Orientate

(photo from the plane flying into the island) That is truly the word of the week. I am currently sitting at the computer in the library on base while the wind howls behind me in the front of the property. We have spent the last couple days being orientated to the base, Belizian food and people and learning about the program in general. (fyi-the food is very common Caribbean style food with rice and beans of some sort during lunch most days) There is a woman Laura who is from near Corozal (in Belize) who cooks lunch and so that meal is typically very Belizian and verrryyyy yummy. We have 7 people on our DTS in total including a couple from Holland and two locals from Ambergris Caye (the island we are on) as well as two other girls from the states. A truly international team, which we are all very excited and encouraged about. Its been interesting already in seeing how we each interact together from our different languages, cultures and backgrounds. I will be introducing you to each of the people on my team in the coming months to give you all a better idea of what life looks like for me right now.

As well as doing orientation we have already started digging into our material for classes which include memorization and meditation passages weekly as well as a LOT of reading. This week we focused on the book of Haggai. I have to admit, although I have read it, I have never really studied it much less meditated on it. One of our team leaders Jeff challenged us to look at what this book meant to us in modern day, in light of looking at ourselves as the temple. As I thought and meditated on this I was completely struck by how much we as modern day followers often neglect the temple of our bodies like the Israelites did to the temple. Just as they physically neglected the temple instead choosing to focus on other aspects of their life we in turn tend to become complacent or lazy in our relationship with Dad effecting the spiritual part of the temple and sometimes even in maintaining our physical health effecting the physical aspect of the temple. It is so easy to become distracted by the things of the world, even the things that don't seem bad. Instead of keeping our singular focus on him our eyes begin to stray making even spending that daily time with Dad so difficult. We become consumed with sports, work, kids, or even ministry and allow those things to take root ahead of Dad. We choose comfort instead of becoming uncomfortable for God and choosing a life that is wholly surrendered and diligent in pursuing him. In the end our efforts are seen through the harvest. If we become and stay complacent then we will reap what we have sowed. Yet, if we acknowledge where we have failed and seek out his guidance we can reorientate ourselves back to him. I have been challenged as a result of truly examining what I am orientating myself with and to? Is it to the things of the world or to the things of God? Each of us has to ask ourselves that question and truly discern what the answer is in order to proceed forward in our walk. It is in the end, one of the only things that matters. If we aren't orientating ourselves to God then everything else will be effected and it will all fall to the wayside.