God's Love

I just watched a documentary on sex trafficking.  I know that we all know the issues on sex trafficking and some have probably gotten sick of the subject being a topic of conversation so often.  Trust me, I know how you feel because this is what I thought when I sat down with most of my team tonight to watch a documentary called Nefarious. 

I’ve never really cried while watching a movie before but tonight seemed different.  I was welling up with tears almost at the very beginning of the documentary and those tears were constantly there throughout the 2 hour movie.  But these tears weren’t for myself or even as a form of sadness for the situation, but for the girls on the screen that felt worthless in this world.  I don’t like seeing people that worthless and hopeless and full of despair but that was the similarity in every story that was shared.  It makes me want to share with the people around me, “We have value and that God loves you.”  I wish I could add, “and how much Christians love them.”  Sadly this isn’t the case because most of us pretend that the people on the streets don’t exist.  I know because I’m guilty of this in my everyday life.  If I’m doing ministry with the homeless and the prostitutes in downtown Vancouver then I treat them like any other person.  When I’m not “on duty” to serve God, however, I often ignore these people completely.

Who am I to say that I can choose when to love others?  That I can pick and choose the most convenient time to serve God?  Because Christ died on the cross for all people, not just Christians or the victims in situations like prostitution.  He died for those corrupt people too.  Even those people so involved in sin and evil.  Christ dies for them just as much as he died for me.  Therefore, we are called to love ALL, not just those that are easy to love but ALL people. 

            In reality, we have zero ability to truly love anyone without God living in us and moving through us.  He is the very definition of love.  Not only is He love himself, but he gave us as human beings the perfect example of what love looks like here on earth thought the example of Jesus.  I believe that it is only through God living in us that we can love those involved in the sex trafficking industry.  This doesn’t mean that we only love the prostitutes, those who we can easily give our sympathies to, but the pimps and the Johns as well.  And beyond that, we cannot love those in government held positions that have the ability to stop this human trafficking but choose to turn a blind eye.  It’s only with the power of God’s love in us that we can love the parents that sell their own daughters into prostitution to make some extra cash for a nicer television or cell phone.  It’s only with God’s love in us that we can love those that have sexually abused these girls when they were younger.  Without God’s love in us, we will never be able to love any of these people.

            I don’t pretend that I’m any closer then you at loving any of these people to that capacity.  It’s so easy to build up hatred for those that are involved in the human trafficking industry.  Hatred and bitterness go hand-in-hand and the Bible is constantly commanding us to stay away from bitterness.  We cannot hate the corrupt but we can hate the corruption.  There is a big distinction between the two.  This is something that I need to remember for myself.  I need to separate the people that Christ died for and loves abundantly with the sin that they are involved in.  I think instead of hating those people we need to replace it with how God feels for them.  I can imagine God takes on a pain that we cannot fathom for those people because of his great love for them.     

Only ONE MORE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (eek)

Hey everyone,
So, I'm heading back to Ontario in less than a week!  I'm so excited to meet more of my brothers and sisters and grow more in my Lord Jesus.  I know God's been preparing my heart for the incredible things that he has for me this summer.  It will so great to get away from everything and focus my attention on God and what He has planned for my life.  I just can't stop smiling everytime I think about going back! 

I've attached the support letter I've sent out.  It explains the program a bit more.  If you all could pray for the upcoming summer, what God will be doing and protection for our team, I would so appreciate it.

Hello All,

It’s been a crazy spring here in Langley, BC. The rain continues to fall but the sun-sets have been lovely to see when the sun decides to show its face. I’m currently a third year student at Trinity Western University as an International Studies major with a focus in global development and a concentration in communications. School has been full of midterms, papers and, of course, learning. Have no fear, I haven’t been studying the whole time and often enjoy hanging out with the wonderful girls of my pod. It’s been a crazy year but God is definitely working His beautiful plan in my life.

Last year a good friend of mine mentioned a ministry program called Global Shore Opportunities and their student program. GSO is a non-profit, mission organization run out of Southern Ontario. The student program allows university students the opportunity to earn some money working on their asparagus farm packing plant as well as mission experiences in the small town of El Tizate, Guatemala (it isn’t on any maps I’ve found so far). The founding families own a packing plant and the team is able to work alongside the other seasonal employees and live as a team in an old renovated church. This sounded like such a great op-portunity that I just couldn’t pass up, so I applied in the spring of 2011 and got in. I spent the summer with an amazing team of students and grew so much in my faith. The experience literally changed my life and drew me closer to our wonderful Lord and Savior.

Through this experience, I was able to live with a family in El Tizate, learn the culture of the people and be involved with a school that was established by GSO. We took individual Spanish lessons with the teachers of the school and help with the things that this small community needs. The children of the school have taught me so much about being a child of God and learning to serve God with my whole being.

I’m so blessed to have the opportunity to go back again this summer! I can’t wait to see what God has for our team and to see his work in Guatemala. I need to raise $2,000 for the ministry activities in Guate-mala. If you have the means to support me and this wonderful ministry through giving in this way, I’d be so appreciative. If it is not possible to support through giving funds, prayer is the best support I could ask for. Prayer is such a powerful tool and I believe it can work wonders for the work we will be doing. I believe in giving as the Holy Spirit leads you to and know that the Lord will provide for my needs.

Love from the great wet north,
Shelby McConnell

There's Action in Pursuit

Not sure why these thoughts keeping turning into a letter to anyone who will read it.  God's just being funny lately, I suppose.

What does it mean to be pursued?  Is there something to be said to those who wait?  They say that good things come to those who wait.  In the Christian community, this is becoming a more common thing.  I often see girls who are doing nothing, essentially being passive, always stating that “God will provide a perfect man for them in his timing.”  They don’t do anything because, well, we’re supposed to be the ones that are being pursued, after all.  But I keep coming back to the question of whether that’s what God meant when he said we were meant to be pursued.  Are we supposed to be sitting in our castle, just waiting?

Then I started thinking of the Christian faith.  God is our pursuer.  He loves us and will protect us fully but do we just sit and do nothing.  “Thanks God for saving me.  I’ll worship you whenever there’s chapel or at church and I’ll do my devotions every day like a good Christian girl.”  No, that’s wrong.  God called us to be his children, yes, but then he said, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).   Did you hear that?  He said GO!   That’s an action word.  We’re not supposed to just sit content in his love and protection but we’re meant to take the initiative and spread the word.

So if God, the one who is constantly pursuing his children, is telling us to take action and go, then what does that mean for us, as women who want to be pursued?  There has to be some action, we have to take some sort of initiative in the process of relationships.  Now I’m not so confident when it comes to guys I’m interested in but I’ve realized that I’ve been living in a world where I’m sitting in my castle waiting for him to come all the way to me.  I haven’t taken the initiative in this area.  I still believe that God has the perfect guy out there for me.  I don’t want to miss him because I’m not holding up my end of the bargain.  It takes putting yourself out there and showing interest.  Take the initiative to step out of the confines of the castle walls. 

It's a Timing Thing

I was sitting in my room spending time with God and read Ecclesiastes 3. I began writing in my journal and felt like I was supposed to share it on here.


Ecclesiastes 3

Timing is everything. Not just timing, but GOD'S timing. It sounds like we're giving up total control, which is exactly what we're doing. For the control freaks out there, this concept could be a bit scary. It's easier to think about with the approach that God is the expert and we're merely amateurs. We know nothing on the subject and yet we keep trying to control it. He has everything planned out for us. Honestly we should stop planning out our life because God trumps all of it. We might get upset when things aren't going according to plan but whose plan are we really following?


God's been teaching me a lot through dance recently. It's my time to break out and dance for those that can't feel enough joy in their lives to dance and express it. Just as it says in verse 4, there is "a time to mourn and a time to dance." For those who are stuck in a time of mourning, it's OK. See, the beautiful thing about God is that he puts us all in different spots on the path of life. So you may be in a time of mourning but I'm in a time of dancing, and I'm dancing for you. I'm dancing for those that don't have the energy to break off the hold that has them in the valley. We are a family for a reason, to help each other up. Don't be afraid to share your problems with your fellow brothers and sisters, because we're here to listen to you and walk with you and pray for you and to simply love you.

Life in Guatemala

We begin our day at 6:30 with a delicious breakfast made by my host mom, Isabel.  This can range from beans and sweet bread to hot dogs and scrabbled eggs.  This is always served with tea, which is a favorite of Liz, my new roommate.  Then its a short hike up to the top of the hill where the school in located.  We start by going up a goat trail behind our house.  This is not a normal trail.  It is mostly filled with trash and there are wild chicken that run around up there.  It's quite interesting to say the least. The trail leads to a paved road that takes us to the school for morning devotions with the kids.  After devotion time we are either planning for an ESL program, which is a pilot program for Global Shore for Pre-Kindergarden, Kindergarden, and Grade 1, or building a house.  Yes folks, I am helping to build a house, which should be completed by the end of the summer.  In the afternoons, we are either running the ESL program (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) or continuing to work on the house.  Everyday from 4-6 we have one-on-one Spanish lessons with a native Guatemalan speaker.  My teacher's name is Haydee (pronounce ay-de) .  She only speaks Spanish so it's pretty much full immersion.  At first I was a little worried that we would not be able to communicate at all but it has worked out really well.  I love her.  She is hilarious.  On Monday nights we have team time and Wednesdays in church.  Those days are pretty jam packed with events.  Saturdays are a little bit more relaxed.  We spend the morning with the Jacobo, eating delicious food and drinking delicious coffee and learning more about God.  The afternoons are fairly slack.  We are helping with a VBS run by a women in the town every Saturday afternoon.  The children here are great and I being able to have this opportunity to grow.  Love you all!

Guate!!!!!!!!! We're here!!!!!!!!!!

So here I am in good 'ole Guatemala.  It is such a different culture here.  I quite enjoy the food difference here. Beans, tortillas, plantains, and spaghetti with salsa (surprisingly delicious).  It's a good thing Liz and I live halfway up the hill so we can work off all these delicious carbs.  We are also really lucky to have a warm shower, also known as a suicide shower.  This name was given to the fact that there is electricity and water in the same general vicinity.  However, I survived my first shower here none-the-less.  the children at the school are really loving and I think I've fallin' in love with them already.  They are the sweetest things ever, words cannot describe it fully.  yeah we've been here for a few days and my body is still trying to get adjusted to all the new sights and sounds and my heart is trying to get used to the poverty here.  More later when I can stay on a singular topic. 

Asparagus, How I Loathe Thee

There are so many things I could say about asparagus.  There are so many different types.  Long tall thin ones, short fat juicy ones, medium normal-sized ones, ect. ect.  The list could go on and on.  I close my eyes and all I can see is are green veggies moving through the slots from left to right.  All day I work with these little green monster, either dropping them one by one in their designated slots or bunching the families alike asparagus together and throwing them on a conveyor belt moving at breakneck speeds of 2 km/hr.  for hours on end this is my life, day in and day out.  Oh, and if we're are ever so lucky as to get to work until 9 pm then it is truly all I do.  Earlier this week I became sick, and not just sick of asparagus but so exhausted that i could not physically hold my own body weight upright.  For the morning portion of Wednesday, I was propped up, the slot machine only means of remaining on my feet.  I leaned on Liz as we walked to the Ark for yet another delicious lunch special and barely made it to the sofa where I conveniently collapse and did not move until our lunch hour was almost over.  At that point I had not eaten a single bite of the steak Shirley had prepared for us and decided to ask the dreaded question.  "Christoph, can I have the afternoon off?"  Thank goodness he said yes because I most certainly needed it.  I spent the next 5 hours sleeping.  I was completely knocked out and boy did it feel good afterward, and I slept well that whole night.  (Mom, I was seriously that tired.)  Yeah, for the most part I'm just done with seeing that much asparagus for a very long time.  Only a little bit left.  We leave for Guatemala on July 6th!!!!!  Woo Hoo!!!!!! Can not wait!!!!!