"Christ Sharing" Block - A Little Something for Christ Followers

I have started this sentence over enough times. I am trying to find that perfect intro to transition into the thoughts that I want to share. I started writing about Tuesday morning prayer.  Next, then how Tuesday morning is better than Monday morning and then about my new strange breakfast combo, coffee and popcorn. None of these introductions were particularly relevant and were all slightly lame. Perhaps I can blame it on 9:30am bloggers block. Then as I am writing this equally lame introduction paragraph I had my "ah ha" moment. This lack of coming up with a clever introduction to my blog does relate to what I read in My Utmost for His Highest today. Instead of bloggers block Oswald Chambers does write about working to prevent having a "Sharing Christ" block.

Chambers challenged his readers to work on expressing well our beliefs. He wrote "If you don't, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth"(December 15th entry). In the second paragraph he writes "Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study". (Is he trying to say that to study is to suffer? =) ). I like this line because our faith and beliefs in Christ need to belong to us. If we don't understand why we believe what we believe and if we don't own them as our own then when the time comes to share Christ with others we will find that we have "Sharing Christ" block.

I loved my time at Vanguard University for many reasons. One of my favorite parts of Vanguard were my Bible and Mission classes. These classes gave me the perfect opportunity to study God's word and to further my understanding of my beliefs. When you understand what you believe and why you believe it you don't need to feel threatened when someone challenges your faith in Christ. The maturity we find in Christ will allow us to be "a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool" because "you never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth".(2 Timothy 24- 16 The Message Version).

I want to encourage you as Chambers encourages his readers to know how to express your beliefs. Chambers even suggest rehearsing your words. So, not only do we need to know what we believe and why we believe it, but need to know how to express it in words! I pray that you and I will not find ourselves with "Christ Sharing" block, but with the ability to speak truth lovingly and clearly! So, today make sure you know, understand and are able to express the essentials of what you believe. After all you never know what meetings God has ordained for your day. =)

Bread Bowls, Grapes and Oswald Chambers.....

I am waiting for Lolo to come over. I told her to come over at or after 7:30pm and it is now 10:30pm. Apparently she took "after 7:30pm" to be I didn't want her to come until the world has frozen over. Of course according to some that may be closer than we think =). While waiting for her I decided to bake gluten free bread bowls. This is my first time baking gluten free bread and my first time baking bread bowls. They are currently in the oven. Sarah, Josh, Lolo and I are going to have a bread bowl and soup party after church tomorrow. So, while I am waiting for Lolo and my bread, I am eating the world's largest grapes. I wonder what they used to grow the grapes, steroids perhaps???? I haven't blogged in a while, so I thought it was time for an update. Now you know what I do in my free time - bake bread, wait for Lolo to come over and eat grapes that most defiantly have been given steroid shots.

I also read My Utmost for His Highest today by Oswald Chambers. Chambers discussed being accountable to God for the way we act and behave. Essentially we are responsible for our actions, thoughts, behaviors and so forth. God has given us grace and salvation, but we are accountable to God for how we behave and represent him. We exemplify Christ when we call ourselves Christians.

The verse Chambers used was "...only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you" Genesis 41:40 This was interesting to me because this verse is Pharaoh telling Joseph that he has power over all of Egypt. Only Pharaoh was greater and more powerful than Joseph. It is interesting to me the parallel here. Just as Joseph was accountable and a representative to Pharaoh, so are we to Christ. Just as Pharaoh freed Joseph from prison and gave him freedom, so Christ frees us from sin and death. Just as Pharaoh entrusted Joseph to represent him and to do his work in the land of Egypt, so Christ has asked us to represent him and to do his work in this world.

 I am not sure what Chambers original intent was in using this verse. However, I like how this story can be related to our relationship with Christ.  Normally, when I read this story or hear preaching on it people focus on Joseph's interperatation or how God took the terrible circumstances of Joseph's life and used them for good.  I thought the different slant was refreshing.  So, on this note - Go and live as Christ representative.  Take your grace and freedom and use it for God's purposes.  Remember who you are in Christ and that ultimately you are accountable to him!  

Amen y Amen =)

.

                                                   My Gluten Free Bread Bowls -)

El Salvador Floods

Here are some pictures from El Salvador.  The school is called Achiotal and the beach is called Las Ojas.  This is one of the areas that was hit by the floods.  We distributed mattresses to the elderly in the village today as well as food and water.  On Wednesday we will go back to this area to distribute to the rest of the community and bring food as well as have a medical clinic.  We are also buying a water tank, since the public water system isn't working.  Tomorrow we are going to visit a place called Vera Paz.  Please continue to pray for El Salvador.  Another place that was hit with severe flooding was the Phillipines.  Please pray for this country as well.  I will write more later, but I wanted to share some pictures with you about the current work in El Salvador.  I hope all is well. Le vaya bien. Have a good day!       

Some of the El Salvadorians we gave mattresses and food too. 

Clothes - Hanging to dry

Houses destroyed by the rain - on the other side the road is wiped out.

Cows crossing where there use to be a road

My favorite guest - He sported the glasses

A Sandal on the Beach

From a Neglectful Blogger

Once again it has been longer than I prefer since my last blog.  The schedule in El Salvador was busy and then I flew towards California.  I took a few stops along the way, but ended up in Fresno, California for a Convoy of Hope Outreach.  It was the first time I had ever attended an outreach.  So, I have a lot to say, but I know your attention span is already waning =).  I made a video that explained the work we were doing in El Salvador.  I can't seem to figure out how to post a video.  They took off that option on the top of my blog editer.  I don't feel like being the geek squad. So, you will have to wait, with great anticipation for my video =).

I stayed a few days in El Salvador after the team left to visit with a missionary from Enlace and to surf with a friend from Cincel.  Enlace, for those that don't know, is a non-profit organization in El Salvador that equips churches to transform their communities.  After returning from El Salvador I had a day in Springfield to pack for California.  The Outreach in Fresno was fun.  It was a nice fall day and lots of people showed up to the outreach.  Here are some basic statistics:

10,158 Guests

2,342 Volunteers
76 Participating Churches
65 Participating Organizations
5,100 Guests Prayed With
542 Salvations
160,000 lbs of Groceries & Fresh Produce
505 Haircuts
600 Family Portraits
275 Haircuts

A food bank in Fresno donated fresh produce.  I worked in this area most of the day.  The guest would get their bagged food and then would go around a fresh produce circle.  Volunteers would help them carry all the food.  I would get two thirds around the circle and wouldn't be able to hold the box anymore.  There would usually be two or three volunteers helping each guest carry all their food and produce to the shuttle.  I'm a fan of vegetables and fruit, so I was happy that the attendees could leave with produce.  Especially, since produce can be expensive, so most probally buy canned and boxed goods first. 

Finally, there has been alot of flooding in El Salvador.  Some of the schools where we have our Nutrition Program were damaged and we lost some of our students. Many families lost all their material goods and these were families who probally did not have much before the floods.  It may even be difficult for students to return to school.  Please remember these families and communities in your prayers!  When a volcano exploded in 2000 many people were put into a refugee camp.  These people are still living there and have never been able to move away from the camp.  When disaster hits no matter your economic status it is difficult, but for those in the developing world and the lower economic strata the struggle is much greater! 

These pictures were sent to me from our staff in El Salvador of the damage done from the floods!

El Salvador!

Hi! It's been a long day, so I will post pictures later.  I just wanted to let you all know that I made it to El Salvador in one piece.  However my i-pod nano was stolen on the plane!  This was quite sad, though I'm more sad about losing my music and earphones.  Oh well - this is life sometimes! 

I am working with a women's ministries team from the Potomac District.  We have painted classrooms, cleaned floors, eaten tortillas, played with children, set up a teachers quarters, visited a refugee camp and so on.  Friday, we have an open house for the community and families.  The Women's Ministries has poured alot of money and time into this school in a rural community of El Salvador.  It will truly be a blessing to the teachers and students!

I have had fun using my spanish, playing with children and eating the food of El Salvador.  There are certain foods that are just hard to get in the states like papaya, mangos, pupusas, plantains, certain cookies, and so forth.  I've had the opportunity to pray for a couple El Salvadorian ladies dealing with health issues.  I can't wait to post some of my pictures to share with you of some of the kids who I have become friends with and the children I visited with at the Refugee Camp here in El Salvador.  I even got a loofah from a little girl today!  I wonder what customs will think of that - ha! 

Anyhow I am going to go - I need to clean my room and go to bed - Its late and it was a long day.  I pray all is well with you!  Everytime I hug a child, everytime I pray with a little old lady, everytime I paint a school wall it's because of your faithfullness and support.  In a way it's you hugging that child, and you praying for the little old lady, and you painting a school.  May you be blessed today!

Claire Balch

Ramblings of Claire Balch

Today we had chapel. I was asked to pray, which was kind of awful. I don't have a problem with public speaking, but public praying has also caused me to sweat a little. Popcorn prayer when everyone prays always leaves me thinking when the best time is to "pop" in, I worry about when it is ending (after all I don't want to sit there with my eyes closed, while everyone else is done!), and I worry about what to say. I always get more nervous praying at Convoy - especially during chapel! I think today I said "Lord" about 100 hundred times, possibly stuttered, switched around my words, used bad grammar and so on. I suppose that is last time I will be asked to pray and at least the Lord knows what I was attempting to say. =) At least the speaker stopped and thanked me for my prayer. I guess I will keep my opinions to myself on what I thought about his facts on Christopher Columbus....

One person the speaker also mentioned was George Washington. He is one of my favorite political American leaders. The fact that I always loved about George Washington is that he was offered to be the President of the United States for a third term and he turned it down. I have always thought that this was a noble action. He knew his limits (he was feeling old and was tired) and in doing so set a precedent for leaders to come. While it is now a law, congress and the following Presidents have honored it. Though I could not find it in any of the articles I briefly reviewed, I wonder if he wasn't well aware that his actions would set a precedent. This is a quote I found about good old Washington "He wrote, 'It should be the highest ambition of every American to extend his views beyond himself and to bear in mind that his conduct will not only affect himself, his country, and his immediate posterity; but that its influence may be co-extensive with the world, and stamp political happiness or misery on ages yet unborn.' This call to his fellow citizens was meant for each of us as well."

Every action has a consequence. The consequence may be immediate or in the far future and good or bad. Every action affects the people around us. Our actions not only represent ourselves, but our families, friends, beliefs and so on. This is a tough pill to swallow at times for the individualistic culture we live in. So, when we make decisions we need to not only think what is the consequence for me now and in the future, but what is the consequence for those around me both now and in the future.

I head to El Salvador on October 16th and will be there until the 29th. The 1st of Novemeber I will head towards Fresno, California for a Convoy Outreach. Please keep me in your prayers as I travel. In El Salvador I am helping with a Women's Ministries team, so you can pray for things to go smooth and that everyone is protected as they travel. Also, life can be tough sometimes for a California girl living in Springfield, Mo. While, I can only speak for myself I have seen the transition be a little rough for my sisters as well. Not that there are not things to like about Missiouri. After all it has Bass Pro Shop, Fireflies, Andy's Frozen Custard, lots of trails and some cool parks, a restaurant where they throw rolls and serve fried Okra, Lolo Balch, Sarah and Josh Young and of course Branson. However, it is far from California, family, the ocean, its much more conservative and the winter is cold, but without very much snow. I have a little less than a year left, so if you can remember me in your prayers I would be grateful.

Live in His Love,

Claire Balch

In the Comfortable Times Don't Forget God!

Okay - So I confess this might be the longest time I have gone between blog post!  Now that I have been filled with Salad and Soup from Panera, checked my facebook, read a few other blogs, and let myself become distracted I am now finally sitting down to write this blog.

It is Sunday today.  I woke up and read a bit in a book I have been reading forever now called "Lead Like Jesus" by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges.  I may have mentioned this book in some of my other blog post.  I have been reading this book for forever.  I am not sure why, but it seems books keep taking me longer and longer to read.  Despite the time it is taking me to get through this book it is a good read.  Lots of good information for leading people.  What it really boils down to though is being confident in Christ and who you are in Christ.  Which is good for total life living!  I just finished the chapter on some healthy habits of good leaders.  They are as follows: Solitude, Prayer, Study and Application of Scripture, Accepting and Responding to God's Unconditional Love, and Involvement in Supportive Relationships.

 In summary each one of these habits roots you in God. If your confidence and trust is in God you can't be shaken by too much praise or too much critiscm.  You will not be afraid to examine your leadership and admit your weaknesses.  Solitude, Prayer and Study of the Scripture allow God to refresh you, speak into your life, and prepare you for life circumstances.  Accepting and Responding to God's Unconditional Love allows you to be confident in Christ and treat others around you with that love and confidence, and Involvement in Supportive Relationships means you have people in your life who are not just "Yes" men.  They will shoot straight with you, let you know how people are feeling, hold you accountable and so on. I liked this quote in regards to the last habit "I learned in the Navy if you don't hear about any problems, watch out, because you are about to go over the side.  You have mutiny on your hands, because the people around you have cut you off from the truth" (pg. 181 Ken Blanchard's Father).  I think these are habits that we all can continue to add into our lifes.

To drive the point home - In church today they discussed the failings of David.  The thing I took from it was that in the good times David let his relationship with God go lax.  Instead of fighting with his men he was napping and strolling the palace walls, he let himself lust over Bathesheba and then commit adultery with Bathesheba. In his attempt to rationalize the issue he ended up murdering her husband.  In the end David repented thanks to the prophet Nathan.  If David had never gone lax in his relationship with God maybe history would have looked different.  In all times good and bad we need to be spending time with God through solitude, prayer and the word.  We need to apply what we are learning in these times, let God touch us, change us and heal us.

Be Blessed by God today!

I have been editing some of my pictures from Europe, so you may have seen some of this pictures before, but these are with a new twist.  These are all from Moldova and I will conquer Armenia and Georgia soon.

Keep a Grip on Hope!

It is me again! I am sitting here relaxing on a lovely Labor Day weekend. I've been eating oatmeal, drinking coffee and just enjoying silence. It has been quite pleasant. On Tuesday at the weekly International Departments prayer meeting I shared Lamentations 3: 19 - 36 (The Message). I thought I would also share it on my blog.

19-21I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there's one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

22-24God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He's all I've got left.

25-27God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
to stick it out through the hard times.

28-30When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The "worst" is never the worst.

31-33Why? Because the Master won't ever
walk out and fail to return.
If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
He takes no pleasure in making life hard,
in throwing roadblocks in the way:

34-36Stomping down hard
on luckless prisoners,
Refusing justice to victims
in the court of High God,
Tampering with evidence—
the Master does not approve of such things.


-Lamentations 3:19-36


Update on Life at Convoy:

I have been asked to work on the Short-Term Teams Program at Convoy of Hope. So, I have been working on this and will continue to work on this program. I have been having meetings, setting up meetings and creating proposals. I appreciate all your prayers and support as I go ahead in this endeavor. I am planning on heading down to El Salvador both in September and October. Then in Novemeber I will be heading to Fresno, CA to attend a Convoy of Hope Outreach. I have never been to one, so I would like to see this part of Convoy.

I have posted some pictures below of the Artwalk. The Artwalk is an event in downtown Springfield. They have it once a month. During this month's Artwalk, the Randy Bacon Studio (a local photographer) featured Convoy of Hope. We had one of our trailers out front and the tralier was turned into a gallery of photos and stories. Inside the studio there were various tables on Convoy of Hope's various programs. I helped work the Nutrition of Hope/Haiti table. I had nothing to compare it to, but it seemed like there was a lot of foot traffic aka successful =).

* For those that are interested - Convoy of Hope is working on creating School Kits for the children in our partner schools in Haiti. If you would like to donate school supplies or would like to make a kit send me an email. I will send you the information for the school kits and/or contact information for Aimee Rose who is working on the School Kit Program.

Enjoy the pictures and Have a Wonderful Day!


Me at the Nutrition of Hope/ Haiti Table.


Mud Cookies (Pies) - These are made and sold in Haiti. They are made of dirt, oil and flour. Apparently the pregant women in Haiti crave them because of the lack of iron in their body.


The table and my friend Aimee Rose. Aimee and her husand Kevin are the Country Coordinators for Haiti.


Here is another view of the table and Aimee again.

A Little Update on My Life =)

Hello -

It has been a little while since my last blog. I wanted to give a small update to keep you informed on my life out here in Springfield, Missouri. I spent last week in St. Louis, Missouri at a Compassion Forum put on by the International Ministries Department of AGWM (Assemblies of God World Missions). It was a week jammed pack with information on some of the "best practices" in Compassion Ministry. Speakers spoke on some of the issues that older methods of compassion ministry have faced and introduced new ways of looking at things. They talked about the importance of the local church in all ministries. The idea is to empower and to build capacity in individuals. There was a lot of good information.

The emphasis was on international compassion ministries, but the information was relevant for domestic compassion ministry as well. My suggestion (for what it is worth) is that prayer and research need to happen first if any church or individual wants to reach out and make an impact on a need in the community. Some of these steps include: Evaluating the problem, seeing what other groups are doing, to remember that problems are complex and therefore the answer will be complex, work with other groups (why start a different ministry if others are creating effective solutions), and remember the reason for all of it is Christ’s Love and the way it can transform a life!

These are just a few of the things I took away from this week. A little while back I read a book called White Man's Burden by William Easterly. The title itself is a critique of western aid. It is long on economics, but an interesting read once you get past all the numbers. If you couldn't tell by the title there is plenty of sarcasm, which provides a good chuckle now and then. It might make you mad, it might make you think, but if you’re interested in this type of thing I recommend reading it. You can always chew the meat and spit out the bones.

I am back in Springfield working on Convoy of Hope teams and planning on going to El Salvador in October. Hopefully I will be able to go to a domestic Convoy of Hope outreach and another conference on sustainable development in December. I just wanted to share a bit of my experience with you all as well as informing you on future plans.

Thank you for all your prayers and support! They are very much appreciated!

Hey -

I arrived back in Springfield, MO Tuesday night. I was suppose to fly out Monday, but because the flight was delayed leaving San Jose I was going to miss the connecting flight from Denver to Springfield. I was given the choice of taking a red eye out of San Francisco or flying out the next day. I choose flying out the next day. I have taken the next couple of days easy between El Salvador and Sarah's wedding I was pretty wiped. I am unpacking, grocery shopping, and so on. I plan on going into the office tomorrow to work on reports and newsletters.

I think the question I have been most frequently asked is "Where are you going next?" I wish I had a good, solid answer to give everyone, but at this point I don't. I am in Springfield for the next week or so and then I have a Compassion Ministry Conference that I will attend mid August. This conference is put on by the International Ministries department of the Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM). I am looking forward to this conference and hope to glean some new information about compassion ministry. During this time in Springfield I will be attending meetings, maybe doing some training and out of this time will come my next field assignment. These times in Springfield are always in preparation of what will come next and are necessary to be successful in the next assignment and project.

Some things to pray for:

In two weeks I will need to move. I need a room or apartment. One difficult thing about not knowing my next assignment is not wanting to sign a lease if I will be in a different country for months at a time. So, please pray for wisdom, discernment and a place to live.

You can pray for Convoy of Hope and the leadership as they assign and cast vision for the continuing projects and projects in the future. (including where my next assignment will be!)

Pray for continued protection, and wisdom and discernment.

Here are some pictures of the wedding:

Operation Wedding Storm

Hello Hello -

I just wanted to check in - let you know that I am alive and survived my five weeks in El Salvador. The real question is "Will I survive Operation Wedding Storm?" After a brief 1.5 day sickness I think I am ready =). The Balch yard has been in construction for several months now in preparation for Sarah Balch's special day. I look out into my backyard and it is a sea of tables draped in chocolate brown with floral centerpieces twisted up the white umbrellas. In the center of it all is a gazebo made of white wood and lights. On Saturday we will be consuming piles of noodles covered in Italian sauces. Afterwards we will feast on cake and treats from the chocolate fountain. The happy couple will dance, throw a garter and a bouquet, and wave goodbye.

Despite the busyness it is nice to be home. It is good to see my family and Derek. I was able to go to CLC on Sunday and ride the Giant Dipper last night. Derek and I went to San Francisco and to a Giants game. I got sick during the game, but it is one of my favorite things to do when I come home. I have eaten at Erik's Deli (twice) and In and Out Burger. I was able to go surfing and probably should surf again before I leave. So, I have been able to do a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I head back to Missouri August 3rd.

To close off here is quote in honor of the upcoming nuptials:

"Love is the lifespring of our existence. The more love you give, the happier you feel and the more love you will have within you to give".-- Susan L. Taylor

Muchas Bendiciones. Many Blessings.

Intern Adventures

On Sunday I packed my bags from the lovely Santa Elena Hotel and moved into a hostel with the interns. It was a bit of a change, but included nice walks to the gas station for my morning coffee, a weekend at the beach for rest and relaxation, and ministry in Perulapia.

The interns have been spending one week in different cities in El Salvador. They are going to three cities in total. Each week they do presentation in the same school about physical, emotional and spiritual health and then also have presentations for the parents at the local church. So, myself and my co-worker Bethany have been supporting another co-worker Shannon as she leads the interns.

I made friends with a little boy at the church. I supported his gum habit - I went through my Trident Watermelon flavored gum very quickly this week. It was funny he was always asking me for gum and would ask for gum and then would show me his fingers to show how much he wanted. I also became friends with his aunt, who is 22 and attends the university. I sat down and talked to her for an hour - talk about stretching my Spanish! One of the nice thing about being in a place for a week were the relationships I was able to build.

Then we ended the week off with taking the team of interns to a house on the beach. We weren't quite sure what to expect and when the road turned to dirt and we were in the middle of sugar cane, we really weren't sure what to except. When we arrived at the house it was well worth the adventure of getting there. Beach front property, hammocks, good food, and a swimming pool all for the cost of the hostel! It was great weekend for the morale and health of the team. Now we are ready for the week ahead in San Ramon!

Pray for the interns in San Ramon this week. They have a very full schedule and need lots of energy physically, emotionally and spiritually. Pray for the students in the schools, and the parents at the church. Bethany travels back on Wednesday and I travel back on Thursday. Pray for traveling protection!

Thank you to everyone who is praying for me and for faithful financial support!

Claire

Living by Faith

This morning I listened to a podcast from Mike Errie at Rock Harbor church. It hit a chord with me, especially after this week.

He spoke about God being our only option. Christ always gives us a choice - he never begs, he never bribes us into his presence. When we have other options he lets us go. He spoke about the cleanliness and tidiness of the churches in the states and how we are missing the desperation for Christ. In the States we so often rely on doctors and finances instead of God. We rely on ourselves, on our government, on the makeup we wear, and so forth. Appearance becomes more important than our faith.

This week the team had the opportunity to visit two homes in an area of El Salvador called Santa Ana. Both of the homes were the size of an average bedroom. One of the houses held ten children plus the parents, and the other, which was smaller, also held the animals. The floors were mud and the water they drank came from the sky and was held in a barrel. There are two seasons in El Salvador, the dry season and the wet season. I can promise you the rain comes right into both of these homes. This is how many people live in these rural communities of El Salvador. We met one woman who had hurt her shoulders and couldn't work. She told my friends that she survived by faith. Day by day God provided for her. They prayed for her and she told us she would be praying for us. I met an old woman and just sat by her and talked to her. She had pain through her body and she lived alone. I prayed for her. She lived by the Faith of God and the goodness of the church. The pastor in that area had a home similar to the ones described above. I can tell you that God provides. I don't believe that God wants anyone of his people to suffer. We might not be rich in the world eyes, but we can be rich in HIM! God will provide.

For those of us in the States - some of us may be hurting financially right now, others of us maybe weathering the financial crisis just fine. Let us Trust in God, to depend on him first and foremost. For those of us who can Let us give with joyful hearts and open hands. For those of us who think we can't, let think of ways we can give or trust God to provide in our sacrifice of giving. Give a hand to your brother and sister in need - whether that person is in California, Missouri, Washington, New York, Nigeria, Kenya, Costa Rica, El Salvador and so forth. Rejoice in God, worship him freely for the blessings he has given you. Let me worship God for the ways he has blessed my life, I thank God for each one of you and your prayers and support, I thank him that no one got sick or hurt on the team this week, I thank him for going with us, before us and behind us!

If you have a chance I encourage you to listen to Rock Harbors pod cast on 6/28/09, "The End of Your Rope" by Mike Errie - I believe it is a challenge to the churches of the United States. To remember to worship God freely and fully. To live lifes full of God - remembering he is our only option - our only God - our savior and our grace!

A Life Giving God!

The next team I am working with comes in tomorrow. Well, technically two of the team members came today, but the other five come in tomorrow. Then the work begins. We will be visiting communities and schools telling people about Jesus and sending them home with rice, beans and salt. Food to satsify them for a life and food to satisty them for at least a few days, if not the whole week =). What a privilege to be able to serve God through serving his people. This is your privilege too because without your prayers and financial support I wouldn't be in El Salvador and with Convoy of Hope today! Live Blessed! Thank you for your prayers and financial support! As work begins with this team please continue prayers of safety, prayers of health, prayers that all the details will fall into place and prayers that we will be used by God!

I am currently reading through Romans. To be honest Romans is a little harder to get through. I also feel the need to read each chapter a couple of time just to grasp part of what Paul is writing. Romans is just jammed pack. I read Chapter 5 today and part of it just really stood out to me. I even put it on my facebook because I just loved the message version, so much. I have written Romans 5:17-19 below:

"If death got the upper hand through one man's wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?

Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right."

Thank you God for sending your Son - to give us life, for setting things right and for saving us!

Let it be a reminder for us to say "yes" to God and not to say "no". A reminder to follow Christ's example and not deaths!

Live in Christ!

A Little About Last Week

I have been in El Salvador a week now, it seems to have flown by. Yesterday I had a day of rest and relaxtion before the next team comes in, which is today. Last week we went to schools and communities and shared about Jesus and distributed food. We visited about two places a day. At each location we had the opportunity to pray for people about salvation, healing and the economic crisis. Countries like El Salvador depend very highly on the United States, so when we hurt financially, they hurt too, maybe even more. El Salvador even actually uses the US dollar.

The team that I just worked with came with alot of passion for Jesus and people. I enjoyed hearing how God worked and changed them during the week. For some of these people it was the first time they really saw poverty like the kind that exist in much of the world. Many members of the team left clothes and shoes behind to be distributed. My prayer is that they continue to let what they saw here in El Salvador influence their life. That they don't let the pressures of home get to them, but that they continue to see the importance of telling others about Christ - and the importance of compassion in ministry. Compassion being helping the poor, the orphans, the widowers, the prisoners and so forth.

God is great! He has mercy and compassion for each on of us! Let us let this change our hearts. Let us remember to have mercy and compassion for those around us. Let us live lifes full of humility, confidence in who we are in God, forgivness and grace! I am reading the book "Lead Like Jesus" by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges. I have been reading about the importance of these four traits in our daily lives. So, soak HIM in today!

Claire Balch

Pictures from El Salvador

Hi - I wanted to share some pictures with you from El Salvador!

Just Checking In...

I just wanted to check in and give a quick update.

I am in El Salvador. I arrived on Thursday. It gave Bethany (another MA with Convoy) and I a chance to set up everything for the first team. Jack Belin's team (a missionary with Convoy) came in on Friday and we got them working in the warehouse bagging food right away. Today we began the first day of ministry. We went to a school and to a community. In both places we did a presentation and distributed food. It was a long day, but a good day.

El Salvador is a pretty country. It is very green. Flying into San Salvador is pretty cool looking because it looks a little like a green bowl. There are alot of volcanoes here that make the land interesting to look at - you have big volcanoes, some crater lakes, and so forth. You also have the ocean here, which I have only seen from the air.

This morning we went to the warehouse to put the groceries in the truck for distribution. I decided that I needed to "powder my nose". When I returned just a few minutes later the warehouse was empty as I walked closer to the exit I realized the gate was closed and then as I got even closer I realized it was locked! I had been locked in the warehouse. I still needed to buy a sim card for my phone, so I couldn't call anyone, so I sat there for a minute trying to figure out what to do. Then I decided to hop the fence because at least then I would be able to get outside and maybe be able to call someone. So, I jumped the fence (in a skirt) and then waited until someone came along. There is a restaurant called Biggest here that allows Convoy to use part of their warehouse, so they had people working. Finally, an El Salvadoran offered me coffee and a phone. Eventually the group realized I was not in the bus and sent our truck driver to come get me! I made it safe and sound to the school, in time to practice some Spanish and eat lunch =) It was an adventure to say the least. I survived and better me get locked in the warehouse than a team member. =)

If you have a chance please pray that all the details will come together for the teams and things will go smoothly. Pray for strength for Bethany and I and for the nationals working with us. These days are long and there is alot to plan. Pray for protection and that God will work through the teams this summer!

I haven't taken any pictures yet, but they will come =)

Food for Thoughts

During lunch today I read my bible at Subway. I read Acts 17. There is a passage in Acts 17 that is very important in living missionally. I first studied it at Vanguard, while taking a missions class with Greg Austring. Ever since that class I never saw this passage quite the same way. Paul is in Athens after escaping Berea. While, there he notices that the city is full of idols. He discussed it with "Jews and other like-minded people" and "every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along". Then at the request of some of the citizens of Athens he speaks downtown about Christ. He makes his message relevant to them by noting the fact that religion is important to them. In his study of the culture he found a statue of a god that was titled "To The God Nobody Knows". He tells the people of Athens that he is here to tell them about this unknown God. Then later Paul quotes one of their poets who says, "We're the God created". Paul uses this to say, "Hey if we're God created, then why do we need to chisel gods?" At the end of his oratory some people laugh at him, but others believe.

I took three major points from this passage:

1) This is an ideal example of understanding the group/culture you are talking to. If you understand the culture - the religion, the artwork, the literature and so forth you can intelligently and discerningly relate to them. Once you know culture, you know what is important and unimportant. In essence, this not only makes you more effective, but shows the people you work with that you understand and care about them.

2) Paul went where the people went. He engaged people into conversation and relationship. He went downtown Athens and spoke. He didn't hide away in his home and church. His coffee shop of choice was were the people who needed to hear the gospel went. He never expected them to come to him, but he went were they where.

3) Paul was laughed at for speaking about Christ. When he ended with the fact that Christ was raised from the dead, people laughed at him. BUT people were also saved because he spoke the truth! Leading others to Christ might mean ridicule and persecution, but we can take heart that in the process we might gain brothers and sisters.

A Springfield Bike Ride

I took a bike ride the other day to Rendevous in downtown Springfield. I have included some pictures from the AG mecca for your viewing enjoyment. =) Below the pictures I have Psalms 46 written out. I wanted to remind you through these verses that God is out protector and fights for us. He is a place to hide. He is above politics and culture.




Psalm 46

"God is a safe place to hide,
ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God of the Angel Armies protects us.

River fountains splash joy, cooling God's city,
this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
but Earth does anything he says.

Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,
God of the Angel Armies protects us

Attention, all! See the marvels of God!
He plants flowers and trees all over the earth,
Bans war from pole to pole,
breaks all the weapons across his knee.
'Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything."

Jacon-wrestling God fights for us,
God of the Angel Armies protects us."

Walmart Parking Lot Thoughts

It is Sunday afternoon. I went to church this morning at New Life. I have been going here for the last three weeks. I was looking for a Spanish church and stumbled upon this one instead. It's not Spanish, but it reminds me a little bit of the Shark Club at Rock Harbor, but with a smaller number of people and less club. The pastor was speaking on James Two. It reminded me of something I was thinking about yesterday, while walking across the Walmart parking lot...

Yesterday, I woke up and decided to do nothing very quickly. I sorted through papers and did dishes, while watching the television. I was watching A&E and this show came on about all the big personalities and history of big time wrestling. Towards the end, the show was talking about these wrestling schools they have for people who want a shot at big time wrestling. People can come, workout, train and hope to make it into the big leagues. They were interviewing the different men who had come to try out for the club. This one man in his perfect eighties attire - complete with mullet (for his credit I believe the film clip was from the eighties) - said he wanted to become a big time wrestler because he wanted to be known. He wanted to walk down the street and for people to know him, to be recognized. After the Andre the Giant special and Mr. T special I decided it was time to get out of the house. As I walking across the Walmart parking lot, I thought "You know that really is it - people just want to be known, to be recognized, to know that their important". Isn't that what Christ was really about? He came to glorify and serve God, but he also came to love people. He wants to set us free, want us to know that who we are is quite enough. With his gentle yet firm Spirit move us into life with him. A life that is polished by him, taking what is good in us and changing what is not so good.

Our job as Christians is to treat people as Christ treats us. This is what they discussed at Church. It is about treating the man in rags the same as the man in the suit. It is about treating people kindly. It about loving others as you love yourself. I know this isn't easy. I am a person who has the ability to get along with most people, but when I feel someone hasn't treated me right or fairly, it takes a long while and a lot of GOD to get that out of my system. There are people in life were I literally had to pray to God to help me love and forgive them. I think these verses in James though go beyond just difficult people. They ask us to live above our bias and stereotypes that dress and makeup form and to see the person underneath. We have to make sure we aren't going over the top to please some and ignoring others in the process. Que dificil! No? But I think with the grace of God, with a life solid in the Spirit, we can become people who are Christ like in our actions and lives. After all Jesus took 12 ordinary men, including a handful of fishermen and a tax collector, and made them the foundation of his church.

Live in HIS Love!

Springfield, Missouri

I am sitting here on my couch, watching the news and checking emails. I have survived two tornado warnings, so far. These tornadoes are strange things for a California girl. Tomorrow if the rain and thunder do not change anything I am running the Relay for Life 5K. My goal is to not come in last. I am looking forward to this, I think it might be fun.

I have been working in the Convoy office, which is a bit of change from language school. I am learning the other side of Convoy and how things function from behind the scenes. I thought some of you might be curious what work in the office looks like, so here is a mini list of some of the projects I am helping with:

Planning for some of the summer El Salvador teams
Working on translating documents from Spanish to English
Working on finding news information on disasters
Helping put together country summaries
Educating myself on Compassion Ministry and Convoy of Hope
Whatever else I am needed to do

I think this time is good for learning about how the office functions and about how the planning for trips works. I can ask questions and get to know my colleagues. I leave for El Salvador on June 18th.

All the time in the world people are suffering from violence, flooding, starvation and so forth. I want to encourage you to be aware of what is going on in the world. Two countries being wracked by violence are Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pray for these two countries and the people that live there. Another country that could use prayer is Brazil. They have experienced severe flooding in the normally arid dry northern region as well as flooding in the wetter southern region. Of course there are more countries and people out there, but these are three that I am highlighting. I encourage you to pray for these countries and other countries and situations God puts on your heart.

Words from a Wise Man...

From Springfield, Missouri...

I just wanted to share some Proverbs with you today:

"The good acquire a taste for helpful conversations; bullies push and shove their way through life."

"Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything."

"The rich can be sued for everything they have, but the poor are free of such threats."

"The lives of good people are brightly lit streets; the lives of the wicked are dark alleys."

"Easy Come, Easy Go, but steady diligence pays off."

"A commonsense person lives good sense; fools litter the country with silliness."

"Souls who follow their heart thrive; fools bent on evil despise matters of soul."

(taken from Proverbs 13)

Have a Great Day!

One Heart, One Mind...

I am sipping Ginger Green Tea in Springfield, Missouri this morning. I am half moved into Sarah's apartment. My belongings are sitting in her apartment in boxes and bags. Tomorrow I will be back in the Convoy of Hope office. The current plan is that I will head to El Salvador in June and then will leave at the end of July for Santa Cruz, California for my sisters wedding. This will close up my first year with Convoy. That is a few months off and I am excited about what God has is in store for this summer and the work to be done in El Salvador.

I am reading Acts. I started reading it sometime earlier this week. I like reading about the church in those days and weeks after the resurection and ascension. The movement of the Holy Spirit. The open giving and sacrificing. Though even in this "congregation of believers...united as one - one heart, one mind" there was Ananias and Sapphira who thought they could trick God. They sold their land and in an attempt to look "godly and sacrificing" they told Peter that they were giving all their money from the sell to the church. The truth was that they had kept some of the cut of the land to themselves. Ananias and Sapphira were served justice by God.

In our lives let us not live like Ananias and Sapphira. Let us remember the other early church members such as Barnabas. Let us try to live in unity and harmony, let us give when we need to give (both in physical things and politics within the church), and let not a person among us be needy. May our lives be an incredible witness of Christ and his tremendous sacrifice. (drawn from The Message, Acts 4 and 5).

Be Blessed and Live in His Love!

A Little Hello

Hello Fellow Blogger and Readers =)

Tomorrow I graduate from Cincel - it doesn't matter if we only attended for one, two or three semesters when we are finished we still get to participate in the graduation. Each one of us that graduates says something in Spanish when we accept the "diploma". I believe that it will be a nice little cermony to celebrate what we have learned and usher us out to our countries of service.

My Dad is flying in and we will be going up north into the Guanacaste area of Costa Rica. We will spend a few days relaxing and getting ready for the summer months ahead. On April 30th I will fly back to Springfield, Missouri.

I hope all is well with you. Keep me in your prayers as I travel and get back into the swing of things at Convoy.

Thoughts and Musings on John 12-18

I have been reading in John this past month. I have just finished reading those final chapters before Jesus is arrested and crucified. It struck me as I was reading it that these were Jesus's last words before he was arrested. These were the thoughts and ideas he wanted to leave with his disciples. It was what he wanted them to remember when things seemed to turn for the worst. Chapter 12 starts six days before passover. This is the begining of Jesus's last teachings (pre-resurrection) to his disciples. He is arrested in Chapter 18.

I want to share a few verses that stood out, but I encourage you to go back and read these chapters. After reading them I encourage you to think and pray over them and what they mean to your life and the way you live.

1. In the begining of Chapter 13 Jesus washes his disciples feet and when he is finished he leaves this command "Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do. I'm only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it - and live a blessed life"(John 13:12-17). So, we must serve others as Christ served us.

2. Christ leaves us a command, which I believe goes largely ignored - "Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recongize that you are my disciples - when they see the love you have for each other"(John 13:34). I believe this is a difficult command to follow because there are so many different types of people and personalities in the church, but if everyone of those people and every type of those personalities made the decision to love one another and to serve one another I think that it would be much easier to follow this command. Whether or not someone who call themselves a Christian acts with love towards us, we need to act with love towards them (this is a characteristic hard to master- thankfully we have a God of grace and a God who gives us the strength to do this when we ask for his help).

More importantly, if every Christian followed this command then the world would be able to recongize us. Too often silly arguments about seats, music, church remodeling and moving, and more causes division in a Church. People leave Churches over music, seats and personality issues. Where is this okay in the Bible???? (though I believe there are appropiate times to change churches) As a side note, we need to remember that as Christians was are here to serve the "Church" (a body of fellow believers), the church does not exist to serve us. Each one of us who is not a "pastor" by career title is a lay pastor. We need to practice love, forgiveness and grace and work towards learning what really matters to God. If there is any doubt to what is important to God, John 15:17 says, "But remember the root command: Love one another".

3. Finally, Jesus left the disciples with the hope and power of prayer. John 14:12-14 says "The person who trust me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do what I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I'll do." and then again in John 16:23-24 "This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I've revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he'll most certaintly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks". Then later on in the same passage Jesus tells his disciples that because they have loved and believed in him soon they will be able to talk directly to God. I think the verses say it all, but because of the cross we have to power to be able to communicate through prayer to God. We are able to continue the work of Christ in this day.

Some more pictures from Guatemala:

This is me introducing myself to a group from Teen Challenge - my first time introducing myself and explaining Convoy of Hope in front of adults in Spanish. I was nervous =).

We prayed for the men in the center and then they prayed for us - it was a really good time of prayer.

This is a picture from Antigua - the processiones were very interesting. A very cool cultural experience.

This is an platform (or an image) of Jesus that was carried in a procession

A man carrying a cross in a procession. The smoke is because they use alot of incense.

The volcano Fuego that overlooks Antigua

An alfombra (rug/carpet) made of sawdust. Only the big platform of Jesus and the following platform of Mary are allowed to walk over the alfombra.

Men working on an alfombra - there are many alfombras made during this week. On every street where there is a procession there are alfombras.