Warrior

Okay, really, who starts crying while singing, "Le llaman Guerrero. Le llaman Guerro, Señor de los Ejercitos??"(Seriously, listen to the song. It is not a slow and emotional song.) I can't explain it, except to say that Jesus Christ overwhelmed me.

This song that we sang in church this morning is about the Lord fighting for the Israelites in the Old Testament. The lyrics say, "Giving them power, they conquered kingdoms. They took cities in his name."

Those two sentences struck me so hard, because that is what God has called us to do in South America: we are to take the cities of Arequipa, Ambato, Ibarra, Manta in the name of Jesus Christ, through the power He provides for us.

And here I am, being a dork, wondering how everything could possibly work out the way we need it to. And really, God should say to me, "Cailyn, you dork, are you forgetting who I AM?" (I am very thankful that my Heavenly Father doesn't call me a dork.)

Exodus 24:14 is a verse I memorized while I was still living in Cusco, working as a 40/40 church planter. And wow, was it hard work. But this verse says, "The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still." I can take great comfort in that. The Cosmic God of the Universe is ahead of us and fighting for us.

That means...the battle is already won, for crying out loud!! Why in the world would I doubt?

Right now, we have a team of 40/40s for Ibarra, Ecuador beginning Spanish classes and seminary classes this week. The problem is that this team is incomplete. For various reasons, including funding, there are only two North Americans and three South Americans who were able to join the team on time (the goal is five pairs of North and South Americans).

And I am stressing out about getting the Ecuadorians we need not only for this team, but also for the next two Ecuador cities.

And I basically end up running around like a chicken with my head cut off, as if worrying and stressing would somehow help things.

But here's the thing:

The work I do has pretty much nothing to do with me. God calls. God confirms the call. God sends. God provides. God speaks. (I'm actually not sure what I do...)

The Lord is fighting for us. They call Him Guerrero (Warrior). That is something that allows me to be still. That allows me to lay down my worries and stresses and fears. God has already won, and He is still fighting.

Extreme Pilgrim

I recently read a quote in a friend's blog from Brennan Manning's Ruthless Trust in which he says, 

"The reality of naked trust is the life of a pilgrim who leaves what is nailed down, obvious, and secure, and walks into the unknown without any rational explanation to justify the decision or guarantee the future. Why? Because God has signaled the movement and offered it his presence and his promise."

It was three and a half years ago that I had to leave everything that was nailed down, obvious, and secure to follow God's call on my life. That call has so far lead me to Peru and Ecuador. In the course of this journey that began in Arequipa in February of 2010, I have been a part of planting three churches, been part of two evangelistic mega-events, helped construct multiple churches, seen countless people repent and become new creations, organized paperwork, cast the XSA vision to numerous churches, interviewed many other young people eager to follow God's call on their lives, worked alongside amazing short-term volunteers, and worked with many incredible long-term Extreme staff. 

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Today, I find myself reflecting on the truly extraordinary things I have seen God do during this time. 

Some days, I was exhausted.

Some days, I rejoiced with the angels in heaven for new lives in the Kingdom. 

Some days, I felt stuck in the routine.

Some days, I could have exploded with joy.

Some days, I felt busy and stressed.

Some days, I felt like I could reach out and touch the Holy Spirit. 

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Most recently, I was part of the leadership team for the Love Extreme project. My principal job was communication with the 82 short-term volunteers who were part of the project. The project included construction, medical clinics, and tons of promotion, and I had such an incredible time working alongside the short-term volunteers who came from across the US (and Colombia!). Instead of recapping everything myself, I am going to let Mike Wheatley, the project lead for Love Extreme, tell you about it: 

"During the 3 weeks that the short-term volunteers were in Peru, we participated in 6 medical clinics that attended 402 patients, we built foam block walls for 2 sets of churches and installed one of those churches in Juliaca, and promoted throughout Arequipa for the Mega Event on July 20 with Jose Ordóñez.   Our promotion included 7 TV interviews, 60 radio spots, 1 ad in the Sunday morning newspaper, 1000 posters, and 30,000 flyers.   All this promotion helped bring 1,143 people into the Palacio de Bellas Artes for our Mega Event.  José Ordóñez, who holds the Guinness Record for telling jokes for 80 straight hours, presented his comedy show about relationships and marriage.  At the end of his 2-hour show he invited people to accepted Christ, and about 150 people went forward to do so!  Of those, just under a hundred went into the back rooms to meet with our counselors and give us their contact information.   The following morning José Ordóñez preached at our church service, which was held in the park.  We had over 225 in attendance counting the short-term volunteers, and at the end of the service about 15 people stepped forward to accept Christ!"

All I can say is, thank you Lord for allowing me to be a part of something so big and so beautiful!

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I will continuously "walk into the unknown" with my life, because it is so much better than all the nailed down, obvious, secure plans I had for my life. I may essentially live as a homeless nomad, but I will continually say, "Here I am. Send me!" It is so much better than anything I could ever have asked for or imagined. 

And pray also for me, that God will give me a message when I am ready to speak, so that I may speak boldly and make known the gospel's secret. (Ephesians 6:19 GNT)

The Destination

I live for the countdown.

My M.O. is to be constantly thinking about the future, waiting for the next exciting thing to happen.

This can be partially explained, I believe, by my Gallup StrengthsFinder Assessment results, which includes Focus in my Top 5 Themes of talent. For those of you not familiar with StrengthsFinder, Focus means that I am constantly setting goals and zeroing in on how to make them happen. I organize my life around my priorities, and I always must have a clear destination.

So these numerous countdowns help define my destination.

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I keep literal (electronic) countdowns on the dashboard of my laptop...

The first one is actually a count-up: 3 Years, 4 Months, 11 Days, 17 Hours, 12 Minutes, and 32 Seconds since I arrived in Peru to be a missionary with Extreme.

The men of Extreme shaved their heads in solidarity six weeks before the Mega-Event

Then the first countdown chronologically says: 24 Days until Love Extreme. This is a big one! Eighty-something short-term volunteers are hitting the ground in just twenty-four days to put on medical clinics, construct walls for new chapels in Peru, and promote our Mega-Event called Love Extreme. On   July 20th, we will see a huge harvest of people coming to know the Lord at this event.

On that Saturday, we are going to fill a locale with 2,000 people of Arequipa to hear a Christian comedian by the name of José Ordoñez, who holds the Guinness World Record for telling jokes for the most consecutive hours.

And you probably can't imagine (because I had no idea) how much preparation goes into making all this happen.

So with 24 days remaining, I would ask for prayers  for this project and the mega-event.

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My next countdown is for when I arrive in Cincinnati for my next home assignment. It is always exciting to go home and see friends and family; I even have a routine down...I get picked up, and my dad has Root Beer in hand, and then we go to Chipotle!

Two of my computer countdowns are for weddings that I am privileged enough to attend and participate in as a bridesmaid. I am SO happy for these two couples!

There is so much more to look forward to as I spend a portion of Autumn in the States for the first time in four years: my birthday, pumpkin spice, the World Series (only if the Reds are playing!), cool weather, colorful leaves, and time to be refreshed as I prepare to return to South America.

(I still have many openings in my schedule for speaking engagements, so if you would like me to come to your church, email me at: cstevens@extremenazarene.org.)

It will once again be time for me to raise the financial support necessary for me to continue in God's call on my life. But this is not about me; it is about ALL of us responding in obedience to the calls that God has placed on our lives. Please, seek the Lord's face and will for how He would lead you to get involved in expanding His kingdom.

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As I spend all my time counting down, I am also aware of what I fail to do...just soak in the present, breathe, and inhale His presence.

Father God, thank you for the future, and thank you for the Now. Give me the grace to live in this moment, and the strength to make it to the destination.

We Were Humbled

I am so thankful to be a part of what God is doing in South America.

So far, having returned to Peru has been a complete joy for me. As a mobilizer, it is easy to feel disconnected from the ministry going on in the 40/40 service cities. I go ahead of them to make sure that we have the personnel to do the work of the vision God has entrusted to us. And as much as I love my job, and consider it a privilege to serve in this capacity as SAM Mobilization Manager, it can leave me feeling separate from the evangelism and discipleship that the 40/40s that I seek, find, interview, and deploy, do every day.

For this reason, it is so exciting to be living in Arequipa this summer (winter here!). I have been able to be a part of the church here that the 40/40s are planting and in which they are raising up leaders.

Additionally, during the month of May, we received a team of short-term volunteers from Olivet, Trevecca, and Midamerica Nazarene Universities.

And wow.

Just wow.

It was incredible. In those two weeks, we added 470 contacts to the 40/40s' follow-up database, and saw 70 people come to know Jesus Christ for the first time.

We did cultural fairs, Minute To Win It events, flash mobs, a date night for married couples, English practice, a dessert-making course, stoplight ministry, a concert, and church services.

The most impactful part of the project, however, may have been the prayer emphasis. Every moment of the project was covered in individual and corporate prayer. And that made all the difference.

God moved. That's no surprise; He always does. But he heard the cries of our hearts and truly exceeded all of our expectations.

And we were humbled.

And as I type this, several weeks later than I should be, I know that God is doing a great work here in Arequipa, and in my life. And it leaves me humbled that the Cosmic God of the Universe would hear our prayers and respond. He knew the deepest desires of my heart and brought me back to this city to experience Him anew, to be refreshed, to have fun, to spend time with my dear friends, and to have my soul restored.

That is humbling. And I am thankful.

This Is What I'll Be Doing

What do soccer, prayer, church anniversaries, flashmobs, conversational English, dessert, children’s games, ballroom dancing, college students, foam blocks and Fireproof all have in common?

Arequipa, Peru!

The momentum team is arriving today; be in prayer that God uses all these activities and more during the 10 days they are here.

Loved

"Every human being who has ever lived has a conscience and knows two things for sure: there is evil within me, and I am in some kind of trouble with the holy Power out there. When people make up their own religious systems, they always put the pressure on the individual to make amends. There are rules to keep, rituals to observe, propitiations and sacrifices, pilgrimages, and various acts of devotion and obedience. But only Christianity gives forgiveness away. Jesus invites you to ask for it."

I am so thankful that Christianity is different from every other religious system in the world.

Only with Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection are we free to live like we are loved. Loved more extravagantly than we ever dared hope or imagine. Loved first, so that we can love back. Loved, so that we can receive forgiveness. Loved so much that we can't help but live differently. Loved so that we can love our neighbors. Loved so that we can love recklessly, without holding anything back. Loved, and thankful everyday for that love.

Grace is what separates being a follower of Jesus Christ from practicing any other religion. Grace says, "There is nothing you have to do. It's already been done for you. Stop working; rest. Believe that you are loved. The rest will follow."

Friends, just ask for it. Then, live it.