oaxaca thought log
10.18.21 /
tired is an understatement…been flying since midnight last night after the race. sleeps on the plane were restless. homework was left unfinished.
we just arrived and I’m already close to empty…honestly questioning why I am here. I don’t know how to speak spanish or how to evangelize on the streets. I don’t know anything about this beautiful place…just learned how to say “Oaxaca” properly like last week…..inadequacy is a place I strongly despise but I know the Lord would rather have an empty vessel than one full of my own strength or words and that is the only reason I have some amount of peace.
it is good to be with family again. I missed them dearly…
The sky was so alive with color and texture over the mountains as we landed. I can’t wait to see more when the sun returns tomorrow.
this trip is just going to be a lot of listening……
// 8:24pm written from the van
10.19.21 /
it’s coffee hour every hour around here. and papaya might be my new favorite fruit. laura and I devoured almost the whole bowl between the two of us.
today was heavy. we went to a market that was saturated with spiritual warfare. peter lead us into a maze of booths and stands to end up at a tiny church in depths of this market. we split up into groups and prayer-walked the market in sections…came back for lunch then went out again to share the gospel.
hunger was so apparent. every person that received a track stopped what they were doing to read it.
honestly, I felt so useless for the majority of the time because of the language barrier but watching the young oaxacans share with such boldness inspired me more than I know how to express…
our group prayed for a few people. a man selling tools who professed faith told us to never lose our fire as young believers. he encouraged us while we were trying to bring him hope. wild.
I prayed for a man on the side of the road who appeared to be intoxicated and his leg seemed like it had been badly injured for a while. he said that he wanted to love Jesus but felt so trapped by temptation. my heart broke for him and I tried to explain that I had once been captured by temptation too but that Jesus gave me freedom. we had to get out the streets quickly after that so the conversation sort of ended there…..
but God showed me true empathy in that moment. I saw a broken person who was trapped by addiction with eyes of compassion, not judgement or anger…it made me think how much more God must be heartbroken over these lost sons and daughters…….
// 10:36pm written from a bunk bed
10.20.21 /
today, we drove out towards the mountains to a small village of zapotec people.
again…..just a lot of listening and observing. I tried my best to be as least invasive as possible with my camera but still capture the wonderful narrative of hospitality and unity that was unfolding before me…
I’ve never met any of these people but it felt like coming home. it was beautiful to see how the Lord has cultivated such steadfast unity in this little village. they “do small groups / discipleship” everyday not because anyone really taught them how, but because that’s just who they are.
there was kingdom family in that place…age, gender, skin color, language...none of it mattered. it was a vibrant reflection of ephesians 4 in every direction. children joyously teaching each other…dancing, playing, running, reading with boldness and imagination. men serving alongside men…with deep dedication to the common good…wearing bright smiles, elbow deep in the “circle of death” (manually mixing concrete). women guiding alongside women…serving with humility and lifting each other up in kindness. old inviting the young. young honoring the old……the rivers of living water was just showering down upon our time together…
it was beautiful…….I will probably be pondering the spiritual layers of this day for a long time…
// 8:17pm written from the dinner table
10.21.21 /
“the waiting is never wasted…”
we walked down a cobblestone road dressed as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. a mother and her lil boy sitting on the side of the road caught my eye.
I had been tongue-tied by fear all day and internally waging war with the immense frustration of being so afraid as we walked around the city. but when I saw this mother and her boy, something deep inside compelled my feet to move towards her instantly.
I shared the gospel with her as darleen translated beautifully.
the boy didn’t know how to read so jonathan read an entire track to him. as we sat on the side of the road, I studied the faces of the people that walked by…..looks of confusion and judgement…looking down at us.
I wondered how these subtle but degrading expressions impacted the way she saw herself…to be looked down upon all day……it broke my heart. and then I thought about how maybe this was the way Jesus was looked at when he hung out with sinners all the time…..a horrible way to treat a king.
we prayed for her and got up to leave…but I felt compelled to do more…..
he had holes in his shoes. when I turned around to ask if we could buy him some shoes, I noticed that we had been sitting in front of a shoe store the whole time…..
she nodded yes. I held his lil hand and we walked inside together. he pointed out some bright red ones.
I knelt down, removed his old shoes…his feet were dirty. before I could even form the question…jonathan handed me a pack of hand wipes.
I washed his feet and slipped on his new shoes. his smile will burn in my memory forever I’m sure……
…what an honor… to have been invited into that moment. Jesus truly makes it so simple…and provides everything we need…
“love the way I have loved you….”
we get to do this…wow…
// written from the bunk
10.23.21 /
harvest — the word the lord has been repeating in every color, face and conversation we’ve encountered this week.
hands and feet. and a yes. that’s all.
hands…to build. to mold. to make…..as image barriers, we cannot help but give form to the formless. to fill empty voids with structure and color. to see the possibility in a landscape or blade of grass. just as the snow melts into the rivers and gives abundant life to the valleys below…..the creator flows through our fingertips…his power and grace cannot be contained…..
feet.....apostle paul walked over 10,000 miles for the sake of the gospel. the human body was meant to move. to traverse across terrain unwilling to yield to comfort or preference or talent. empathy does not reside in the cold walls of rigid religiosity or under the dense fog of addiction or depression. how will the light seep into these places if no one runs into them?
we were meant to move…to be easily mobilized by the broken pieces of this world.
a yes. a yes to the harvest. to dig our hands in the dirt, plant our feet on the rock and pull with a holy grit and fiery passion to see the victory that belongs to the rightful king of it all.
oaxaca, you have given me words and images and new friends to remember what we are running towards. thank you. see you next time
// written from the sky
Update 4.06.22 /
I feel so blessed for the chance to return this summer and continue our work there. I would greatly appreciate any financial or prayer support you feel led to give.
For donations /
For prayer /
PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH
Service to God (Matthew 9:37)
Heart for God (Colossians 2:6-15)
Hearts for the Lost (Romans 15:18-19) Unity (Ephesians 4:1-3)
Peace of Israel (Psalm 122:6)
Walk in Love (John 13:35)
Deep Conviction of Sin (2 Corinthians 7:10)
PRAYER FOR THE LOST
Spiritual Blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Set Free from Slavery of (Romans 6:17)
Hearts of Flesh (Ezekiel 11:19)
Come to Repentance (2 Timothy 2:25-26)
Word of God to Rise (Isaiah 10:11)
Bold Proclamation ( Colossians 4:2-5)
PRAYER FOR LABORERS
Rest and strength (Psalm 23)
Intimacy with God (2 Corinthians 13:14) Family (Ephesians 4:32)
Ministry Effectiveness (Ephesians 4:11-13) Obedience to God (Luke 9:23-24) Leadership (Romans 12:6-8)
Wisdom (James 1:5)
Thank you so much for all the support! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
kenna@kennaeliza.com
All the love, Kenna
