10 days down

It is wild to think that we have already been here for 1.5 weeks. Some days it feels like we’ve been here for a year, and other days it feels like we just got here yesterday. We have packed these last 10 days as full as we can. We have looked at houses and cars galore. We have purchased our appliances, couches, bed and most of what we need to get started. There is lots of news, thoughts, lessons to share, so to keep it brief I will employ the ever-so-boring list form.

    1.  We have a house.

Praise God, we have a house. It took us a while, and was a much more difficult decision than we previously thought. We are in a house that is secure, probably a bit big for us, but only 15 minutes from Potters House.

    2.  We have a car.

Anyone who has bought a used care understands the risk. Even more, buying a used car in Latin America…well you don’t really know what you’re getting. We had a mechanic look it over, and are really hoping that it will last us a long time.

         3.  We will make mistakes.

What has become clear is that every missionary makes mistakes. We have already made lots of them. We seem to find more of the language mistakes because we already speak Spanish, yet continue to find dialectical differences.

For Example: In some places you can use the word sosten for support. We were talking about our financial support and I used that word. However, in Guatemala sosten means “bra.” People were just a little confused that I would speak so openly about the strength of our bra.

We will make much worse mistakes than just language mistakes. What is beautiful, is that we are learning that it is in the midst of those mistakes that God uses our honesty, gentleness, and ability to laugh it off! Even more, it alleviates some of the stereotypes that Americans think they have all the answers. We, too, are broken vessels that God must fill to use. We’re cracked clay in the Potter’s hands.

         4.  VBS for 2,000 kids

Yes, you read right! This Monday kicks off 4 straight weeks of VBS at Potters House. They are running about 5 VBS in the morning and 5 in the evening for the next 4 weeks. They are being hosted in a variety of community centers, and buildings in the area. I (Justin) am running one (or a handful?) of them.

We would ask that you would pray that God would manifest Himself powerfully in the lives of these children. There comes a moment where these kids face the hopelessness of their life situation, yet we know that the cross of Christ supersedes even the most dire situations. Christ came to conquer sin and ALL of it’s effects and establish His Kingdom. Christ’s Kingdom is not concerned with one’s house, clothes, cars, etc., yet the hope of Christ can be found when those are not present.

It is our prayer that children, this week would learn to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well.”  

As the King, Christ, takes root in the heart of these children, may His Kingdom come in this community.

For His Kingdom,

The Burkholders

October Prayer Letter

In 2011 I "ran" the marathon (it's in quotes on purpose). A good friend of mine (Mark Nerud) and I spent months training, running all through the week, and doing long runs on the weekends. On October 9^th of 2011 we piled into a van at 4:00 AM for the drive to downtown Chicago. At about 5:30 we were standing in our corral, waiting for the gun to blast to begin the event for which we had been preparing for months. 

Yesterday, the feeling was identical. Jenny and I have worked for months. We have prayed and prayed and prayed. We have had hundreds of great, educational conversations. We have been blessed by a myriad of supporters. We have been to training, raised all of our funds, got pregnant (yikes), purchased plane tickets, packed up our belongings, celebrated, laughed, cried, worshipped...and there we sat, in our corral, waiting for the gun to sound.

Today, at 6 AM, the gun sounded.

It's surreal. 

We have no idea what the marathon ahead is going to entail. The first leg of the first mile is just barely visible, what the other 25 hold, only God knows.

There are a couple things of which we are entirely certain.

1. God determined the course.

The future isn't a big question mark. It is decided, established. It may be a big, harry question mark to us, but it's not to God. He knows the end to every story and the resolution to every challenge. He sees the sun rise when we are in the midst of the darkness, and has steadfastly determined our future paths. It is mysterious how he does so while allowing us the freedom to live and love. Yet, we take great solace in His knowledge, His providence, and His sovereignty.

2.   We have support

Not like financial support. Sure, we have that. (shameless plug: if anyone would like to donate follow the "Donate Online" link above) We have been sent off by such a warm and loving church family. We have been prayed for, celebrated, encouraged, and energized by all of you.

I will never forget the first 3 miles of the marathon that I ran. There were thousands of people lined up 5 or 6 people deep to cheer on those of us running. Even though I was way back in the Losers corral, I felt like I could have run a million miles.

That's how Jenny and I feel right now. Because of your support, and the sovereign hand of God, we can face anything.

We have a long race ahead. There are many obstacles that we will face. We aren't naïve about that. We long to see great victories, and we know we will experience great turmoil. But one thing we know: Christ IS King. It's not a myth, or some fairy tale. He really IS King. That alone makes this a race worth running.

Prayer Requests:

1. PRAISE: We arrived in Guatemala City safe and sound with all of the bags that we brought with us!

2.This week we will be looking at houses, pray that we find something appropriate to our needs.

  

3. We also need a vehicle, which we will be shopping for this week as well.

4. This week we will also be viewing hospitals and finding a doctor for the baby and Jenny. Pray that we find one that we are comfortable with and can pick right up where we left off in the states.

Only God Knows

October  21^st is a date that I will never forget. It’s the day that we will board a plane, depart the U.S.A. and establish residency in Guatemala. I don’t want to be too melodramatic about this; everyone goes through transitions. Some transitions are planned, like ours. Other transitions flop themselves into the middle of our lives with no preparation or opportunity to positions ourselves.

As I've considered this change what is becoming crystal clear is that if I could have the attitude that I currently have, facing all transitions, even unplanned ones, my life would fill with far less anxiety. Many people have graciously asked us “what do you expect the transition to be like?” My response may seem a tad reductionist, “Only God knows…”  

To some it may seem like I’m dismissing their question and avoiding the “real deep conversation about my anxiety,” but, alas, I’m not.

I don’t think that there could be any more comforting response than “only God knows.” Every transition that we face, every crossroads or intersection, there are a litany of possibilities for how the situation ends. Those of us who love control examine every possibility filling our minds with a spider web of options, but to what end?

I’ve been able to plan for this transition. God has graciously given us insight and the freedom to choose the chaotic crossroads that is our move to Guatemala. However, life is a minefield of unplanned transitions. Some are small – a misbehaving child, tension at work, car problems. But some of these are WAY bigger, and we could never plan for them sufficiently – a dreaded call from the doctor saying “it’s terminal”, a child born with severe handicaps, a sudden death, divorce etc.

Nevertheless, the severity of the situation doesn’t change the fact that only God knows. We’ve all had one of those moments, that unplanned transition that lands on our chest like a Mack truck, but even in those situations God knows. God is not surprised. The sorts of earthy obstacles that we face do not faze him. He knows them, and they respond to His voice.

This means that I’m free. I don’t need to know the outcome because I know the Knower. You don’t need to know the outcome because you know the one who knows the outcome and who has determined the outcome.

Some of you may find yourself in the middle of an unplanned transition. Take solace; to God it was not unplanned.

Psalm 37:23-24

²³ The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
    when he delights in his way;
²⁴ though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
    for the Lord upholds his hand.

Bad Husband! Bad Husband!

Anyone who has been a husband can attest to this fact: I have said many things that I wish I could have back. It’s not so much that I am malicious with my words; rather, men and women speak different dialects. Most of the time it has been a breakdown in interpretation – my words have had implications that I didn’t mean or foresee.

But then there is that other time. That time that I meant exactly what I said, unashamed and unrelenting. Don’t worry; I’ve since relented. But, the following is a story that we experienced right at the beginning of our missions experience.

Early in May of 2012 we found out that due to a shortage of income we would have to move out of our apartment and move in with some friends (Praise JESUS for friends!). We were immediately faced with a decision – get rid of all that we own…or find a place to store it. Being the minimalist that I am, I always prefer getting rid of something to lugging it around. (You know, like the dozen things you still have in your closet or garage that you know you should probably get rid of but you can’t because “my kids got it for me after so and so happened and it’s just such a precious memory” and you’ll keep taking it with you everywhere you move!)

Well, being a third-culture kid (subsequent explanation blog to follow) I have very little sentiment towards physical memories. I’ve never really owned anything long-term. I’ve had different beds, houses, dressers, toys, friends, bicycles…you name it and it has changed!

We ended up deciding to liquidate our assets…meaning that we got rid of stuff. It was much more difficult for Jenny because, well, she has a heart and I’m a bit robotic. Everything that we had was a memory to her – a memory of her childhood, or our first year of marriage, or our time in youth ministry. I knew that we were going to have to get rid of all of it, but she needed some time and needed to get rid of things in phases.

Well, this wasn’t working for me. In an effort to get rid of as much as possible as quickly as possible, I coined a phrase that will go down in husband infamy. This was “that thing” that I said and meant it with all of its force.

Are you ready? I mean it is really bad…

“Jenny, memories take up space!”

And then I repeated it as often as I possibly could at any moment that I deemed necessary.

“Memories take up space!”

“Memories take up space!”

“Memories take up space!”

“Memories take up space!”

Now, again, before I lose all my dignity, that’s all that I have ever known. Any memory that I have is not physical but mental. One of my favorite things to do when I’m at home is watch home videos from our childhood, probably because I don’t have any other physical memories. That’s the life of a third-culture kid. Also, I like to make fun of my brother, Mark.

We drove away from our now empty apartment. We had scrubbed every last corner for any trace of us living there. The apartment was cold and sterile and as we shut the door I released a small sigh of victory.

We climbed into our car, that I was anxious to sell, and for some reason I decided to be sympathetic. “Jenny, how are you doing with all of this?”

Without hesitation Jenny began tearing up and let out a whimper

“MY POPPLE!”

“Your popple?”

“Yeah, my popple? I gave it away and I wish that I hadn’t!”

Feeling a bit guilty I asked, “Jenny, what in the world is a popple?” I had never seen this popple thing.

*Still crying “It’s like a care bear but kind of uglier. My parents gave it to me when I was 7.”

“Well, why did you give it away?”

“I wasn’t going to, but then I pictured you saying ‘Jenny, memories take up space’ so I put it in the Good-Will pile and now it’s probably gone.”

Really, it was a gut-wrenching conversation. Seeing your wife turn into the little girl that she once was and then realizing that you ripped that away from her is painful, to say the least.

Don’t worry; the story ends well. Jenny’s birthday was a couple of months away. I quickly hopped onto eBay and found 3 different popples, one of them being identical to the one she got rid of. I will never be able to live this down, but finding the popple was a small gesture towards redemption.

The reason that I share this story is because there are so many tests and trials to this transition that I can’t even begin to explain – some of them humorous, and others not. Our marriage has been tried and galvanized. Our faith has been tested and strengthened. We are soon entering into the most difficult part – the actual transition. Your prayers have carried us through thus far, and we ask that you continue to pray for us as we move forward.

Also, may I encourage you, get rid of that stuff in your closet, someone else could use it!

The Transition has begun

Seriously, we are totally and completely inundated by the waters of change. We have had numerous discussions about our arrival strategies. We have purchased tickets. We have begun packing, or getting rid of things that we aren’t taking. We are getting final doctor’s appointments for Jenny and the baby. We’ve figured out visa situations, are putting cars up for sale.

This all would be mayhem if Jenny weren’t so phenomenal when it comes to details. Where Jenny is strong, Justin is weak – a key to a happy marriage, right?

All that to say, your prayers are greatly appreciated as we enter into the final stretch. We have so many people that we still want to see, so many details that we still have to tend to. However, despite the laundry list of things, every day feels like it is dragging on. We are so anxious to finally make this move. The past few months have been fabulous for us to have, but now we just want to get there. We’re like a toddler on a road trip -- “are we there yet?”

This past Sunday, 9/15, we celebrated our commissioning at Grace Pointe Naperville (video below). It was such a lovely time. We had the opportunity to share a little about what we’ve been up to for the past year. We also got to share some words of encouragement that God has been laying on our hearts. After we shared people from all over the congregation came forward, laid hands on us, and prayed for us. We felt like we had been given a glimpse into Acts 13 as Paul and Barnabbas were sent off by the church in Antioch. God has blessed us with rich friendships and fabulous people who have been generous and supportive for all of our time at Grace Pointe. We continue to trust that God will continue this work through them that He has begun.

Over the past week I’ve been meditating on the end of Philippians 1. Paul tells the church at Philippi (one of his main supporters):

²⁷ Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

That really is our prayer. Our desire for all of you is that we may continue to hear of your unity and steadfastness in the faith of the gospel of Christ.

May God richly bless you for your support and prayers.

Burkholder Commissioning from Justin Burkholder on Vimeo.

Road-Trip and Prayer Requests

Road Trippin’ the USA

Life has been a whirlwind for the last month. We were afforded the great opportunity to drive down the entire Midwest to visit with friends and family. Since July 28^th we have driven 3,992 miles. We visited 12 different states and spent 60 hours tucked away in our Toyota Corolla. We had to buy two new tires and get one oil change. We enjoyed the corn-laden flats of Ohio, the pines dotting the mountains of Alabama, Disney World, a foggy morning in North Carolina, and the rolling hills of the Virginias. God protected us and provided all that we needed. All in all, God has been so good and so faithful to us, just as He promises.

Jenny and I enjoyed ourselves dearly. It was a trip that for me (Justin), at least, galvanized our friendship as we venture out on this new journey. We shared many laughs and some tears. We spent times in prayer. We got to visit with each of our immediate families, some extended family, and friends who are like family. They got the burden of housing us, and they all fed us VERY well!

More than anything we came away grateful for all of the people that are lifting us up in prayer. It is so comforting to walk into a home and find our prayer card stuck to a cork-board or refrigerator. We owe so much to many of you and trust that God will reward you exponentially for your dedication to supporting us in prayer and finance. Thank you!

Our to-do list is growing RAPIDLY!

Needless to say, we arrived home to a stack of chores we must accomplish. It’s crunch time – the final minutes of the 4^th quarter (or second half for you futbol fans). We have so many final details in preparation for our departure and so many initial details following our arrival. Your prayers are greatly appreciated as we pilfer through the muck of moving to another country.

To-Do before we leave:

We need to sign up for COBRA, which we are doing this week. This will provide our healthcare until our departure.

We need to fill out ALL of our benefits paperwork for TEAM in the next week to ensure that everything is in order for our departure.

Justin has had to get two final vaccinations Hep A., completed today, and Typhoid which he is taking orally. It is live bacteria…that’s weird to think about.

On August 30^th we have another appointment for the baby at which we will discover the gender!

We have to sell our cars.

We have to write up our wills.

We have to get our visas.

There are equally just as many if not more pesky details when we arrive. Fortunately, our host organization - Potters House - is generously providing a helping hand!

To do when we arrive:

Find a place to live, furnish it, and move in.

Find and buy a family-friendly car.

Outfit our home for a baby…yikes!

Learn a whole new world…(not the song)

i.e. where will we shop, find doctors, DMV, mechanic…you know all of those things that you “just know” where they are here in the States.

I hope we don’t sound like we’re whining. We are so excited for everything that the future holds. However, there is just this big mountain of details that stands between where we are today and what we believe that God wants us to accomplish in the near future. We covet your prayers through these final weeks here in the U.S.A. We don’t want to have any complications that could delay our departure. We trust that God is sovereignly in control of all these things, and we are SO anxious to finally arrive. 

If you are in the Chicago-land area we want to be able to say as many goodbyes as we can and share what God has for us in the future.  Let us know when you are free for coffee or to share a meal. If not, then stop us in church or if you see us out and about stop us and say "hey!"

Thanks again for all of your prayers!

Being Loving > Being Right

Growing up in Mexico City there were certain things that we experienced with regularity. One of them was the Mormons. They always seemed to show up at our front door, usually right a dinnertime. Fortunately, we began to figure them out. It wasn’t hard, really. They had a distinguishing mark, something that set them apart. Anytime that you saw two guys riding bikes down your street wearing shirts and ties with backpacks on their back you could be certain they were Mormons.

But this got me thinking: what if there was something that noticeable about Christians? I don’t mean some outfit or accessory that warned people we were coming. But, what if people could distinguish true, genuine believers from the rest of the Christian population? Even more so, what if Christians were so counter-cultural in some aspect of their lives that it was clear and evident whom they were and what they stood for?

Francis Schaeffer delivers a power-packed essay that argues for this very concept. It is a small booklet titled The Mark of the Christian, easy to read in 45 minutes. However, it is revolutionary. It’s one I am trying to re-read every year to 6 months. His line of logic is simple, richly Biblical, and deeply practical. The mark of the Christian is…drumroll…LOVE. You’re probably thinking “DUH!”

Building his arguments from John 13 and John 17 Schaeffer argues:

“The point is that it is possible to be a Christian without showing the mark, but if we expect non-Christians to know that we are Christians, we must show the mark.”

It will be virtually impossible for the world to distinguish our faith in Christ apart from it being represented to them through our love for them and for one another. John echoes the words of Christ in his first letter when he states:

^“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.”

To know Christ will be evidenced in our love for one another.

However, the beauty of what Schaeffer does in this little book is not in its theological argument. All Christians everywhere agree that we are to love. Clearly Jesus commanded it when he told us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” This has never been in question. The rubber meets the road when we begin to truly discuss what the daily, moment-by-moment implications are for this. What does Christian love and unity look like in the midst of doctrinal disagreement? What about when one party perceives another to be promoting heresy? How should, say, Baptists interact with Catholics, if I dare suggest that? How should Calvinists interact with Arminians? Or what about in matters of practice? Women in ministry? Those who espouse the attractional model for their church disagreeing with those who prefer a more organic model? Contemporary or traditional? These are all polarizing topics.

What does Christian love and unity look like when you believe in some non-essential so strongly that you cannot fathom someone disagreeing?

Politics is another one of those taboo topics. Many conservative Christians have seldom met a democrat they liked. Fewer still have met one in their church! Many Christians who are democrats are repulsed by the close-mindedness of republican Christians. How are we to speak with one another and treat one another when such seemingly foundational truths are immediately in question? The problem that many Christians have had is that they have valued the ideal for which they are arguing more than they have valued love. It is a problem of priorities.

Later on Schaeffer adds:

“Here [in John 17:21] Jesus is stating something else which is more cutting, much more profound: We cannot expect the world to believe that the Father sent the Son, that Jesus’ claims are true, and that Christianity is true, unless the world sees some reality of the oneness of true Christians.”

Where many of us have fallen off the wagon is that we have interpreted Christian unity as organizational unity. If we all agree on practice and doctrine then we are united. Consequently, many of us are ill prepared to adequately and lovingly respond in the midst of great differences. It is problematic that we have been trained all of our lives in ministry for doctrinal correctness. Being able to sniff out the beginning of any heretical statement or thought, we crush it. We’ve been taught that the gravest dangers facing churches are false teaching and heresy. Few seminarians consider that the greatest danger facing churches may be their lack of love and unity. It’s easier to vilify and crush a bad strand of doctrine than it is to lovingly welcome in those who may espouse it.

Schaeffer continues by discussing when Christians disagree:

“We rush in, being very, very pleased, it would seem at times, to find other men’s mistakes. We build ourselves up by tearing other men down. This can never show a real oneness among Christians. The world must observe that, when we must differ with each other as true Christians, we do it not because we love the smell of blood, the smell of the arena, the smell of the bullfight, but because we must for God’s sake. If there are tears when we must speak, then something beautiful can be observed.”

These sentences landed on my ego like a bag of bricks. I pride myself in being right, often. If you are wrong around me, you’ll know it. And how often have I don’t this very thing, searching for the nuance that will allow my opinion to rise to the top. Few tears are shed, few hugs exchanged, and few moments in prayerful unity together. As one friend has told me before “being right is not a spiritual gift.” I don’t know that there is a magic cure for this egocentric disease. All I know is that the Spirit of God must grant me a greater sensitivity to my relational foibles. I’m writing all of this for two reasons:

First, I hope that our (Jenny and my) entire community of believers that surrounds us will be able to evaluate our quality love. Not merely do we all carry around a little flag that says “I love people,” but the true moment-by-moment actionable love. Does our concern lie in justifying ourselves, elevating ourselves, being right and letting everyone know it? Or, can we vehemently disagree and walk away in true Christian affection and true Christian unity? More than that, are we graciously extending ourselves for the benefit of others?

Second, this is also a missiological principle for which Jenny and I need your prayers. In crossing cultures we will find many things that are different. Christian love demands our patience, gentleness, and grace as we adjust. In particular, we may be working alongside of individuals with doctrinal differences. The mission of Christ, and the love and unity exhibited between us is a far greater goal than doctrinal cohesion. Being doctrinally cohesive is irrelevant to the watching world. Knowing that love supersedes all other values is truly attractive.

Let me simply ask, then, are you making Christian love? Do you bear the mark of a Christian?

_________________________________________

1. Schaeffer, Francis, The Mark of the Christian, Downers Grove: IVP, 1970.