Before I moved to Lima, I had been praying that I would meet other missionaries with whom I would be able to walk through this “new life”, learning from their wisdom, encouraging one another, and sharing in God’s mission for the city. After about one month of being here, I met Bill, a middle-aged missionary who has been here in Lima with his family for almost two years. Quickly after we met, we began to get together weekly to drink coffee, share experiences, and pray. Today was our third time to get together, and it was great. I have been greatly blessed by our time together and our new friendship. Praise God for answered prayers!
140 Days…
Until we are on a plane to Costa Rica for language school, plus or minus a few days. Crazy, yes. Scary, definitely. Exciting, unbelievably.
Paris & Shelbyville
Over this past weekend our team gathered in two very important locations. One of these places was Paris, Texas – “the second biggest Paris in the world” – where the Davidson clan is spending time with their supporting church, the Lamar Avenue Church of Christ. The purpose of this gathering was to get to know members of this congregation who have been so supportive, encouraging, and loving towards the Davidsons, as well as to get some business and some fun done. Thankfully, we were able to accomplish all of these goals in style, and we were overwhelmed by the warmth and hospitality of the entire church. As a team, we look forward to partnering with the Lamar Ave. congregation for many years to come. It was truly a joy to see the Lord working powerfully through an amazing group of Christians.
The other location was Shelbyville, Tennessee, where the Thompson family traveled to spend time with the Fairlane Church of Christ. This church is interested in partnering with the Thompsons for our future work in Peru. While Justin, Alison, and Cailyn were severely missed in Paris, we are incredibly excited about the opportunities that this trip might bring. So, please be praying for the Thompsons and the Fairlane congregation as they seek to discern the Lord’s leading in this matter. As a team, we have been constantly been reminded of our need to rely completely on the Lord. What a great place to be – resting in the loving arms of our great God!
Potential Support
Please keep my teammates in your prayers. In the past several days, there have been several positive developments in their search for support, but the road ahead is still uncertain. As a team we continue to wait, in faith, for the Lord’s provision. He has provided so much already, and we are confident in his plan’s for our future.
Team Week
My week has been filled with time with my teammates, and I have loved every moment of it. Last weekend, our team gathered together in Kaufman, Texas for our monthly team meeting. Currently, the Yoakums are living in Kaufman, where they are spending time with their supporting church. As a team, we were able to take care of team business, meet church members, strengthen team relationships, share meals together, have some fun, and worship with the Kaufman Church of Christ. All-in-all, it was a wonderful weekend!In fact, it was so much fun that I couldn’t leave. I ended up spending two more days with the Yoakums. When Wes and I weren’t up at the church office, we were more than likely playing ping-pong at their house…I was in heaven 
Then, after lunch on Tuesday, I drove up to Paris, Texas in order to spend some time with the Davidsons. After giving me the grand tour of the metropolis of Paris, we feasted on some local cuisine and enjoyed an evening of conversation. I was able to meet some great people from the Lamar Avenue Church of Christ, which whetted my social appetite for our next team retreat, which will be in Paris.So, from Saturday until Wednesday I was reminded of how blessed I am to belong to a team of wonderful, godly people. Today I am thankful for the Davidsons, the Fletchers, the Thompsons, and the Yoakums.
Sickness and Solidarity
My life over the last several days have been filled with these two things: sickness and solidarity. Beginning last Tuesday, my immune system decided that it was going to stop working. And so I spent the better part of last week in the sick house. But the following weekend had incredible amounts of redeeming value. On Saturday, once my light-headedness had receded, I drove to Kaufman, TX for our monthly team meeting. The Yoakums (www.theyoakums.net) are currently living in Kaufman, spending time with their supporting church. Thus, the purpose of the trip was to get to know some people at their church, as well as spend time with one another, take care of team business, and have some fun. And, I am thankful to say that we accomplished all of these tasks quite handily. Still feeling a little light-headed, though.
Grateful
Yesterday, I received two new leads for potential missions support. There is still quite a journey ahead, both for me and my teammates, but I am grateful for every step forward (and sometimes even for the steps backward). So, as a team, we continue to trust in the Lord, trying not to lean on our own understanding.
World Vision
I love this organization! World Vision (www.worldvision.org) is a Christian-based humanitarian organization that seeks to help some of the most needy people in the world by developing communities and providing relief during times of disaster. Through their community development programs, they seek to build sustainable communities all over the world that have adequate food, water, health care, education, and income. It is through these humanitarian programs that World Vision displays the love of Christ to the world; through their acts of love and service, they open up doors to share the good news of Jesus with people who are dying, both spiritually and physically. They are an organization that seeks to meet the entire needs of communities. Please think about supporting this wonderful organization. Check out their website; look at the faces of children who desperately need clean water and sufficient food to survive; think about how blessed you are, and choose to share. Begin by sponsoring a child. Then, after you fall in love with that child, support another. And when you do, I would love to read an e-mail about it (markwclancy@gmail.com). And then pass the word along.
Post-Trip Report # 2
One thing that my recent trip to Mexico reminded me of was the difference between various cultures. Often, we are surrounded by familiar people, food, language(s), movies, and music, among other things. But once you travel to another country (or even another region of your country), you are reminded that other cultures do things differently than you have come to expect. Traffic laws are looser; buildings look different; food is spicier. Typically, when people encounter these differences, they respond in one of two ways (or somewhere between these two extremes). They might become overly-critical of the “other.” The food is not different; it is worse. The language is not exotic; it is unintelligible.
On the other hand, many people seek to find beauty in the new experiences that other cultures provide. The people are kind and hospitable; the food is unique; the culture reflects new truths about humanity. When we come into contact with other cultures, maybe we should seek to appreciate the beauty and goodness in this different way of viewing the world. Maybe we should see other cultures as just that – different; not right, not wrong; only different. What a blessing it is that God has created diversity in this world! What a joy it is that God has given us the ability to be creative, which is the source of innumerable foods, customs, and traditions! May we, as children of the God who embraces the “other,” embrace the goodness that can be found in our worldwide neighbors.
