12/08/03: Tribal Update: Christ is the true trunk!

Hello Everyone:

We just got back on Friday from our discipleship time with 9 different Tribal pastors from two different churches. What a joy it was to hang with them once again and hear from them first hand on how things are going in their lives, how the pastoring of the churches is coming, and how the sheep are doing. What a thrill too, to visit with these dear saints and share with them from the holy scriptures, see growth in their lives, see them handling tough stuff, and see them hungering for help and input. Yes, another great time with them!!

Our theme for our time together was John 15:5. Christ is the Vine, and we are the branches. Apart from me you can do NOTHING!! They kept saying things like this: "We have no ability within ourselves to shepherd those who are like sheep. And we have no capacity whatsoever to produce the fruit that comes only from the true Spirit. No, we don't have love for others.
We don't have non-liver thinking (joy) during tough times. We don't have soft/flexible thinking toward others (a spirit of helping others). We don't think with a cool liver on our own (inner peace). We won't have the ability to say NO to the evil that is within these bodies either. But as we live connected to the One who is like the true trunk, ah yes, then we live new and different lives, and have the ability to shepherd from HIM."

Our time was pretty well taken right up with discipleship and teaching. Our day began at 6 AM and we would be with them right through until 9:30 in the evening. Yes, it was very busy and we found ourselves getting a little worn out. But hey, it was all good! And even with our busy schedule, we were still able to get in quite a bit of translation checking on various OT verses from Leviticus thru II Chronicles.

As we met to discuss job descriptions of each of the different pastors, Dijirio shared how he couldn't continue on with the job of shepherding. He
said something like this: I'm going to tell you just as things are with no
hiding. We don't live before your constant gaze but rather before the constant gaze of the true God. We live before Him. He is the Everywhere One. He knows how things really are. And I am not going to tell you things are all right when they aren't. And therefore I tell you, I don't measure up to watching over the sheep right now. I have problems. My wife and I are not doing well. She is living as if she has no ear holes when it comes to obeying the true God's words. She is acting like an unbeliever. And you could suddenly hear about me too, that I have grabbed another woman. No, I don't want it to be like that, but I am telling you about our hard times. Things are not good with us." After Dijirio shared his heart, it was cool to see another couple, Pablo David and Luichji, suddenly come forward to help this hurting couple. They are planning on meeting with them on a regular basis. They have gone through similar struggles, and have seen God do a work of grace in their own hearts and so now want to help others.
Anyway, the fellows all figured too that Dijirio should back off for a while with pastoring and take care of his own family situation first. Please pray for Dijirio and Marironi.

Thanks again so much for praying and partnering with us to see the Tribal churches grow. We are excited about what HE is doing, but see much that we still want to trust HIM for.

Enjoying the adventure in the VINE,
Merrill and Teresa