Clay Pots ~ coffee

Some of you might know the amount of work that goes into a simple cup of coffee. Then again, maybe you don't... I didn't. Even after living in Tobo where they grew coffee, 'washed it', dried it, hulled it, and packaged it up (weeks of work), it didn't strike me as that big a deal until I went on a tour of the Azotea Coffee plantation outside of Antigua a few weeks ago. There, on sight, we were able to see the process from start to finish: from planting the seed, transplanting the seedling, harvesting the ripe crop, shelling the two halves, drying the beans, hulling the parchment off, roasting, shipping, grinding, to the finished product: a pleasing, sweet-smelling, delicious cup of black coffee. Seems like a whole lot of work and a whole lot of time for one simple product which we consume every day. On our tour, we were told that 1 coffee plant, which only produces one crop a year, produces only enough coffee for approximately 40 cups! Wow, how many plants worth have I drank this year already?

The preparation process for coffee is intense, requires just the right climate, and entails numerous steps before one can enjoy the final product. This encouraged me with the ministry I find myself in. Just like hurrying up the process or skipping a step in the production of coffee would produce a product not appropriate for consumption. In the same way, I need to be faithful to patiently accomplish the steps necessary to see the appropriate final product of ministry, which is changed lives. This includes learning the language, understanding the culture, compehending the needs, and knowing and loving the people. This all takes time, but it is time well spent when we become "the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing". (2 Cor. 2:15)

Pray for us as we prepare for the gardens this summer. Pray for us as we are being invited into people's homes. Pray that my Spanish will progress and that I will be faithful to practice it and use it. Pray that the aroma of Christ coming from us, like the aroma of coffee, would have an attractional characteristic.

Peace,
Jason

Clay Pots ~ Guatemala part 3

Well, it has been quite a week. Took that hike up the volcano, met that guy at the restaurant, got a list of 200 new verbs that I need to learn, am grasping a few new concepts in Spanish, watched from afar as you all went through a crazy snowstorm, put in over 8 hours a day of studying, took a 32 mile mountain bike ride through the rugged mountain terrain around Antigua, visited the capital city of Guatemala and spent time with Paco's brother, attended a new church plant endeavor out in a pueblo, watched the Packers WIN the Super Bowl, and now I am trying to process it all.

Some things that hit me this past week: As I looked down on a huge city thriving with life from an enormous volcano where it was like I felt the fiery hot breath of God, I was humbled with the thought that we are not quite as significant and important as we think we are. With one breath of his nostrils, God could rend the earth and consume an entire city of millions of people.

As I biked through some of these small towns and saw the poverty and rough existence, the dry barren gardens, the delapitated houses, I was reminded of my time in the tribe in PNG and I realized what an amazing act of love it was for God to come down and be born, live, and die as a human... most of the world does not live with white picket fences, sanitary clean roads, and glimmering grocery stores. God came and lived as a poor man among the poor, he got dirty with those who were dirty, and he bled with those who bleed.

As I walk the streets of Antigua, watch the drunk pee on the wall in front of me, answer "no" for the 30th time to the offer for 'weed', and see men and women chase after anything in this life which can give them a temporary 'fix' for the ache which they feel inside, my flesh initially is repulsed, but my spirit is filled with compassion and a prayer that everyone could find the relationship they crave in Jesus Christ.

And as I witnessed the desire to plant a church in a new pueblo, I was reminded that relationships founded on godly, sacrificial love are what build trust and draw people to Christ. It takes time (maybe years) to spread the kingdom in this way, but we are each called to influence our own little corner of the world and proclaim Jesus to those we meet. And as in any family, growth happens one birth at a time as God gives the miracle of life to what was once dead.

So, although God could have consumed us or could have said, "no, they are rebelious, they rejected me, why should I love them?" and then just left us to rot on this rough planet; instead, he took on flesh. He became poor, dirty, and bleeding, he was filled with compassion and prayed for the hopeless around him, and then he gave of himself in sacrificial godly love in order to innitiate a relationship with us. Now that is a story worth listening to!

See you soon,
Jason

Clay Pots ~ Guatemala part 2

My Spanish studies are going well. Two weeks down and two to go! I passed the grade "A" level test on Friday and am moving on to level "B". I appreciate my teacher and his patience. Also, he is going to try to teach me all the vocabulary he can for gardening and cultivation so I can better serve in the upcoming project this summer. What a nice guy!

The following paragraph is in answer to my prayer that God would use me in small ways... I wanted to attend a church today, but my contact fell through and so I found myself out and about today on my own. Well, I thought about going on a mountain bike ride with this outfitting group, but the only trip going today was a 32 mile trip… too much for me today since I just hiked down a volcanoe last night (I was in awe of the omnipotence of my Father in Heaven). So I was like, “Well, where should I go for breakfast since I am famished?” So I went to this little bakery that had some good prices. There were absolutely no tables open except one right next to the cash register. So I sat down there by myself. It was a table for three and I felt a little strange taking up their whole table for only me, but I was hungry and ordered eggs, beans, coffee, juice, and a plate of fruit. Well, this older gentleman (probably my father's age) comes walking in and was looking for a table too and couldn't find one, and so I offered him a spot at my table. Suprisingly, he actually accepted and sat down. He is down here learning Spanish too and so we practised for a few minutes on each other. Then God just opened the door and before I knew it, we were having the greatest conversation which lasted for the next two hours about his life and divorce and kids and about our backgrounds and how difficult life had been up to this point. I told him a bit about who I was and what I was doing here and opened up and told him about some of my struggles but how Jesus has made all the difference in my life. We talked about immigration, our country, and something that he thought our country lacks… and that being an understanding of ‘grace’. So we talked about grace and the grace of God through Jesus Christ. He was appreciative of our conversation and I offered to pray for him before we left and he accepted. So I prayed a short prayer of blessing on his family, kids, and studies abroad. He thanked me and we parted. I was very blessed to be able to sit and chat with this guy… and to share Jesus with him during an incredibly deep conversation - considering we were strangers. I think that he just needed to hear about grace and Jesus today. May the Spirit of God work in his heart to draw him to himself!

Adios,
Jason

Clay Pots ~ Guatemala part 1

Well, I have been in Guatemala for a full week now... and my, what a full week it has been. My first full day here was filled with attending a fairly wealthy and 'modern' church in Guatemala city, seeing (from a car) the poorest section of Guatemala city, visiting Paco's parents for lunch (pray for Paco's Mom who is very ill), and then driving to a smaller city called Sumpango, where I attended a newly planted church (within the past 5 years) which is in the advanced planning stages of planting another church fairly soon in a neighboring city. I finally arrived at my host family's home in Antigua a bit after 8pm, exhausted and trying to get prepared for classes the next morning.

I have class from 8-4 minus two hours for lunch. My teacher is a very nice guy named Julio who has been teaching Spanish to foreigners for 20 years. We have managed to have some pretty interesting conversations even during this first week as we covered about 18 lessons in 5 days. I say 'interesting conversations' because he is not allowed to speak English (and he really does not know it super well anyway). I think we are one of the more lively pairs (every student is paired up with an individual teacher) as I had him dancing in the hall to a spanish song on you tube called Buenas Dias Senior Sol. We also got pretty animated when I started telling him about Milwaukee in my very broken Spanish, but was able to get across the idea that Harley Davidson and Miller Park are two icons in my home state... the Cerveseros (Brewers) are a pretty popular team. The studies are coming along really well and I am satisfied with the progress we are making.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying and have made this possible for me. Thank you for remembering my wife and children at home too. We talk at least once a day via video chat, so that makes the separation a little easier.

Adios,
Jason
Jason's e-mail address: jason@claypots.org