Just To Brag A Little

I recently found an old quote I had written down from a sermon in my journal. “We are often to slow to brag on God.” Countless Psalms say I will declare the greatness of our God! And as we look at Isreal we see what can happen as we forget.

God has been good and I don’t want to forget so here, let me just brag on what God has been up to around me recently.

My Spanish is getting better little by little. I am finding out it is not something you can master in a day, but God is using it as a tool to teach me so many things. I still use abuse the Spanish language, as I plow through conversations with almost complete disregard for my lack of proper grammar, but I have some good friends here who (with a bit of effort can decipher what I am trying to say)

God is really burdening my heart about lots of things. I think He is growing in me more of a heart for missions.

God has been very faithful. I’ve developed a list of things I pray for very frequently. That God would grow my burden for people sprouted out a growing love for Christ. That God would burden my heart for the field in which He desires to use me. Wisdom, perseverance, passionate contentment, and guidance. Also opportunities to utilize this ability He is allowing me to acquire. (particularly over break if he would have me to go home)

In a town not 10 min from my house there is a large Spanish speaking population that to my knowledge is predominantly catholic (for the most part souly because of heritage) and as far as I know fairly unreached. I’ve been praying over starting a work there. More or less if God would want me to pursue that, for there is certainly a need. So while I am here I am attempting to learn to play soccer so I can possibly utilize that as an avenue to befriend some Latinos and share the Gospel. Also I have thought and prayed some about trying to partner with a church or Youth for Christ (which has a facility in the town) about offering free English lessons as another outreach avenue. (Using the Bible often in teaching grammar of course. =] sneaky Christians)  All this hoping to do a church plant of a Spanish church under the canopy of another existing church. I don’t see myself being the pastor of a Spanish speaking church in the states, but quite possibly helping to plant a work to reach these people with the gospel. Who knows. I know nothing about church planting but this is just something that has come to my mind and heart. I don’t know if anything with come of it but something you are more than welcome to join me in praying for. I have prayed that God would bring up a Godly (in my mind preferably Latino) man to be used in this.

So I’ve been praying about those things as they have been on my mind. In all honesty not tirelessly like I ought (lest I paint a false impression that I am turning into the ideal… something… and this has anything to do with my faith) Also praying over whether the Lord would have from me to return in December. I didn’t have total peace it was what He wanted.

I actually don’t know if I told you of His incredible provision form my first ticket (that I also didn’t have the money for) I didn’t have money for a ticket and that was kind of the deciding factor of whether I would come on graduation day last year... Here is the story…

Last year at my graduation from first year, I was thinking about where God might be leading me. I had gotten accepted to go to Argentina but didn’t have the money for a plane ticket. I was simply praying along the lines of “God if this is going to happen, you are going to have to show up in a great way! This doesn’t make sense to me. If this is what you want you are going to have to provide the way and make it clear.” While I was thinking over this we stood up to sing a closing hymn. Great is thy Faithfulness. The word of the song struck me “all I have needed, your hand have provided” and I felt a great piece. If it was His will He would provide. As we sat down they announced a scholarship I knew nothing about, it covered over half my plane ticket! How great is God! All the rest of that expense he provided as well! I was floored to see God incline His ear to my prayer and truly answer in such a real way. I felt great confidence this is what my life was supposed to look like. Simply saying yes to God not necessarily understanding… But once he has your yes, He will provide the rest.

And now for a second ticket to return for the second half of the year I had no money for. (and not having peace about just burdening my parents with this) began to pray whether I just need to pay the smaller fee of changing my flight from December to the end of July. (Remaining here for the month of December)

And now the answers and the testimony to God’s faithfulness. (more recently) Last week when I talked to my parents my Dad told me they found $600 in the first bank I had used as a child. (Half the cost of another ticket) Huge blessing! If that weren’t enough, my father preceded to tell me that our church had had a 5K run to support a scholarship fund. Which dad participated in (very proud! =]) but more importantly he told me this. Tara Molear who was visiting ran as well and while she ran she meet a Mexican man from Sturgis named Jorge. (If you know Tara, you know the heart the Lord has given her for evangelism) So naturally she begins to witness to Him. Apparently he was rather receptive and asked “do you have anything you think I could read about all this?” Tara enthusiastically replied “Well I would give you a Bible!” He took it gladly (it was in English, my church is working on getting some Spanish ones =] but don’t worry he is bilingual)

After the race my Dad talked to the man and told him his son. (Me) was studying Spanish in Argentina so he could tell people about Jesus. When Dad told him I’d be back in December and that I needed to practice Spanish and loved to talk about the Bible Jorge replied, “great bring him over!”

Can I just say ”!!!!!!!!”

God is good. Review His faithfulness it will do your heart well, it also just so happens to be Biblical. Make his name known among the people! Let us all become quicker to brag of our great and glorious God.

Growing, Serving, and Being Prepared by Christ,

Josiah Brondyke

A Brand Snatched From The Fire

I sit down to write with no particularly profound thought to share simply a greatful and challenged heart.

I am particularly grateful because I have gotten a chance to review Gods faithfulness in my life over the past few years. I would encourage you to do the same. God is GOOD.

I have been in Argentina for quite some time now (passed the one month hurdel a while back) and the PBB program has not yet fallen to pieces by the grace of God. That is a phrase you will hear a lot from students here. "Cómo te fue hoy?" "Muy bueno por la gracia de Dios" I have pondered the last few days how I feel about how often it arises. I am a large proponent of words keeping their value and it’s sad to see that even the truest of phrases can become trite. But as I continued to consider this I was struck with just how true those words hold, whether we think of it at all times or not. I appreciate that I hear it most from men that truly seem to realize God's grace in their lives. Palabra de Vida (Word of Life) has a good relationship with an institute in Cordaba which helps people get back on their feet after a drug addiction, or other pit falls which are so common in our culture. Many students after they finish study here, many of them are those who have made “By the Grace of God” a phrase constantly on their lips. I have been touched by getting to know people who seem to truly grasp God's grace in their lives.

Grace given to all of us! God didn't have to reach lower to reach some. It was His miraculously far reaching hand that grasped any of us brands from the fire (Zechariah 3:1-6)

That makes my brain skip to another lesson I have been being taught recently. Our current Bible class is Missions Reality. My professor is a man by the name of Jim Herndon who has served as a missionary for many many years. A portion of our time in the class has been spent on examining the modern missions movement and the men and women God has used over the past few centuries to shake this word once again. Please take a little time and consider these men and women. It was only an hour or so of the class but to hear of their stories, their hearts, convictions, and devotion to the Lord deeply challenged me. (Read Daisy Chains by Amy Carmichael. I want to be a sentry) Forgive me as I challenge you reading to do something I did not do with my whole heart in the past. I pray I did not set my heart to this task solely because I had not considered it. Although I fear selfishness was also close to the heart. Be a missionary… right where you are, if that is where the Lord has for you…. if its not… move. But whoever you can touch, reach out to. No, perhaps you may not be the next William Carey, Robert Livingston, or Hudson Taylor, but you do not know how far God could carry your obedience to his call on your life today…. Here is an example…

            The year is 1708, 23 miles northwest of Lincoln, England. A fire broke out on a cold winter night. The family is gathered a safe distance away from the wooden structure. To their absolute horror, they see the panic stricken face of a five year old boy in the second floor window. No one can enter the house due to the flames. A neighbor runs to the house and calls for another to climb onto his shoulders another and another until they reach the small boy and take him from the fire and return Him to his weeping mother. The name of this young boy was John Wesley. He was a brand snatched from the fire.

This John Wesley grew to be a powerful street preacher who inspired young William Carey to consider missions work. It is this William Carey who became known as the father of the Modern Missions Movement. Started by this one snatched from the fire.

What does any of this have to do with you dear blog reader? My thought is simply this you do not know how far God will carry how he uses you today. The random store clerk you lead to the Lord, the trouble making kid in your neighborhood you show the love of Christ. They may be the next generation of those who do great things for God, or they may not. Either way God has given you time for which you much give an account Matt. 12:36. God wants us to be good stewards of the time He has given. See faces in windows; look for how you Lord may want to use you.

The Worst Thing For Us

I am sitting back in my “cuarto,” although I don’t have internet here I thought I’d hop on good old Microsoft Word and jot down some thoughts. Life here is proving to be quite abundant. This morning it took a large dose of both will and grace to sit-up out of bed. I am still rather sore from all the sports yesterday. As you probably know they aren’t exactly my forte, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to get to know some of the students here. We played futbol and football… teiens dolor.
Dolor- is pain… it think

I found out today that my first few days of classes will be Evangelism (which is great), and a review of English grammar! I can’t escape it even in South America! But they say it’s what I need to take the next step in what God has for me in learning Spanish; apparently you are supposed to know your own langue before concurring more.

A verse in Quiet Times caught my attention the other day and I thought to mention it here. In Psalm 106:15 “He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.” Here the Psalmist reviews God’s faithfulness to the children of Israel during the time of the Exodus. “He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them…”

At times in life the worst thing for us is exactly what we are begging God for. It’s something that has crossed my mind here in a few different ways. Earlier in verse 13 it says “They soon forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.”

Had I not waited on the counsel of the Lord I certainly wouldn’t be here. I’m sure I would have come up with something much more logical. =] Not to say irrationality is a sign of Godliness, but we do pray to a God that is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we ask or think. I think the plans he would love to allow for us are far more… interesting than we could ever come up with on our own. At times they defy the logic behind our training. Moses raised in a place to be a leader in the desert. David trained to tend sheep in a meadow, and called to lead men from a throne. At times they fit perfectly sensibly (Joshua trained by Moses side to take his place), but they always share this, they are far greater than we would of ever imagined.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jer. 29:11
However in all honestly we often aren’t terribly interested in what God has planned for us. We have our schedules, our work, our hobbies, our families, even our decided ministries can at times push sensitivity to the spirit to the side as we press on to our goals. Along the way we would love for God to keep us safe, help us make wise decisions, bail us out of our bad ones, and all we really ask for is a few occasional blessing on the side. (Nothing much, just better than what we have) I think sometimes the worst thing for us is when God allows us to persue those desires that are out of his desire for us. “He gave them what they asked, but sent a wasting disease among them.” Perhaps this is the root of our dissatisfaction, and feeling of distance from God, a spiritually wasting disease… that came right along with, all that we ever wanted…

God says this 2 Tim 3:12 “All who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” And in James he says “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various trials and temptations knowing that the testing of your faith bringeth froth patience.” Francis Chan noted how we often are praying for safety on are travels, safety for our children, a goodnights sleep. What if instead we were to plead for the Lord to do in our lives whatever it took for us to be more like him, and for our loved ones to better love and serve Him no matter what it takes? If trails? Then bring the rain.

Think how that would delight the heart of God

Perhaps you feel you have set many good goals to serve the Lord. To reach the world with the gospel, to personally adopt every orphan in Africa, while creating world peace on the weekends (single handedly of course. After all you and God are the majority) (kind of like how I think at times) A man here shared this word of wisdom so often those dreams are never achieved because we never obey what God is giving us now. “What is that in thy hand…?”

English grammar? Spanish grammar? Improving at soccer? In whatsoever you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do. Do ALL to the glory of God.

His plans are good. He promises. He’s great at being God. Let him. And if you could I wouldn’t mind if you prayed for me.

The Christian life is basically simple, but not always easy.

With love in Christ

Josiah J. Brondyke

Baby steps

As soon as I made my account, I reconsidered the name. Thinking perhaps Learning to Die may be what is more needed in my life and in the church today. However really as Christians they ought to be one in the same. Paul said “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” What does it mean to die to yourself and allow Christ to live in and through you? I don't fully know but as soon as I figure it out I will tell you. =]




What I do know is that what God desires for us is to obey him. In all the simple things He has already asked of us and we are quick to forget or ignore in our pursuit for "God's Will" for us. Perhaps at times we want his direction more than we truly desire His person His presence. When he does provide direction how quick are we to follow? This is what I'm trying to learn this is why I am here.



Here for now is in Argentina. Simply because I fully feel that this is what the Lord wants for me. Since God is sovereign and I am now sitting in "Palabra de Veda" in Manta, Argentina I am quite sure of it. I never thought I'd be in a place like this, especially after the disaster I refer to as high school Spanish. Spanish, language at all really, is not my gift.



However an incredible verse comes to mind I recently heard in Larry Murray's Sunday school class. I Sam. 14:6b says "nothing can keep the Lord from saving by many or by few."



In 1 Sam 14 we see Jonathan's faith in spite of human limitations. Jonathan and his armor bearer stand up and step out when everyone else is literally hiding in holes. Not because they have the strength on their own, but because they believed that God was faithful.



To step out... on a limb, a leap of faith. I think perhaps those are the seed beds for real vivacious life in Christ.



Sorry to take so long and not even have told you how things have been going but nore that you know a little of the why and where here is the status update.



On my first plane ride I got to witness to a Chinese who was in the medical field. It took almost a hour to build the courage to talk to her but it was wonderful sharing Christ with her. This woman was so intelligent in world events in medicine in everything. But she had never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. “How shall they believe in Him who they have not heard and how shall they believe unless they are told?” It made me think again over a passage in Rom 15. In verse 20a Paul says “ I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named…” So often I think we feel to fulfill that kind of desire we must be in a remote jungle with a tribe who does not speak our language. Yes, we desperately need to reach them with the good news, but also there are so many right around us who have never heard. Why are we not telling them? Why don’t I?



Qeiro abler espanol. I will, but for now no comprende =]



This has already been so humbling and God is already teaching me so much. Pray for me as you think of me. For boldness, sensitivity, and a miraculous ability to learn this language (if you want to pray for the gift of tongues for me I won’t stop you)

I am officially moved in and ready to start. Sadly, one week of orientation before Spanish classes start. Thankfully I am already learning much from the Latino students. Three of my roommates speak very good English (one speaks five languages! Talk about humbling!) but they are helping me by not using it unless I am completely confused.



Alright I have to go I’ve been thinking in English to long already gotta go make a fool of myself talking to some Latinos. Till next time



Much love in Christ
Josiah J. Brondyke

P.S. my spell check is now thinking in spanish and everything i just wrote to you is yellow.