Canadian Update
Hi this is his sis Elaine, reporting to you from a letter recieved from the Mattinator. It's pretty much the spiffiest thing ever, so enjoy!
In the words of Matt...
Things have been tough. I kind of expected this to be tough, but not to this extent, but I kind of made things worse for myself by over thinking and building up things God had to bring down. I observed quite a bit of things my traning weekend that gave me a picture of what I was getting myself into, which were people who blieved basically the opposite of me.
Thinking back, I should have known and done some more research. But what was I thinking about going into the mountains and not have tree-hugging liberals as numerous as the bucs? Or liberal minded Christians who aren't really using the Bible to check what they're being tought or thought to be right.
I'm living in a liberal, tree-hugging, feminist, hippy (dreds included) resort land, with political vegetarians, people scared of guns so we must ban them. People with foul mouths that joke irreverently with God's name and basically do what they please with some concept of isn't alright to do, more culturally than what God says what to do.
So I am not only the opposite politically, environmentally but also how I approach what I see is what God says and teaches through his word. So I get special treatment here as if I were the Christian in a circle of non-believers.
When God is brought into the picture it to me feels as if it's because we're more of a christian organization than of a true willingness to want his involvement into 'his ministry'. So there are a few exceptions to this generalized comment and to be honest, it seems a bit more harsh than it should have been, but I'm frustrated with it all.
I am Glad however that God has placed me in this place and I know he did it for a explicit reason. Since I really decided to get to know him more, to follow his leading this year I had a few crutches, Erin and Laurel to kind of coach me in the way of how I should be according to the Bible as well as how to really dive into his word. If I had any questions, I'd go to either of them. I thank God for their God-centered Biblical instruction, but it was time for me to have time with God alone.
So he sticks me out here. With people and believes and environment 180 degrees different than Ecola. He took away all but one way of communication so I had to be dependent and focus on him. He's the only one I've got to say my frustrations to, to go to for help, for answers of the many questions I now have and more more things so i have full confidence this is why I'm here and why it's difficult for me, at least now because I've never been at this place before.
Another thing that's been neat thus far is that this summer I've decided to read the whole new testiment. I've learned so much about who Jesus was and things that Sunday school never put into them stories, just some details. It's been neat to see the different ways the 4 gospels all portray the same message by way of each of the cultures it was written to. I think a lot of this summer will be hard, but memorable in how I grow in him for it will be just us for quite some time.
-Matt
In the words of Matt...
Things have been tough. I kind of expected this to be tough, but not to this extent, but I kind of made things worse for myself by over thinking and building up things God had to bring down. I observed quite a bit of things my traning weekend that gave me a picture of what I was getting myself into, which were people who blieved basically the opposite of me.
Thinking back, I should have known and done some more research. But what was I thinking about going into the mountains and not have tree-hugging liberals as numerous as the bucs? Or liberal minded Christians who aren't really using the Bible to check what they're being tought or thought to be right.
I'm living in a liberal, tree-hugging, feminist, hippy (dreds included) resort land, with political vegetarians, people scared of guns so we must ban them. People with foul mouths that joke irreverently with God's name and basically do what they please with some concept of isn't alright to do, more culturally than what God says what to do.
So I am not only the opposite politically, environmentally but also how I approach what I see is what God says and teaches through his word. So I get special treatment here as if I were the Christian in a circle of non-believers.
When God is brought into the picture it to me feels as if it's because we're more of a christian organization than of a true willingness to want his involvement into 'his ministry'. So there are a few exceptions to this generalized comment and to be honest, it seems a bit more harsh than it should have been, but I'm frustrated with it all.
I am Glad however that God has placed me in this place and I know he did it for a explicit reason. Since I really decided to get to know him more, to follow his leading this year I had a few crutches, Erin and Laurel to kind of coach me in the way of how I should be according to the Bible as well as how to really dive into his word. If I had any questions, I'd go to either of them. I thank God for their God-centered Biblical instruction, but it was time for me to have time with God alone.
So he sticks me out here. With people and believes and environment 180 degrees different than Ecola. He took away all but one way of communication so I had to be dependent and focus on him. He's the only one I've got to say my frustrations to, to go to for help, for answers of the many questions I now have and more more things so i have full confidence this is why I'm here and why it's difficult for me, at least now because I've never been at this place before.
Another thing that's been neat thus far is that this summer I've decided to read the whole new testiment. I've learned so much about who Jesus was and things that Sunday school never put into them stories, just some details. It's been neat to see the different ways the 4 gospels all portray the same message by way of each of the cultures it was written to. I think a lot of this summer will be hard, but memorable in how I grow in him for it will be just us for quite some time.
-Matt
posted by Matt at 1:28 PM
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