Hello Family,
Matt here!
Before I go any further I must explain that the title is not something that I actually believe. I do not believe places or locations teach you anything. God uses a change in scenery or certain outside circumstances that can only occur in specific locations, but you can never be taught if you are not willing to learn. You cannot hear what God is saying or see what God is doing if your eyes or ears are not open. All that to say, where we were in Argentina was essential to the life-altering truth I encountered this month but I only learned because God allowed my eyes and ears to be open. His Spirit is our teacher. We need only to listen. So, thanks Argentina for being a vessel used so mightily by God but HE gets the Glory!
Now that the rant is over, let me tell you a great lesson from the heart of God for me… 🙂
5 days after arriving in Argentina, I found myself in the middle of a town of 30 people (no joke) walking early in the morning with my wife in below freezing temperatures. I was in the middle of a rush of emotions. All my feelers out there can relate immediately. “I am useless here. What is the point of me being here? This will go on with or without me.” These were the frustrations screaming in my head. Our ministry for the month was living with a family who had heard the voice of God and radically obeyed. The Pavalecino family. Marcos and his wife, Paola at the helm. They were pastors and greatly respected church leaders in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires. Well known and loved, they had a ministry of adopting kids and taking in broken people of the streets. Hearts of Gold. Three years ago God called them to go to “el campo” (translated, “The field.”). So they packed up everything along with their 4 biological children (Martina, Manuela, Marquitos, and Mateo) and 5 adopted children at the time and moved to the small town of Cascada. This was town that had died because the move of people to find work in the bigger city over an hour away. Just to accommodate their large family, they asked the government if they could make their home in the abandoned schoolhouse. This is where we lived with them for the month. The ministry was to help renovate a house for them in the nearest town of Pasman (200 people) and lay the groundwork for a second story on this house for them to move into and have more kids! WHAT AN AMAZING FAMILY!! Don’t get me started on how wonderful they were and how incredible the kids were!!
So why was I so frustrated?? Well, I don’t know Spanish and the family was not able to speak in English. No one with in the 1 hour radius had enough English skill to speak with me. So how could I possibly be useful?? My giftings are Evangelism, Teaching, and Encouragement. ALL of which revolve around being able to communicate. I realized quickly that those gifts were not of any value this month and there was nothing I could do about it.
Back to the moment on the walk with my Kalyn. I felt like I have hit rock bottom. I don’t have anything to offer and I cannot even have a meaningful conversation with the people I am living with and I want to know them so badly!! Kalyn notices the frustration and sits down in the middle of the walk and says, “We are not going anywhere until you talk through this.” What a woman! Reluctantly I opened up. Here is the most amazing truth and it all began a week before.
On the plane from the Philippines to Argentina, God illuminated a passage in 2 Timothy. I was not sure for what but I knew in my spirit it was vital. Paul writes,
“Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of sliver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use and some for dishonorable. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, USEFUL to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:20-21
In my processing walk with Kalyn, God reminded me of this passage he spoke to me that I was not sure why.
I was completely finding my value in my usefulness. I was believing that when I am useful to God I am valuable and that if I am not able to use what God has given me then I am not worth anything to Him. I so deeply want to be a vessel for God and make my life as useful as possible to my Jesus and I thought, if I am not useful then I am worthless. Praise God my value is not in what I can give God in return but the price He paid for me to have life! I poured over this verse with tears and repentance because this verse teaches that being useful to God is a byproduct of being clean. Being useful is NOT the goal but the beautiful reward of being in a pure, right relationship with Him. What is even better is that the verse says “Cleanses himself” but do you know how we do that. John 13 is the reference to Jesus washing the disciples feet. He gets to Peter and Peter looks down and Jesus and says, “Lord, never will You wash my feet.” Jesus looks up at Peter says, “If I do not clean you Peter you cannot be with me.” Peter quickly responds, “Lord clean me from head to toe.”
You know how to cleanse yourself??? Stop fighting Jesus with your, “I’m not worthy” tangent and let Him clean you. You cannot clean yourself but you can submit to a loving Savior whose bucket and sponge are always ready. From that place you are useful and ready. WOW!! I am not useful because of my gifts but I am useful because God has made me clean!!!! SO much freedom!
The next 2 weeks might have been some of my favorite times on this journey. God wound up touching my mind and giving me the ability to understand enough Spanish to speak to Marcos and he quickly became one of my best friends so far. I was able to listen and pray and love and care for the family around me in a completely different way!!
Our spiritual gifts are great!! Thank God for the way he designed us for a specific and wonderful purpose, but our value can never rest in them. Our value is in the righteousness we have in Him. God took away my avenue to use them in Argentina to see that they do not define. The passage in 2 Timothy reminded me that my useful does not come from my gifts but is a byproduct of living in the cleansing blood of Christ.
WOW!! Thank you Jesus, Thank you Kalyn, Thank you Marcos and family, and Thank you Argentina!!!
Sorry we have not posted recently, we did not have internet all month last month because there wasn’t even cell service in our area. Kalyn will be posting a blog with more details and pictures of last month soon! We are currently in Chile and our ministry this month is living with a pastor and his family and helping at their church! More details to come on this soon!
Love you guys!
The Ledfords
