I only sounded that a weak little trumpet! Thanks to a friend, I got a letter with the flier and knew this could really help our immigrant community.

Immigrants many times are not able to go the doctor because of lack of insurance and lack of finances. They see the dentist even less. So I put out fliers around Mission Adelante and verbally made an announcement to our Latino friends. It would be impossible to know exactly who might take advantage, but I talked to one student who got the care she needed. She was excited and thankful. Listen to this! She actually spent a part of the night parked in the lot where the clinic would open at 5:30am and waited. She got a number went back to sleep (if that was possible) and woke in time to go in for her time at 8am. What dedication! Do you have great memories of going to the dentist? How would waiting like this affect your experience? I praise God for this immigrant showing joy to see the dentist, no matter the cost to her!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

The Immigrant Looking Out for Me!

2012-01-24T14:28:00.002-06:00

When I was an immigrant living in Uruguay, Gabo was one of my Uruguayan friends who looked out for me and made sure I understood the way things work there. When I needed something fixed on the house where I was staying, he knew who could do the job so that I wouldn't get taken advantage of. I was grateful! There is no way I could have navigated that with great confidence.

This past week I found help in an unexpected way from one of my immigrant friends when Megan and I were getting some siding on our house replaced. As the crew tore off the siding on the south side of our house it revealed a hole in the wood covering. I don't know a lot about construction but I do understand that you shouldn't have a hole outside your house. I wish I could say I knew how to replace the hole. Let's just say that home projects can intimidate me and I tend not to get much finished on my own. Not knowing whether the crew would be willing to fix the hole for me, I called my immigrant friend, Jose, to come look at it. I knew he could fix the hole and I was willing to pay him. When he arrived, I was not there but he talked with Megan and he began to tell her..."make sure they fix this hole; it is the crew's responsibility; don't let them take advantage of you." He offered to come back later if we still needed help. Did you see what happened? I was the ignorant North American who might have been taken advantage of by one of my own countryman and an immigrant was looking out for me! I was hit! I normally am the one looking out for my immigrant friends who come to Mission Adelante who are strangers in this land. Now, they were looking out for me. Words cannot describe how protected you feel when this happens. Thank you, Jose and thank you God for showing me how big this really is!

Happy Birthday!

2011-12-16T16:57:00.002-06:00

Birthdays are important in any culture. Of course there are those few individuals who tried to downplay their birthday and outwardly ignore it exists. I think what they really want is for someone to acknowledge their day in a special way. "Jimmy" is one of our Latino friends who has really advanced in English class and become a friend to our family. Jimmy hid the fact the his birthday was coming up, but I noticed his birthdate recently and couldn't help but plan something special for him.

Jimmy had been wanting to take my family out to eat at an American restaurant. He loves IHOP because of the food and the chance to practice English. I thought we should introduce him to another similar restaurant for his birthday. When he arrived at our house, Megan mentioned it was his birthday and we would be treating him. What a surprise to him that we knew! All of us enjoyed a quiet meal at Bob Evans (simple, conversation friendly environment). Jimmy enjoyed it and then my lovely wife pulled out the surprise of the night--she pulled out a block of brownies, a candle and box of matches. Yes, it was a most simple birthday cake, but I could tell how much it meant to Jimmy. After singing to Jimmy, we went home and he left to retire for the night in order to work at 6am the next day. He later sent me a text to say "thanks, again."

I am so thankful to have spent our evening with a friend who might not otherwise have been celebrated! God brought Jimmy our way and what a blessing to walk with this immigrant friend.

Driving Into the Unknown

2011-10-27T16:41:00.002-05:00

During almost all seasons of ministry, I find myself in my car driving to meet specific immigrant families. Most often this happens at night since their work schedules dictate when they are available. I've tried many different ways to assure myself a good visit--better said, to find them at home and willing to have me. I've called a week in advance like a scheduled North American, I've just showed up at their door like a family member, and I've called just before I get in my car so as not to waste a trip. Here is my conclusion--There is no magic formula.

Last week, the Holy Spirit took control of the who, what, where. It didn't start out that way, though! I had two families in mind to visit and after calling and driving by their homes I was about to go home with nothing to show for my efforts. Not a fun feeling! I kept driving this time and passed by a family's home who comes to our outreach activities and comes to our church very inconsistently. I stopped, even though they were neither of the families I planned to visit.

After an hour of visiting with them, it seemed like the time to leave and let them have the rest of their evening. Suddenly, Lorena asked me to pray for her. She started to tear up as she shared that the next day was the anniversary of her brother's death in Mexico. Wow, I couldn't believe the timing! I prayed for her right then. This was huge, especially considering that we held a memorial service for her brother in our building so that she could share about him and her family living here could have some closure.

I didn't plan on stopping at Lorena's house, but am grateful God took me from my unknown to a place He knew needed His touch. Thank you, Lord for letting me be part of this!

Walking through an open door

2011-09-25T21:36:00.002-05:00

Wouldn't life be great without conflicts or bumps along the way? I would bet that all of us would like life to be easy and free of worries, but I am more and more convinced we would push God aside or put Him on the shelf for some rainy day if this were the case. We are prone to seek our own way! I am!

The more and more I work with immigrants I see just how God uses conflicts, problems, and dilemmas to open up our hearts to an encounter with Him. Just today I spent time on the phone with a parent who found herself in a desperate situation, with concerns about her rebellious daughter. No greater a time is there to need God than when we find ourselves in these predicaments and yet we need Him everyday just to navigate what seems sometimes like the easy life. I hope to visit this family in their home and offer some piece of hope.

"God, you are the only one who can offer any of us hope." Pray with me that these meeting will turn disaster into hope....not just a situational hope, but a daily surrender that bears hope with Christ.

What matters most!

2011-08-03T16:02:00.002-05:00

This past week has been filled with news of the possible disaster awaiting the US and its economy because neither the President nor the Legislature could agree upon a budget. Many were outraged and I bet nearly all of us wondered what might happen with us in the future. Would we lose income or savings over this standoff? What might the future look like? In this we looked to the government to solve the issue, but this wasn't the answer nor did it account for what matters most.

What matters most is life! What do I mean? Monday, we received a call that one of our Latino families, who participates in our outreach activities, lost a portion of their home to fire. Boys playing with a lighter resulted in an inferno. What was lost was material and it hurt this family in their fight to survive as immigrants! Yet the most important thing was preserved--their lives! Who could look at this situation and even think about those decisions of the government. God gives perspective! "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Prov 3:5. Join me in praying for E and her family to rebuild their home but to build on the rock of Christ in their hearts. We have already had many times to pray with them and will be walking with them for many more days.

The Amazing gRace

2011-07-14T14:10:00.002-05:00

Last night I shared the "missions moment" at a VBS camp full of kids K-5 and what a great joy it was to be with them and see all that they had learned over 3 nights. Their theme was the Amazing gRace and you would have thought "amazing" as you watched them sing and energetically do the motions to the songs. They loved it! No adult teachers were pushing them to participate...they wanted to be there. Could I have asked for a better group to share with!

When it was my turn, I shared with a Kinder/1st group, a 2nd/3rd group, and a 4th/5th group. Each time I got to tell them my own mission story and how God was using me with Mission Adelante. Then I challenged them to be missionaries to their neighbors next door, their friends, and most importantly the "forgotten" people in their schools. Who knows what messages they will walk away remembering this pack week, but they gave me an amazing free gift to be able to join with them and share.

What a gift from God to have such an opportunity! It was priceless.

Who wants an intern?

2011-06-23T16:19:00.002-05:00

What an innocent question. Who wants an intern? I wonder what Paget Rhee was thinking when she requested six summer interns in Washington, DC during the summer of 1997. Sure she needed to staff a camp for the inner-city kids around Calvary Baptist Church. But, did she really know what she was getting into? I bet she weighed the cost...giving up personal time and space, having to deal with occasional immaturity, and knowing it would be "LOUD". She would be gaining resources to multiply her ministry effort, new ideas from fresh young sources, and she would be in for a lot of laughs.

I was one of the interns that gained an unforgettable experience that would teach me much more that I could have read in a book. I gained a chance to sit under a patient leader, the opportunity to try and fail, and exposure to the realities of kids living in the heart of urban DC. It changed my life for sure and find myself reflecting on my experiences there quite a lot this summer. However, I am seeing things more from the other side. Now, I am the leader who has a chance to patiently walk beside interns and see them grow and do great things. I've counted the costs and I have answered the question, "Who wants an intern?", without any hesitation. Adelante, send 'em here!

Not my Monday Plan

2011-03-06T14:30:00.003-06:00

Recently, I spent a day doing exactly the opposite of what I had in mind. Mondays are meant to be productive, aren't they? This looks likes a task list run through, tangible obstacles overcome, and what I want to get done, right? God chuckles at our plans sometimes as we scamper towards "productivity" instead of seizing the moment.

My moment came when I needed a few of my Hispanic church friends to help me pick up a bunch of donated household furniture and goods for our Mission resource center. What I hoped would be 3 hour tour turned into an entire afternoon. When it is sleeting and when the uhaul trailer pickup takes an hour, suddenly your trip turns into 5 hours. Five hours spent with three guys both in the car and working together. Stop! Maybe this is exactly what God had in mind! It hit me, yes, this was more productive than anything I could have accomplished in the office and yes, we did pick up the furniture, but we bonded. This was exactly what we needed, this is exactly what I needed, this is exactly what God wanted. What a successful Monday! Thanks, God, for giving me a chance to connect with guys in our church when I sometimes feel myself begging for this.

How a 12 year old sees the world

2010-11-23T14:37:00.002-06:00

One week ago, I took Fernando with me to see an indoor soccer game. He and I have gone out for fun events in the past like breakfast at Perkins, going to a parade, and playing catch. Several of these activities took us outside our KCK neighborhood so I was surprised as we sat down at the Comets game in Independence, MO. Fernando turned to me and said, "I'm the only Mexican here. Do you see anyone else?" No, I didn't. He realized that he was the minority in this crowd. He even looked through the game guide and wanted to know if any Hispanics played on the team. Fernando's world and his heroes were those most related to his family's culture. Since Fernando and I have a great history together, I doubt he sees me as much different than him but he clearly knows when things feel different. We had a great time together but his comments left an impression upon me about how the kids in our ministry see the world around them.

Four years later...

2010-09-28T16:42:00.002-05:00

Nearly four years ago, I met Maria and her sister-in-law Y. They were students in my ESL class and I loved their personalities and zeal to learn. I felt blessed to be invited into their lives going to a birthday party and visiting them in their homes on several occasions. On one occasion, I helped them navigate a tense situation when one of their husband's was arrested in Central Kansas and accompanied them to the jail. They were extremely grateful! None of this led to them investigating our home bible study or the Mission Adelante church.

It would have been so easy to give up on our investment, but thank God that we kept in contact even when they finished taking English classes. It was a blessing to know that their kids continued to be a part of our Kid's Adelante outreach bible study. Still our staff wondered if they would ever take the leap of faith needed for their own lives. This past month they surprised us and opened their hearts to Jesus at our parenting conference held at the building. Wow! Well worth the wait! The story is still in the making, but what a great way to see our ministry touch them from all sides. Lord, thanks for letting me be a part of this!

Every Human Being is Precious to God

2010-06-22T14:09:00.000-05:00

Several years ago, I sat in on an Old Testament class at Denver Seminary while visiting a good friend of mine. I was impressed by the professor and his explanation of the book of Jonah. Almost four years later, I connected with the same professor, Daniel Carroll, at a CCDA conference (Christian Community Development Association) in October. He happened to be leading one of the topic seminars on immigration and he did not disappoint with his presentation and knowledge of scripture. Both his seminar and several thematic elements of the conference reminded me of the most simple truth, "Every human being is precious to God."

I am guilty of forgetting this is true, especially when it is convenient to believer someone doesn't deserve my time, compassion, or forgiveness. Have you ever struggled with this? I bet you have because it is part of the prideful temptation we all face. Thank God for His mercy to us!

Let me get back to Daniel Carroll, the professor from Denver Seminary. I came back and mentioned to Jarrett Meek how his explanations of Biblical passages were moving and very clear and I recommended Jarrett take a look. Jarrett, too, was impressed and began to recruit Daniel to come give a seminar to our Kansas City Mission Adelante community of volunteers and friends. Praise God that things worked out just perfectly and we will be welcoming Daniel Carroll here for a workshop on July 24th. I would love to have you come hear him.

And Now Four...

2010-06-08T15:25:00.002-05:00

Last Wednesday, Megan and I loaded up a small bag and headed to the hospital. We knew exactly what we were going to do--induce a baby's birth. Sounds simple and almost too planned, controlled, orchestrated, etc. It wasn't any of those things because it was miraculous. Every step was out of our control and in God's hands which is the way it always is even when we fail to notice. You may be thinking what happened?! The delivery was super smooth and we still sit amazed at God's mercy and now we reflect even more upon the small miracle we hold in our hands. Brennan Nicholas Schoff was a grand design from our Creator and how could you not argue that this is a miracle!

We are adjusting joyfully to adding one more to our family which is now a family of four. Thank you, Lord, for miracles and continually showing us you are in control of the big and small.

Wanted: Advocates!

2010-05-10T12:47:00.002-05:00

I spent this past week advocating for people in four different situations. Advocacy has to be some of the hardest work in the world because it requires spending time on the phone tracking down people, listening to their stories and pleas, and trying to make yourself available at all times for their need. Let me say I love helping people, but sometimes you fail to realize what you are taking on. This was definitely the case! I don't think I have ever had four situations like this evolve all in one week, and it was honestly very hard to juggle. Somehow, I was thrust into the shoes of those I advocated for purely by being subjected to their same difficulties looking for help.

"Who is the person I need to talk to?" seems to be the number one question. As I sit back, I rejoice in the fact that we have an advocate who sits at the right side of the Father. He listens patiently, cries with us, and wants to help us in our hour of need. Best of all, our prayers to God go directly to the Ultimate Authority of heaven and earth.

I have advocated for these four families, but I have also led them in prayer asking God to exert his authority and justice for their cause. I may be exhausted, but He remains strong and able to restore each of us.

Because He cares to answer

2010-01-25T14:23:00.003-06:00

I started January by planning to add another ESL class in the morning. I knew this would be a challenge, but I didn't expect to have the same challenge on Thursday nights. Before I knew it, I was worried whether we would have the volunteer resources to pull it off. I prayed, the staff prayed, and others prayed. Less than one day after praying with volunteers at a recent meeting, I talked to two people who could volunteer for the morning class. I could hardly believe it! Thank you, Lord. God also continues to connect me with former volunteers who are interested in helping out of Thursdays. If only I would ask more often...instead of relying fully on my ability to recruit people.

This reminded me just how important our volunteers are for the outreach ministry. A God sized miracle happens every trimester when new faces and old come to help with ESL or Kid's Adelante. I really can't believe that we have 40-50 ongoing volunteers here on a weekly basis. I cannot take this for granted because this is unheard of in many settings. Thanks be to God for a heavenly common cause. Philippians 2:1-2 says, "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose."

A Video Update from the Schoffs

2009-11-10T10:46:00.005-06:00

Mission Adelante! - Jason Schoff from Perception Funding on Vimeo.

Friends, please enjoy our new video below. A friend, Jonathan Klee, graciously gave his time to do it free for us!

Teaching English through Abraham

2009-10-27T15:49:00.002-05:00

Learning English is so much fun when you can mix it up. I've been utilizing this curriculum that uses drama (TPR) and phrases to help students cement English words in their minds. The students really catch on quick and we have a good time seeing who is the best actor. We do all this while using a bible story! This last week we worked on English that frames the story of Abraham and Isaac. It is the scene where Abraham is taking his son to the mountain to sacrifice him. If you don't know the story, you really need to read it in Genesis 22.

At the end of class, I reflected with the students upon what the story means to us. Abraham showed an amazing obedience to God. He was willing to sacrifice the same gift God had given him, a son. The story means even more to me today with Declan. He is my only son and I love him tremendously. Now, think about this with God giving his only son, Jesus, to die for us. Abraham's story gave our class a lot to be amazed by. How wonderful is the Father's love which he has lavished upon us!

When school is not in session

2009-08-19T14:39:00.003-05:00

Three times a year our outreach activities take a break. At the end of these trimesters, our staff takes a break to refocus, recruit new volunteers, and visit students and members of our church community. However, our students are not always ready for a break. They simply want more English. I believe they also want more of what they have tasted throughout the trimester of study. They love the new friendships, the concern for them, and the encouragement that comes from growing closer to learning English. What a great connection! Thanks to the over 12 volunteers from our level one class, over 80% of our students want to take another trimester. Wow! This is the highest percentage yet.

Just as much as the students express sadness in not having class, I have to confess similar feelings. I really enjoy seeing so many faces on a weekly basis. It is a great way to love on so many people in such a short period of time. Since part of the break will be spent visiting more often, I will be visiting as many students as possible. This is where ministry and relationship can go deeper. Lord, give me open doors and smooth connections!

Feed, Clothe, Offer a Hand

2009-05-20T14:19:00.001-05:00

Last fall, I absorbed an additional ministry responsibility, our resource center. We originally opened with clothing, a variety of food items, and some appliances. The resource center grew and we quite frankly were learning to meet people’s basic needs. So we asked a key question, “What do people need most or use most?” This led us to seek the help of local churches to partner with us on a winter coat drive including hats and gloves. Through this partnership, we gave every child the winter supplies needed to stay warm, and almost every adult walked away with their needs met as well.

Next, we asked ourselves why Hispanics were not taking the canned goods on our shelves. Simple, their custom is to cook with fresh items. Recognizing this, we began offering basic food baskets with rice, beans, pasta, sugar or flour, and cooking oil. Being able to share these items with families has had an amazing impact on the new faces we see every Saturday morning.

Suddenly, I found myself needing help greeting, assisting, and praying for all the families who come. I asked our faith community if anyone would be interested. Leticia began volunteering and I knew immediately she loved it. She took great care of people and gained confidence in praying for the families as they left. As a matter of fact, she recruited her sister-in-law Rosy to begin coming. Before long Rosy, too, was praying with people. Wow! Leticia multiplied what I showed her and now Rosy may one day teach another Hispanic.

Our mission statement is: Serving Hispanics to Christ and Mobilizing Them to Serve. It’s so encouraging to watch God make theory into reality!

First to take the plunge

2009-05-11T14:06:00.001-05:00

Two years ago, Leticia and Hugo were the first to finish a discipleship course through our ministry. One of the lessons dealt with adult baptism. When asked if they wanted to be baptized, they answered with a clear “no”. Who could have blamed them? They were the first to answer this question in our ministry and had never seen this type of baptism modeled. Additionally, they faced a conflict between their culture and their new faith. They, like most Hispanics, grew up culturally Catholic. This meant they were baptized or sprinkled as babies. This carries a powerful symbolism to their parents with regard to faith though most were never regular attendees of the church. Perhaps Leticia and Hugo felt the heavy conflict between culture, family and the lessons of our discipleship when they answered no.

Two years later at our recent worship service, Mission Adelante held its first baptism celebration with six individuals sharing their testimony of faith in baptism. These were not decisions taken lightly by the individuals. We made it clear to each of them that baptism is only a symbol and had absolutely no bearing on their salvation by faith. Under no compulsion, Alberto, Graciela, Alden, Martha, Luz, and Nayelli boldly gave a great model of testimony to our community of faith. As a result, Elena, Alejandro, and Fernando declared their desire to be baptized soon.

It's Amazing!

2008-11-23T15:36:00.002-06:00

Funny how a song can get into your head and guide your thoughts! Recently, I found myself replaying a song from Kid’s Adelante over and over. “It’s Amazing how you love me…it’s amazing how you care…it’s amazing how you’re always thinking of me all the time and everywhere.” This speaks volumes not only to kids, but to adults like you and I. God spoke to me about the many blessings and positive growth marks we’ve experienced with Mission Adelante this year. Let me share a few of them.
It’s Amazing…
…to be finishing a second year on staff with God’s provision.
…to have 30 weekly volunteers with our ESL program in 2008
…to lead Alberto and Graciela through discipleship in only 16 weeks
…to see a legitimate church formed
…to have over 80% of our summer ESL students finish level one
…to work with a united staff
…to receive a phenomenal summer ESL intern
…to watch my family grow in number and affection
...how He loves us, how he cares, how He’s always thinking of us all the time and everywhere.

Ministering to Hispanic immigrants brings all sorts of challenges and frustrations. One could easily give up believing there is little hope. However, we do see God move and I sense God calling us to be amazed by Him and His goodness at all times. His hope springs forth from these moments and has sprung forth to encourage us in 2009.

Reloading for 2009
Mission Adelante would not exist without you and the part you play in supporting us. Many of you anchor our ministry with prayer, others serve alongside us and multiply our relational resources, and some give generously to the Schoff ministry support budget. Whether you do one or all of these things, I want to thank you. Your partnership keeps our ministry moving forward.

This year I want to ask you to recommit or commit for the first time. Would you please pray about giving, serving, and praying? With Declan’s arrival and Megan working less, we will be raising an additional $750/mo due to increased health care costs. If you would like to contribute, follow this link http://www.missionadelante.org/contribute.html for more information.

Not even one -- Romans 3:10

2008-07-09T15:40:00.003-05:00

Friends,

Thanks for being present for Megan and I in our moments of triumph and struggle in ministering to Hispanics of Kansas City. You have been on our side and words cannot express enough how this feels. Thank you!

Even Paul and Barnabas conflicted…
As I wrote last time, our group has known conflict and discouragement. Some may have believed that the Christian life comes without these bumps in the road. Our study of Acts 15 illustrated the reality of our lives. Here Paul and Bernabas disagree over taking John Mark with them on the next leg of their missionary journey. The conflict leads them to separate and go different directions. Acts doesn’t say who was right or wrong, but it does raise a point. We will have conflicts. How are we going to handle them?

Our group looked at what the effects of individual sin could have on the entire group. Romans 3:10-18 was a great reminder that sin is ever present and battling within us. This study gave us some really great dialogs and made everyone think. It also exposed the need to forgive and be forgiven. Ruth expressed how she still has not been able to forgive someone in her past. I could sense she was not alone. Please pray for the group to give their hurts to our Lord who is able to heal the brokenhearted.

Our attendance was strong for this discussion with Mario, Veronica, Alberto, Graciela, Ruth and Jose present. Praise God for giving us renewed momentum.

Summertime sends Sophie
Several weeks ago, Sophie Strohmeier began working with Mission Adelante as an ESL summer intern. She has been a great addition for the summer. Her role is to help outreach to ESL students, share some teaching responsibilities, and help me make our ESL program better through curriculum improvements. Please pray for her success as well as my ability to lead her and give her opportunities to learn. I praise God for my summer missionary experiences and the leaders who taught me so many new things.

Update on Declan
Little Declan is now 5 months old. He continues to grow like a weed and is still delightful. Thank you to many of you who continue to ask about him. We are overjoyed by God’s generosity to us in Declan.

Confident in your prayers,

Jason

Welcome to Semillas de Esperanza

2008-03-24T14:26:00.001-05:00

Thank You!
Thank you for your continued prayers for Mission Adelante, our family, and the requests I've mentioned to you. I am awed by how God continues to grow our ministry in ways none of us can take credit for. Your prayers had are playing part in the work here. Thanks!

New to the group
Beginning in January, Alberto expressed a prayer request for work during our level 2 English class. We all prayed together. Alberto brought applications from retail stores and other outlets to have me check over his answers. With each week, I could sense his desperation as he mentioned how many days had passed since he last worked. Finally, one of our volunteers gave us a lead about a local grocery store. Fearful about his English skills, Alberto asked me to accompany him. The ride together in my truck gave us a chance to talk about spirtual things. He express some shame about not having sought after God for atleast six years and we prayed together before entering the store. Alberto interviewed by himself in English and got the job, and then came one week later to our bible study. He and his wife have been the last two weeks. Also, Ruth, a single woman from English I, has come to our bible study as well. She expressed interest in returning again. Please pray for God to remove fear, guilt, or any reason which would keep them from returning and learning more.

She was all alone...
For the past year, M has been part of our bible study. I went to visit her this last week in an unusual place. She was in prison. M's neighbor had used M's name and address to send a package from Mexico. When M went to pick it up from the post office, she was immediately arrested. Drugs were included in the contents. The charges were dropped a few days later, but M apparently did not have papers. Thus she was waiting to be deported.

When I walked into the room with a row of small windows, there was no one on the other side. M entered a few moments later and began sobbing as she came closer to the glass between us. She placed her forehead on the glass in an attempt to be near to a friendly face. It was one of the most humbling things I have ever experienced. Her loneliness was something I can not ever begin to understand.

With Easter this week, God revealed Jesus' loneliness in a new way to me. On the cross, he felt forsaken by the Father. What loneliness! Praise God the story doesn't end in Christ's loneliness, M's loneliness, or our loneliness.

Thanks for your friendship and love,
Jason