non-relational

I've been trying to figure out exactly what I'm doing on this job. How does it fit with what I know, what I think? Anyway, I'm trying to write my prayer letter, and my thoughts started going on screen and I thought, "not a bad blog post." If you read this, let me know what you think, too.

Hanging out with Copias and Marcos has been a lot of fun and has really helped me get the hang of living in Mexico – but I’m realizing that our work on campus will have to move a lot faster than spending time in relationships with friends will allow. It’s sorta weird for me jumping into, essentially, non-relational ministry. Relationships are what have changed my life. Men pouring into me. Now that I can pour into others, why am I trying to start independent groups that “don’t need my help?”
Well, I’m only here for a year. Mexicans can pour into each other, and in fact I think it would be better if they did instead of me. I would rather give a hundred people the chance of pouring into each other than try to pour into twenty people. Brian says that at some point you just have to figure out how to lead, follow the Lord, and do his will without a big brother in ministry. And, well, there aren’t any big brothers here waiting to pick up where I leave off – following Yahweh and asking someone to come with you is a sort of unusual thing, I’ve discovered. I think I’d like to dare some people to try it.
My life has been irrevocably altered by men that have invited me to follow Jesus Christ with them. Whether pastors or volunteers or my father, I’ve known lots of men that have been willing to live openly with me and challenge me to follow their example in pursuing the will of God. As I’ve been getting to know Christians in Mexico a little better, it seems like a “come follow him with me” approach is a little less popular than a verbal “this is how I follow Jesus – you should live like that.” We’re fighting to teach discipleship in place of preachership.

And so how do we teach people to LIVE their faith with each other when we are neglecting entirely to do the thing we would like to see? We waltz into a university, hand out some flyers, tell some people how it’s done and then promise to email ... if help is needed. How did Paul handle it? Sometimes he hung out for a few years teaching. Sometimes he shared the gospel and split. But he always shared the whole truth and nothing but the truth. When he wrote he was reminding them to follow his example and teaching, or he had never met them and started with the gospel right from the bat.
So where do we fit? It looks like we’re going to be on the preach and run model. Maybe not with Copias and Marcos, and maybe not to an extreme, but teach and run looks like the model for us. But then how do we engender relationships? Explain that my "going to class and working at a hamburger joint" is "going to strange campuses and seeking out Christians", that I absolutely must have a partner to follow Jesus Christ with, and a small circle of close friends who will push me towards him? That, when I stray from reading his word like it’s food or challenging my brothers to follow him, I fall away, too? Can we just start off a bible study and pray that it will turn into a cord of three strands?

I’m getting the feeling that it’s going to be our job to point people in the right direction and then pray for them ... a lot. Ultimately, if God wants people to follow him together, then they’re going to do it with or without my help. I guess I’d like to help start as many people as I can, even if I don’t get to walk with them.