By Javier & Alba Sometimes, circumstances cause us to slow down long enough to realize that we are far more blessed than we thought. Proverbs 27:1 reminds us that we do not know what tomorrow will bring, and perhaps that is why there is something deeply spiritual about receiving today with gratitude for God’s mercies, which are new every morning. This week, during our Double Nutrition gathering, that truth became more than something to reflect on—it became something we could

By Pastor Sunny I was shocked. Maryan had the same look on her face. I had just finished preaching and was preparing to go home when one of the elders came out and told us, “They are voting right now.” Westminster Presbyterian Church in Duluth had been embroiled in a conflict and was having difficulty finding a pastor. The Presbytery Executive of the area asked me to meet with the church leadership and help understand what kind of pastor they should be looking for. Since I wa

By Javier & Alba As Semillas de Esperanza Church, this Thursday, August 20, we shared one of those moments that may seem simple, yet can remain in the heart for a very long time. We gathered around the table, talked together, studied the Word, and prayed for one another. There was no rush to finish and no need to pretend that everything was fine. We simply stood together in the presence of God. And there, a powerful truth echoed once again: there are moments when we do not ne

By Pastor Sunny When Kirk told me that John might have become a pastor, I was surprised. John had never shown any interest in spiritual matters. Kirk and I had been roommates in college for one semester. Years later, after he moved to Minneapolis for a new job, we met for coffee. As we talked about our lives and the journeys we had taken since college, he told me about John. The last time I saw John was in the lounge on our dorm floor. He was struggling to type a paper on his

By Javier & Alba There are some stories we do not simply read: we feel them in our bodies. When Colombia shakes, something inside us shakes too. Even though our lives now unfold far away, there is a part of our hearts that never packed its bags. It is still there, in the cities we know, in the voices of our families, and in the friends we left behind with the hope of seeing them again. When images arrive from the places that have been affected, our thoughts immediately turn t

By Pastor Sunny I was surprised it was Jane. I knew her, but we traveled in very different worlds. Jane was the co-captain of the University of Wisconsin Basketball team cheerleading squad, while I was simply another student living on the same dorm floor. Our paths rarely crossed, but the look on her face told me something concerned her deeply. She was distraught. The leader of her Bible study she attended had told her she had to choose between God and cheerleading. If she wa

By Javier & Alba Some returns simply bring us back to a place, while others remind us who we are and where God is still calling us to go. After several weeks of vacation and virtual gatherings, this week we began seeing one another face to face again. What a simple and beautiful gift it has been to greet each other in person, to hear one another’s voices without a screen between us, and to remember that God is also present in those small and precious moments of fellowship. To

by Pastor Sunny I took a deep breath and said, "Yes." Even as I spoke the word, I wondered if I was crazy. I was certain the church leadership would think I was being reckless. Yet deep down, saying yes felt like the right thing to do. On the other end of the phone was Pinky. She was calling to tell me that the Tribal Council of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was inviting our church to come and partner with them in mission. I met Pinky a year earlier when I led an advance