Dragon Skin

So, who’s seen “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader?”

Next question: who’s read it?

Since the Chronicles of Narnia is my all-time favorite book series, and since it’s deeply ingrained in my childhood memories (I used to pretend to be Lucy—I even made myself a vial necklace), I waited eagerly for the “Dawn Treader” to come out. To my happy surprise, it came out on December 8th in Colombia.

Like always, there are incongruencies between the book and the movie. Aside from the issue of the invented green smoke (the producers must have seen too much LOST), the movie is lacking in its interpretation of the Eustace the dragon episode. Read Eustace’s vivid description of being “un-dragoned” as he recounts the experience to Edmund.

But the lion told me I must undress first. . . .

I was just going to say that I couldn’t undress because I hadn’t any clothes on when I suddenly thought that dragons are snaky sort of things and snakes can cast their skins. Oh, of course, thought I, that’s what the lion means. So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off all over the place. And then I scratched a little deeper and, instead of just scales coming off here and there, my whole skin started peeling off beautifully, like it does after an illness, or as if I was a banana. In a minute or two I just stepped out of it. I could see it lying there beside me, looking rather nasty. It was a most lovely feeling. So I started to go down into the well for my bath.

But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they had been before. Oh, that’s all right, said I, it only means I had another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and I’ll have to get out of it too. So I scratched and tore again and this under skin peeled off beautifully and out I stepped and left it lying beside the other one and went down to the well for my bath.

Well, exactly the same thing happened again. And I thought to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good. . . .

“Then the lion said — but I don’t know if it spoke — You will have to let me undress you. I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it.

“The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I’ve ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was jut the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know — if you’ve ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away.”

“Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off – just as I thought I’d done it myself the other three times, only they hadn’t hurt – and there it was lying on the grass, only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me – I didn’t like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I’d no skin on — and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I’d turned into a boy again. . . .”
- - - - -

C.S. Lewis is a genius when it comes to metaphors; what an amazing analogy for the process of sanctification. Becoming the people God designed us to be is a feat that we cannot accomplish on our own. Countless times, I've decided I need to change something about myself. With hard work and self-discipline, I may be able to see an improvement...but it never lasts; there's always another dragon skin hiding underneath (Romans 7:21-24). But when I (with willingness and submission) allow God to work in me, real change--beginning at the heart level and working outwards--takes place. We have to "put off" "put to death" and "rid ourselves" of wrong thinking and behavior (Colossians 3, Ephesians 4), but God is the only one who can make us righteous (Philippians 2: 12-13).

The State of Affairs

I don't know how many of you have seen the news lately, but Colombia is in the middle of a huge crisis. Heavy rains have plagued the country for months,and currently 28 of the 32 departments are in a state of emergency. Rivers have overflowed their banks, and thousands of people are left with nothing.

Here in Atlantico, the department where I live, several villages have "disappeared", covered almost completely by water.

This is a pueblo named Campo de la Cruz.




Bello, a town near Medellin, experienced a landslide a couple of weeks ago that covered dozens of homes.


To add insult to injury, these stagnant waters have become breeding grounds for all kinds of diseases and water-borne illnesses. Rural Colombians are losing their livelihoods of cattle and crops as well.

Events like this tempt us to despair; natural disasters are relentless, and we as humans have no control. We can ease the symptoms of pain, and even that is daunting when we see the numbers of people affected.

Please join me, and thousands of people in Colombia and around the world, in praying for relief from this weather and help for its victims. And if you are able to contribute financially, there are many organizations working faithfully to help those suffering in Colombia.

Vision Mundial Colombia http://www.visionmundial.org.co/eContent/home.asp

Here and There

Though I feel like I’ve been in a time warp of perpetual summer, it’s somehow the middle of December. Christmas is in a week. That just doesn’t seem right, since I went to the beach this week. And I’m sweating under a fan right now. But anyway, December is in full swing.

The highlight of the month has definitely been a visit from my parents. We packed a lot into the eight days they were here, spending a few days each in Barranquilla, Santa Marta, and Cartagena.
Here’s my top 5 list from their week here:
• Showing off the many beautiful places Colombia has to offer.
• Introducing them to my friends.
• Being able to have meaningful conversations with zero language or culture barriers.
• Relaxing on the tranquil beach in Taganga.
• Exploring the enchanting streets of Cartagena.



Now that Mom and Dad are back home, I’m gearing up for my next adventure. I’ll be in Bogotá for 10 days, spending Christmas with my cousin Emily. On December 31st, along with my friend Eileen, I head to Argentina! Somewhat of a spontaneous plan, the two of us will be attending Argentina’s national Campus Crusade for Christ conference, followed by a couple of weeks in Buenos Aires. I'm expectant and excited about this trip--God has worked so many things together to allow me to go!

So though this December and Christmas will be a little different--it's the first one in my life away from home--I'm sure it will be filled with new and unforgettable experiences. But most importantly, the reason for celebrating is the same:

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

El Camino

Sometimes, I feel like my mind doesn’t have a “play” button—only “fast forward.” When I ought to be delving into the present moment, I’m consumed by the thought, “But what’s next?”

Though I’m not even half-way through my time in Colombia, I’m easily preoccupied by questions regarding the future. Forgetting that God has faithfully led me into each consecutive stage of my life, I worry that I’ll miss out on his will for me.

On a recent hike, as I relied on a guide to show me the way to the destination—to tell me where to step, to hold my hand as I climbed up rocks, even to carry me across a rushing river—I was impacted by the thought of what a great Guide we have in Jesus. The book of Hebrews reveals Jesus as a better sacrifice and a better high priest—superior to his human counterparts. In the same way, he’s a better guide. I was impressed by our guide’s knowledge of the path, by his strength and seemingly endless energy. But he’s a human being, and his wisdom and strength are finite. God, on the other hand, created the paths, he created us, and he leads us perfectly on the paths he has laid out for each one of us.

So the challenge is to listen carefully to his guiding voice, to hold tightly to his firm hand, and to trustingly and confidently walk on this present path, leaving the future up to him.

This is what the LORD says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.” (Isaiah 48:17)