4/29/2004

 
Yay!! our house is starting to resemble a real home. Jonah has been working hard to sort through things, get furniture put together and set up the rooms in an aestheticly pleasing way...still needs a lot of work but it is shaping up nicely. I LOVE my house. I love where we live and I love my life.

This week we are having fun with lots of visitors and the Seville Spring Fair. We needed to get our guest room set up better for all the visits we have coming this month. Tonight we meet Juanan and Inma at the fair for a night out. I wonder what time we will get home...I am guessing around 4 in the morning. I better get a siesta today so I will be able to stay out late with everyone without turning into a pumpkin at 12 midnight.

Still no internet at home. maybe some day.
posted by Heather 4/29/2004 04:38:00 PM |

4/28/2004

 
Understanding the Passion...

I turned 33 last November. Same age as Jesus when he died. As I celebrated my birthday I hoped this year would be an opportunity to get more insight into the life of, for me, the most intriguing person who has ever
lived.

For some reason I thought that my 33rd year would be special. There were a couple of things happening this year that I seemed would be helpful in my quest. For example, I was quite looking forward to the Passion film which came out Easter week in the country where I live.

But another thing happened this year that I hadn't expected. Two months ago as I was walking home alone late one night a man with a knife mugged me, but before he took my bag he hit me in the face and head several times,
breaking my glasses, chipping my tooth, and knocking me to the ground.

I was thinking throughout the incident that God would protect me and help me. I occasionally still picture the laughter and smile on the man's face when he finally pulled my bag from me and ran away.

In the middle of the rain soaked residential street, in the middle of the night I began to loudly express my pain in great sobs. As shock at the trauma and relief that it was over set in, I questioned God about his whereabouts in the situation. Some answers to my questions came in the next few weeks of heavy searching and renewal. Other
answers still have yet to come.

I wouldn't wish what happened to me on any other human being. The sad fact is that way worse happens all the time to people around the world. For some the trauma doesn't have an end. As I watched The Passion of the Christ film this week I had many reactions inside of me on several different levels: as an artist, as a medical student,
as a Christian.

But as a friend of Jesus I was able to understand
just a fraction of a fraction of a bit more of what he must have went through his last days on earth. The thing that has really stuck with me this week is how he endured so incredibly much more pain, humiliation and torture than what
I barely could manage a couple months ago when I was mugged.

And he did that
for me.


Originally from California, the writer of this article Heather Bailey and her husband Jonah (see pic right) work with 24-7Prayer on an international level (Jonah is "team coach" for the base and office leaders). They live in Seville, Spain and have started a non-profit organization called Triburbana that seeks to compassionately,
creatively and efficiently serve their local community.




posted by Heather 4/28/2004 05:58:00 PM |