Hey everyone!
I wanted to share some updates of what’s been going on here in Jordan. My squad celebrated Christmas together in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan. I’m sure many people have traditions where they meet at a specific household in their family to celebrate Christmas. It’s a time where people come from far and wide to celebrate Christmas together. For me, it’s a time to celebrate the birth of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The perfect God that came to the earth to live with us, and ultimately to go to the cross to die for us. To pay the price for our sins. To give everything so he could have us and that God would be glorified!
And on that cross:
“Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!””
??Luke? ?23:32-37? ?ESV?
The God that came to the earth as a baby boy, later desires forgiveness to the one’s that are killing him! The great unfathomable love in that… Powerful!
I didn’t have a normal celebration of Christmas with family back in the states. I was in a far away land. In a place that is unfamiliar. However, God has given me a family in this far away land. We have gotten to go through all the ups and downs together. To lift up each other when we feel like we’ve fallen apart, to weep together, to laugh together, to love together.
One of my favorite authors, Timothy Keller, talks about what it means to love. He wrote a book about marriage. However, this book has changed my life. One of the biggest themes is living selflessly for others. I know this can be applied to relationships in general. Loving others is seeing their flaws, imperfections, weaknesses, dependencies, but underneath them all is growing the person God wants them to be. It’s even when someone falls short or hurts you. It’s loving someone when they aren’t the same person they were 1 week ago, 1 year ago, 10 years ago. It’s IMPOSSIBLE apart from Jesus.
I know I can not love others apart from him and I fall short in that all the time even when I desire not to.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
??John? ?15:5? ?ESV??
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
??Galatians? ?5:22-26? ?ESV??
God has given me a family that I get to live alongside each day. It was beautiful. We got to share testimonies of what God has done in each of our lives. Testimonies of people God has healed! The people God has placed before us that have changed our lives forever.
“”Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”
??Matthew? ?1:23? ?ESV??
Thank you Jesus for your life! Thank you for the opportunity to meet people from all different walks of life and shine your light to the ends of the earth! I am so undeserving!
Merry Christmas everyone! Happy New Year! Love you all!
We have rotated teams. More updates on that soon too! There are 6 of us! I am looking forward to this new season and living life with you all! ??
-Lee Heiner
Prayer requests:
Pray for unity for us.
Pray for the people we will be meeting each day. I desire to love my team and the people I come across each day so deeply. The reality is that every person I walk across each day is a person Jesus died for. When I think so deeply about that truth, it changes everything! Whether they know him yet or not. I ask for continued prayer that each person I meet would see something very different in me! That they see Jesus in me! That they would see the joy that comes in knowing Jesus and serving Him even when we are going through suffering, through hardship. Most importantly that God would get all the glory and never me.
