Friday, February 22, 2008

Spiritual Tenacity

I've been using My Utmost for His Highest (by Oswald Chambers) in my daily devotions for so long I can't remember when I started. I really love this devotional. Normally, I go through spurts: a few weeks using it, months without it, etc. Well, I've been using it pretty consistently for some months now, and I'm really enjoying his insight and wisdom and perspective anew! This morning's devotions really spoke to me. Ozzie is talking about spiritual tenacity, and he draws from Psalm 46:10:
"Be still and know that I am God.
He says that spiritual tenacity "is more than hanging on, which may be but the weakness of being too afraid to fall off. Tenacity is the supreme effort of a man refusing to believe that his hero is going to be conquered....Then comes the call to spiritual tenacity, not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately on the certainty that God is not going to be worsted."

Wow! What a powerful reminder. It's so true. He says that the worst fear of man isn't condemnation; it's that we will discover that our Savior isn't as powerful as we have believed and that in the end, He will be "worsted" -- that is, that our hope will be disappointed (though Scripture clearly says in Romans 5:5 that hope does not disappoint).

Oswald goes on to say this:
"If our hopes are being disappointed just now, it means that they are being purified. There is nothing noble the human mind has ever hoped for or dreamed of that will not be fulfilled. One of the greatest strains in life is the strain of waiting for God. 'Because thou has kept the word of my patience'."
That really hit me. I have some hopes that seem to be disappointed right now. One of which is seminary. I thought I would be able to start taking seminary classes later this year through online education and perhaps even finish a certificate of graduate studies. Then this week, I found out that due to limitations in our internet service, that won't be possible. At least not as far as I can see right now. That was pretty disappointing, but I found myself really encouraged by this devotion to remember that the Lord is greater than my limitations, and His timing is perfect: "Be still and know that I AM GOD." And if He is choosing to purify my hopes through this waiting process, then so be it. May His hopes become my own. May yours as well!

As Ozzie closed, so I do:
"Remain spiritually tenacious."

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Student Leadership Conference

So, the youth pastors from Cy-Fair Christian Church in Houston, TX -- Brad Pembleton and Dave Chavez -- came down this past weekend for our annual Student Leadership Conference. This is their third year doing this conference, and in March they will bring their youth group for the 6th year in a row! We love having these folks here, and the youth soak up their visits, ministry, and friendships! So, this weekend was really great, as always!!

Brad and Dave came and talked to our youth about the Kingdom of God: where is it and what does it look like? The simple answer is that it is in us as Christians and it takes the form and look of whatever we do to love others and share Christ with them, whether that be through service, through words, through prayer, or even through a simple smile or hug. Of course, we cannot share the Kingdom of God with others until we have entered into that ourselves, and that is only possible by engaging in an active relationship with Christ and experiencing His love and His kingdom in our own lives first. Then we can share with others because it will naturally overflow through us into their lives. Their talks were really great, and it was neat to see our youth participating more in the discussions than in years past! Yea for growth!

They arrived on Thursday...Valentine's Day...and that night we had dinner together with the student leaders for a time of fellowship and then of discussion about the theme for the weekend and their role in conference. This was a really great time, and everyone really had a good time. Then Friday and Saturday we had the conference meetings with the whole youth group in which both Brad and Dave shared with the youth group what the Lord had given them to bring here and teach on.

Brad teaching the first Friday night session using audience participation

More Friday night sessions

Me translating for Dave for the second Friday night session

The greatest activity of the whole weekend, however, took place on Saturday afternoon. After they finished the study portion of the evening, Brad and Dave proceeded to take the whole youth group on a walk through Cofradia. They would stop at different places and ask the youth: "So, what needs do you see here? What can you do to bring the Kingdom of God to this place, to these people and their needs?" This was a really powerful experience. We stopped at the junior high school, at the home of a needy woman in town, at the local bar, and in the town square.

The most impacting stop, though, seemed to be in front of the preschool/kindergarten. On one side of this property (which stands at the corner of two streets that cross), there is a TON of trash strewn on the road. Throwing trash on the ground is fairly common in Mexico, and if you ask people why they do it they'll tell you that it's just what everyone does. This is something that as Americans raised on the mantras "DON'T LITTER" and "SAVE OUR EARTH" we simply can't fathom being a norm of society. But here it is just that. So, when we stopped at this particular location and talked about what this littering communicates, lights started to go on in their heads concerning the theme for the weekend.
Brad and Dave shared that littering is a lack of respect...respect for others and respect for God and His Creation. We talked about how His creation is important to Him and to simply treat it as a trash can communicates to Him...and to others...that it doesn't matter. This is the opposite of loving God and others.

It was really great to hear the youth picking up on these truths and beginning to brain storm and "get it", and I really believe that the message got through to them. They heard it, and they took it to heart. Only a couple of days later, Sandy and I were going somewhere in a truck when she threw a candy wrapper out of the truck window....out of pure, unconscious habbit. Over the last couple of years she has improved at not throwing trash on the ground at least when she is with me, but when it happens I call her attention to it and she realizes what has happened. But this time, as she threw the wrapper out the window, she gasped with a contorted look of horror on her face for what she had just done in light of the conversations from the weekend. This was a horror much more profound than ever before. All of a sudden, this time it was personal between her and her Lord. It was amazing, and yet shocking, to watch. God is certainly getting through!!
Anyway, it was a really great weekend!

We're excited to have this youth group here in a month for their outreach to the youth. We spent some time planning the Amazing Race activity with the student leaders. It's definitely a stretch for all of us, but it is going to produce some great growth even in us as youth leaders as we step out in faith and believe that the Lord is make this whole thing come together just as He desires it to! Regardless of the activities, we will be taking the Kingdom of God to different towns and people throughout the week that the youth group is here, and it promises to be a really amazing experience for everyone!! Please keep this outreach in your prayers as we all plan and prepare for what God has in store!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Interesting Mexican Food: Capirotada


So, here is installment 2 of the Interesting Mexican Foods series. This time it's a dish called "Capirotada" (pronounced "cap-ee-row-TA-da"). I'm told this is a dish that is typically made during the easter season, although Easter isn't for another month. But whatever....

It's made of tortilla, bread, raisins, nuts, fried bananas, and some other ingredients. I don't know how to make it or how to describe the texture, but it's definitely different and interesting. I tried it the first time about a week ago. Sandy bought some while she was doing housecleaning for me, and she made me try it. I spent about 20 minutes trying to explain the phrase "the jury is still out" when she asked me if I like it or not. I honestly couldn't give her an answer to the question! But then today I tried it again, and I really liked it! One of the differences is that it was cold this time whereas last time it was warm. I definitely like it better cold. I think that there were some different ingredients this time too. But regardless, I can now say that I do in fact really like "capirotada", and I highly recommend it to you if you ever get the chance to try it!

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Partial January Monthly Update

Well, since I haven't had a ton of blogging going on in February, I didn't want to repeat everything that I've already posted. So, I'm only going to post part of my email update for January. Enjoy the read!
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A Running Start…

Wow! 2008 has started with a bang! January was quite a busy month as we had three teams here between January 6 and 31. The Lord certainly blessed us through these three groups. If you'd like to read more about them, check out my blog entries for the Cy-Fair Ladies, the His Place construction team, and the Winnipeg E-Free construction team.

I would like to include a bit of a progress report on our central church construction. The combined total effect of the hard work of the His Place construction team and the Winnipeg E-Free construction team is astounding! Our central church facility looks like an entirely different place than before they joined us! Here’s what they accomplished:

  • All purloins for sanctuary roof were cleaned and painted
  • 1st-story floors were poured including bathroom floors
  • All walls for 1st story rooms were begun
  • Smooth-walled the instrument storage room
  • Poured the ceiling/upper story concrete floor over library and nursery
  • Began smooth-walling the library and nursery
  • Columns were placed and poured and are now ready to support 2nd story walkway
  • 1st floor sidewalk has been prepped for pouring
  • Parking structure roof was installed and concrete slabs were poured
  • Picnic corner concrete slab was poured
  • Grey-water pit was completed and concrete cap was poured
  • Trailer hook-ups to septic system were completed
  • Electrical wiring was completed in the library and nursery. Electrical panel and wiring were completed for trailer hook-ups
  • Church name and motto painted on outer church walls: "Centro Cristiano: Crece y Deja Crecer" ("Christian Center: Grow and Let Grow")

We are so excited for how the Lord is providing for this project! Please continue to pray with us for continued provision of funds, materials, and labor, especially for the fabrication and installation of the sanctuary roof. We cannot begin using the facility until the sanctuary roof is in place, which will require a highly-specialized labor team. If you are in any way interested in helping with this project, wither it be through labor or financial donations, please email me and let me know! Thank you!

Mentor Gazette

Sandy and I continue to meet for mentor time. This was a bit sporadic during January due to the short-term teams we had visiting us. However, very often Sandy was here in Cofradía working along side the teams, and we found time to meet and talk during breaks or in the evenings. We have been reading through the book Stomping Out the Darkness by Neil T. Anderson and Dave Parks. In some ways this study has been “back to the basics” for both of us, but at the same time it has been a good refresher course and reminder of simple truths that often get forgotten in the midst of dealing with life and growth. So, we have both learned much, been reminded of much, and enjoyed this study! It’s got us thinking and re-evaluating many aspects of life and ministry, and we’re both quite pleased with how the Lord is working. It’s not always easy, but it’s always good.

Sandy continues to enjoy photography. Though my own time has been limited to work on her photographs, I have been able to upload a few to her ImageKind site so that they are available for purchase. If you would like to see them, you can do so by clicking here. We will continue to add more as we’re able; we have lots of ideas, just not as much time to work with them as we’d like. Thank you for your patience!

I continue to meet with Ana as well; we too are going through the same book. Though not enthusiastic at the start, she has now begun to really enjoy the book and has shared with me that she even talks about it and shares the book with one of her teachers at school who is a Christian. The Lord is working mightily in this young lady. Please keep her in your prayers that she would be receptive to His call to a deeper and more committed relationship with Him no matter what the cost.

Fundraising Needs…

Our ministry is growing, praise the Lord! This also means that we are experiencing increased interests in staff internships and increased flow of ministry visitors, all of which we are extremely grateful for! However, we currently do not have sufficient housing to keep up with this increase. Therefore, we are considering the purchase and renovation of a house nearby to be used for these purposes. In order to do this, we need to raise approximately $12,000 USD to meet the purchase price with additional funds needed for renovations. Please pray for the Lord’s beautiful provision in this need, but please also pray about how you can help us meet these goals. We are excited about this growth and hope that you will participate in it with us. Thank you!

Looking Ahead...

We are excited for the months ahead! We have two youth teams coming in March along with a group of dentists, and a group of Christian mental health professionals are coming in April who will work with us as a staff in training us to deal with various aspects of life and ministry in the mission field. Keep your eyes peeled for updates on these outreaches and training! We are convinced the Lord is working mightily this year just as he has every year thus far, and we are ready to be blessed!

In addition, I’m looking forward to a short trip home April 6-11. I will only have about 4.5 days to visit with folks, so that will most likely happen in the form of social gatherings. I will keep you all posted as the time arrives as far as locations and times for those events. I am hoping to see as many as I am able during my short visit. Thank you for your prayers and support! I would not be here without you! I am so appreciative of all of you. Blessings to each!!

FACE TO FEET
ams :)

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Winnipeg E-Free Church: Jan 19-31

Well, team number 3 for the month of January left a couple of days ago. What a whirlwind month this was! PHEW!

Anyway, our third team for January was from Winnipeg Evangelical Free Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This happens to be the home church for Dave and Kathy (our ministry directors) and of Pete and Faye (who are here temporarily helping out as interns). This was such a great team! They, too, came to work on the new church, and boy did they work hard! They even did some "home improvements" here on the base! This team finished pouring the first floor cement floors, finished cleaning and painting all the sanctuary roof trusses, completed the grey-water pit, completed constructing the parking area roof, poured the parking area concrete slab, the cap to the grey-water pit, and the picnic area concrete slab (to one side of the parking area), poured columns that will support the second story walkway, began bricking the foundation for the first floor sidewalks, poured a slab of concrete at the entrance to the church in order to anchor the doors, smooth-walled the library, began bricking the first floor classroom walls, ran all the electrical wiring, poured a new floor in the church palapa on the base, painted the back base wall, painted a Noah's ark mural in the nursery, and painted the name of the church and our motto on the outside wall of the church.

Grey-water pit

More poured floors

Bricking the walls

Working on the sidewalks

Sandy, Pete, and I working with the cement as the team mixes and pours the new floor in the current church palapa on the base. Sandy was taught to tamp the cement!

Me smoothing the cement along the walls

The finished new floor in the church palapa!

Finished parking structure (grey water pit underneath) and picnic area

Smooth-walling the library

"Centro Cristiano: Crece y Deja Crecer" = "Christian Center: Grow and Let Grow"

Painting the mural -- this is the entrance to the nursery

No, seriously...they really did do all of that!!! This team worked ridiculously hard! It was even neater to watch them go because they were an older team, and at the beginning of the week many of the team members shared that they were nervous that they wouldn't really be able to contribute very much due to disabilities or limitations, etc. But there was something for everyone, and every one of them invested 3,010% into whatever job they were given!! What an inspiration!

One of the neat things we did with this group was that for devotions each night we asked someone from the local church to come and give their testimony! Tonia, Luis, Sandy, Julio and several others shared about how the Lord called them to himself as well as how He has grown them through the challenges He has allowed in their lives. I was especially touched by Sandy's testimony as she chose to focus this time on how God has changed her life in the last two years through answering her prayers for a friend.....that just happens to be me! She and I have marveled before at how amazing the Lord is and how he has used our friendship to change both of us, but it was neat to hear her share her particular story and perspective on the last few years without it being a dialog between us! It was also neat to see how the team members took her under their wings after she shared. They were so great at encouraging her in various challenges that she shared with them that are facing her right now. I know she felt especially blessed by them!

This team not only worked hard, but they had a good time too! One night, we took them over to Tonia and Feliciano's house to have a late-night snack of fried armadillo!! This is actually a very flavor-full meat, and the team devoured what they had prepared! We also took them one night to eat tacos with our favorite taco-vendor in Pilas. They devoured those as well, and with good reason!! Then in the middle of their trip, we took them to San Blas to do the Tovara Jungle Tour and relax on the beautiful beach! What a blast this was! It was especially exciting for me because it was my first time going! I've heard so much about this experience but have never been here when the staff took a team. Sandy also went so that she could take pictures, since that is something she has wanted to take pictures of for quite a while. And she did just that! She took several hundred pictures at the Tovara and at the beach! And it was a ton of fun all around!

Arriving at the taco stand in Pilas

Enjoying the best tacos ever!

The Tovara Jungle Tour is a boat tour up a natural, fresh-water spring that runs through a Mangrove. These are the kind of trees that "walk". They grow up and then their branches shoot roots back down to the ground. Once those roots have taken root in the soil, they break off from their mother branches and become new trees. They're amazing! In addition to the mangrove, there is a crocodile farm nearby that releases the crocodiles into this fresh-water spring. This farm was started a while back because the croc population in the area was waning. So, as we boated up to the head of the spring, we saw not only beautiful varieties of birds, iguanas, and even a boa constrictor, but also CROCODILES of various sizes!! The best one was found right at the head of the spring. He was HUGE and has to be the granddaddy of all the crocs in that area!

Loading up the boats

Mangrove

We encountered these during our tour. Apparently folks used to live here, though we have no idea how long ago! Cool!

The granddaddy crock!

At the head of the spring, the tour company has created a swimming hole. Of course, they have fenced off the area so that the crocks can't enter into the swimming area, but it's always a possibility to be swimming in the water and see crocks swimming on the other side of the chain-link fence! There is a dock out in the water that attaches to the walk-way and a swing hanging from a tree for throwing yourself into the water. There are also bathrooms, tables, and a little snack bar.

The swimming hole

Sandy and I in the boat heading back to the beach

We stayed there and swam for about an hour and then headed back up to the start of the tour where we then loaded onto the bus and headed to the most beautiful beach about 1 km away from the Jungle Tour. There we stayed for several hours enjoying soda, sun, and fun in the Pacific Ocean! Sandy and I spent our time at the beach taking photos.



There were rock formations there and even an abandoned house on top of one of the rock formations. Seeing it made me think of Jesus' exhortation that we build our house on the rock and not on the sand so that when the storms come we will continue to stand strong. It is obvious that this house has seen it's share of storms, and though it's missing a roof and doors, etc. (for being abandoned), it's still there and still has a rustic beauty to it!

The house on the rock

Finally, we headed back to Cofradia for dinner and rest and a few more days of work. On Thursday, Jan 31, they headed to Puerto Vallarta for some Mexico-tourist fun before heading back to Canada and the -40 C temperatures!!! What a great team this was! I had such fun with them, and we are all so thankful that they were able to come and share in this ministry with Dave, Kathy, Pete, and Faye and to encourage the local body through their work and their conversations!

Interesting Mexican Food: Tejuino

Sandy and her Tejuino

So, living in a foreign country inevitably means having encounters with foods and drinks that I would otherwise never know existed. And of course, wanting to adapt to the culture in which I live, I generally try to keep an open mind and try things at least once, even if it doesn't look so appetizing or "normal". Well, this afternoon after church Sandy, provided me with a notable experience with a very Mexican beverage. It's called "Tejuino" (pronounced: teh-hWEENo). Here is my response....

BLECK!!!

This is a cold, iced beverage that is made from fermented tortilla dough, lime, and salt. Of course, I didn't think to ask what was in it before I tasted it or I probably would have passed on this particular experience. Oh well...live and learn. Of course, I suggest that if you ever get the chance to try this beverage that you give it a try for yourself. But, needless to say, I will never be drinking Tejuino again!

Friday, February 01, 2008

His Place: January 8-18

The His Place team came down from Washington state again this year to do construction for ten days! It's been a busy month so far. This team arrived two days after the Cy-Fair ladies, so for a week we had two teams here at the same time! Thankfully, their activities didn't overlap!

This team did so much work on the new church facility! It's looking like a totally different place than it did when the month began! They spent a lot of time pouring concrete among other things. They poured several classroom floors as well as the ceilings/2nd floors over the library and the nursery! These are the first floors poured for the second story of the education wing! They began digging the foundations for the sidewalk and worked on the grey-water pit. They ran electrical wires for different rooms and hooked them up to the fuse boxes, and they began constructing the parking area for ministry vehicles! On top of that several of the ladies on the team spent their week cleaning and painting steel trusses that will eventually form the sanctuary roof!! What hard workers these folks are! They come every year just for construction and they always amaze us!

Finishing a newly-poured floor

Digging the sidewalk foundations

Constructing the parking area

Pouring the 1st second story floors

Working on the electrical

Working on the grey-water pit

But they didn't JUST work. They had fun too! These folks love to fellowship with the local church body. Just like we do with all teams that come down, they had the opportunity eat a meal in local homes, which they look forward to every year. And of course there was the annual Arrayanes church hang-out day. Their first Sunday here, their cooks, Judy and Yvonne, made taco soup, and we took it all to Arrayanes in the afternoon to hang out with the Arrayanes church. There was lots of soccer and frisbee-throwing, lots of visiting and getting to know one another more, and of course the delicious food provided by Judy and Yvonne. This was such a relaxing afternoon and a ton of fun, but it was a precious time for friends to be together once again!


Another fun thing we did with team was take them to a rodeo in Arrayanes. This year they came earlier than normal, so the were here during the annual town party in Arrayanes, which is January 15-16. During this time, the whole town of Arrayanes takes off from work and parties. The town roasts a pig and cow, they have bands come in and host dances, there are rodeos, and lots of drinking and having fun. So, we took the team to the rodeo on January 16, the main festival day. It was a lot of fun. I must admit I'm not a big fan of the rodeo, but we all had a really good time there watching the bull-riding and dancing horses and listening to the band (which was REALLY loud)!


Then on Friday afternoon, we took the team up to Mojocuautla to visit the town and to see where Jay and Faith are now living (since this is Jay and Faith's home church). The Cy-Fair ladies accompanied us on this trip as well. It was a very sweet time, and very eye-opening for many people. I know I had my eyes opened when I saw Jay and Faith's new house. I admire them so much for what they are doing now that they've moved up to the Cora village, and seeing their living conditions just makes it more real just how much courage and faith it is requiring of them to obey this call of the Lord's, not to mention how much prayer, support, and encouragement they need from us to keep walking forward in this. Wow!

Jay and Faith's house in Mojocautla

And then at the end of the week, the final fun activity was their annual taco night. For this meal, we take the whole team and all of the locals they choose to invite (which usually ends up being much of the Arrayanes church) to Pilas (the next town over) for tacos with our favorite taco vendor! He makes the meal specially for this team, and they always end up eating a sinful amount of tacos! This year I believe they finally passed the 1,000 tacos mark!!! Yowsers! But this night is always a ton of fun, and the air is always energized by just how much people are enjoying themselves. To top it off, the churro vendor was in town, so some of us went and bought churros as well for our dessert. What a way to end the week!

All in all it was a very enjoyable week of work, fellowship, and relational ministry! The Lord has blessed us immensely through this team, and we're looking forward to having them back again the next time they come!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Who's on first?

So, I'm still reading Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, by Joanna Weaver. Last night I was reading chapter 5: "Living Room Intimacy" (as opposed to "Kitchen Service" which is the title of chapter 6 and the other side of this Mary/Martha exploration). Towards the middle of the chapter she references a Robert Boyd Munger's article "My Heart Christ's Home" (this is the one where Munger talks about how Jesus came into his heart and set up house, redecorating and cleaning out, etc.). Toward the end of her reference, she specifically cites a portion of the article concerning the Drawing Room of Munger's heart and how he would meet Jesus in there every morning for some intimate time together. But then the business of life would start crowding in until he would miss a day here, two days there, etc. Then one morning he passes by the doorway on his way out and sees Jesus sitting there waiting for him. This is the conversation that follows:
"Blessed Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?" "Yes," He said, "I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you." Then I was even more ashamed. He had been faithful in spite of my faithlessness. I asked His forgiveness and He readily forgave me... He said, "The trouble with you is this: You have been thinking of the quiet time, of the Bible study and prayer time, as a factor in your own spiritual progress, but you have forgotten that this hour means something to Me also."
What a humbling reminder this passage has been to me since reading it last night. It is so simple, yet it calls into question my entire perspective and approach to how I live for and walk with Christ. Then this morning, during my own Drawing Room time with the Lord, I was reading in My Utmost for His Highest for today, and Oswald Chambers said this about Paul (referencing Acts 26:16):
Paul was not given a message or a doctrine, he was brought into a vivid, personal, overmastering relationship to Jesus Christ...Paul was devoted to a Person, not to a cause. He was absolutely Jesus Christ's, he saw nothing else, he lived for nothing else. "For I am determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."
The verse that Chambers references in Acts 26:16 is part of Paul's speech to the governor Festus when he appeals to Caesar after being arrested. In that verse he says that when Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus, He told Paul that he had appointed him as a servant and as a witness of what he had seen of Christ and of what Christ would show him. As I meditated on all this together, it made me realize...Paul couldn't be a witness of something or someone that he didn't know. I know that seems just so obvious, but really it's much easier said than done. Just as with the conflict between being a "Mary" (sitting at Jesus feet = Living Room Intimacy) or a "Martha" (Christian activity = Kitchen Service), it's so much easier to go about a list of activities than to just sit and listen and let the activities flow from the rest. Being in a profession that is characterized by the activities and services of teaching, mentoring, serving, etc., it is SO EASY to lose grip on the personal relation part of it. There is just so much to DO, and often that busy-ness just takes over. But the Lord is calling to me from that Drawing Room door saying, "Hey! Come sit with me, talk with me, study with me. When it's time to go out and "do", I'll go with you." I find myself pleading for that....to re-learn how to sit as His feet as Mary did in that intimacy and that when it's time to serve like Martha, that we would go out together so that the intimacy and conversation will continue even through the service. Lots of food for thought!

Friday, January 18, 2008

2007 Year-End Newsletter

This actually went out in the mail with Christmas cards, but I'm too organized to post it out of chronological order. Enjoy!
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MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MEXICO!

It hit me the other day: THIS IS MY THIRD CHRISTAMS IN MÉXICO! Wow! Yet, here we are once again celebrating the birth of our Savior, and I find myself even more conscious than ever before of how desperately I need my Savior! This year has been tough, absolutely, but God promised in Isaiah 43 that the flames would not consume us nor would the storms overcome us because He is the LORD, our Savior! Micah 5 tells us He came to shepherd His own in the strength of the Lord and to BE our peace. The storms come and go, but Christ remains forever the same! Peace to you this Christmas! Peace to you this Christmas!

FULL STEAM AHEAD!

2007 has been a full year! We saw TEN short-term teams come down to reach out to the Mexican people in this area. Their activities included aerobics, open-air evangelisms, Bible study, construction, mercy ministries, VBS, an Amazing Race/Survivor event for the youth, and MORE! The creativity and passion of the teams is contagious, but it’s the relationships that change lives as the local people not only hear about Christ but are able to see Him come to life in the team members!
The youth continue to leave me speechless! This year we saw growth not only in the number of youth regularly attending the weekly youth meetings, but also in their maturity and passion to share Christ with others! This summer we inaugurated four student leaders for the first time in the history of our youth ministry! They planned and executed a one-day “welcome” camp for our new students, lead youth group studies and small group discussions, disciple younger students, and continue to dream big for the ministry!

Mentoring Sandy has been the biggest blessing in my life this year. Her growth is tremendous and I am constantly challenged by how the Lord works in her. She is one of our four student leaders, and it is constantly a treasure to have her as a partner in ministering to the other youth girls!

The local church members are also catching a fire for evangelism and outreach. They have stepped up in leadership this last year and have even begun to meet weekly in several surrounding towns to share the gospel and disciple new believers in those towns.

The growth this year has been exponential! I can’t imagine what God has in store for 2008!!!

LOOKING BEYOND THE HORIZON

In November we as a staff once again spent several days setting goals for the future. A primary goal was setting fund-raising goals for the ministry budgets currently in place. I thought I would take this opportunity to share those goals with you and ask you to pray with us for the Lord to meet these needs. For the 2008 year, our needs are:
  • Ministry Leadership: $1650
  • Church Budget: $9400
  • Property Expenses: $3600
  • Youth: $8900
  • Indigenous Ministry: $2600
  • Church Construction: $12,100
  • Radio Ministry: $3100
The grand total budget for the 2008 year is $41,350. The Lord is always faithful to provide our needs. We, however, must also continue to be faithful to seek that provision wherever we can. We face a formidable fund-raising goal. This ministry functions because of people like you who believe in the work being done and desire to partner with us in that work. Please pray about whether the Lord is calling you to become our newest partner with a one-time gift or, even better, with a monthly commitment.

Thank you for your continued prayer support! Thank you for harvesting with us!


"LOVE AND JOY COME TO YOU..."

The year has been one of adjustments. The honeymoon period has ended, and the rubber is hitting the road. The Lord has been faithful to challenge me to grow in many areas: the way I live, the way I communicate, my paradigms and methods of understanding the world around me, even my sleep schedules and concepts of work! Nothing has been left untouched.


I am learning all over again that to surrender myself to the Lord completely is to let go of my false securities and find true security in His goodness and grace. I keep thinking of Mr. Otter’s response to Lucy in The Lion, the Witch, & The Wardrobe when she asks if Aslan the lion is safe:
"Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king, I tell you."
In Christ we cannot hide anything from His gaze, and while His love for us is secure, He simply is not content to let us remain as we are because He has so much better in mind for us! It is never comfortable to let the Lord refine me, but it is GOOD, and in His goodness the Lord guards my heart in Christ’s peace.
May the Lord touch you deeply this year, and may you find true security in His goodness and grace!

HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED?

Please continue to keep me, the other staff members, the ministry, the churches, and the Mexican people in your prayers. If you are interested in being involved in any way, whether by receiving email updates, providing financial or prayer support, or perhaps visiting or bringing a team for a short-term trip, please contact me! I pray that you will get to experience the Lord’s work in Cofradía for yourself!


Praise the Lord
  • I'm almost at 100% of my budget for the coming year!
  • For raising up local leaders within the church!
  • For raising up four incredible student youth leaders!
  • For continued blessing in mentor relationships!
  • For provision in our church construction project!
Please pray for
  • Financial provision for the ministry areas currently in place. We need to raise $41,350 this year!
  • Strength and wisdom both personally and for the rest of the staff as we press onward!
  • Deeper commitment in the hearts of the youth.
  • The 2008 Short-term Mission season. The first team arrives on Jan 6, and we currently have teams booked through August!
  • Increased intimacy and devotion in my personal relationship with Christ! I want to be refined!
  • Increased intimacy and devotion in my personal relationships with Christ! I want to be refined!

December 2007 Monthly Update

Well, this update is a little late, but here it is!!
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Happy New Year!!!

Welcome to 2008! And what a year this has already started to be! January has kicked off with a bang, and December was just as eventful! Between Christmas, church events, and my sister’s visit, I had no problem staying busy. But it was a precious Christmas celebration. And as the new year began, the Lord impressed yet a further call to closeness with him and to sit at His feet enjoying His presence daily! I pray that your new year has started off well and that 2008 will be a year of continued growth and celebration of God’s work in your life.

Deck the Halls

December started off with a lot of girl fun. On December 1, I hosted the second annual Youth Girls Christmas Tree Decorating party at my apartment. Last year four girls came to help me put it all up. This year, however, I NINE girls arrived!! We had some great goodies and Christmas music as well as a DVD fireplace to create the ambiance. Just as with the girls last year, most who came had never decorated a Christmas tree. So, they had an absolute blast! In the end, my tree turned out exquisitely!! I’m not sure I’ve ever had a tree so stunning, and I’ve enjoyed sitting under it’s light this Christmas season! When the decorating was over, the girls decided to watch The Chronicles of Narnia. They really enjoyed the food, fellowship, and fun, and in the end relationships between them were deepened. If you would like to read more and see more pictures, click here .

Family and Christmas

What a special gift I was given this Christmas with the visit of my sister, Heather, from Virginia! She arrived December 22, and although our travel plans didn’t go quite as we’d hoped, we still had a safe and wonderful trip back to Cofradía from Guadalajara where she arrived. The night she arrived, we enjoyed a fun Christmas celebration with La Carpa church in Guadalajara and my friend Erika and her family! We arrived back in Cofradía on Sunday, Dec 23, just as worship was ending! And from that point on it was a full week of fun and activity. Sandy, Mily, their family in Arrayanes, Ana, and many other of my good friends all had such a wonderful time getting to know Heather and being able to spend time with my family. They were all in agreement that we look nothing alike and that Heather is a ball of fun and joy! Her presence here added a special excitement and joy for me as I introduced her to my life and my loves here in Mexico! And what a special time of year to be able to do so! I couldn’t have imagined a better Christmas gift from the Lord! Now, I just need to get the rest of my family down here! :) To read more, click here and here.


The Christmas service was a precious time of remembering and honoring the Lord and His birth! I especially enjoyed
the children’s presentations. They recited a poem and sang Away in a Manger as they did last year. However, this year they also presented a small “play” in which they shared about how we can live their lives and do our jobs for Jesus. It was truly precious and a wonderful reminder that we don’t need special gifts or talents to be able to honor and serve the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, body, and strength! Following the children’s presentation, the older kids (grades 4-6) recited a Christmas poem. On of our youth leaders has taken over this class in the last 6 months, and he did a wonderful job choosing their presentation and preparing them. They did a great job, and had a good time.


Finally, the youth presented their Christmas sketch. Julio and Mily were our two angel narrators, Cecilia and Fran
played Mary and Joseph, and Ruben was the donkey who gave Mary a piggy-back ride to Bethlehem where Martin was the inn keeper who offered his stable! Ana, Gabriela, and Chuyito were our shepherds while Goyito and Roger were sheep. And Cintia, Cheche, and Pedro played our wisemen who followed the star, played by Aide, all the way to the manger. As the play ended, the youth stayed posed in a living nativity scene as Dave came forward and led the congregation in a simple rendition of Away in a Manger. Our sketch ended with the hope that all would find rest in the peace that was promised in Christ in the prophecy of his birth in Micah 5. That seemed to be the theme for our Christmas celebration this year, or at the very least for my own Christmas celebration: resting in the peace of Christ and His promises fulfilled. :) Take a peek at my blog entry about this service!


After the service was over, Heather and I enjoyed a “Family Christmas” with Mily, Sandy, Favi and her son Joan, and Lupe and her son Angel. We enjoyed some light finger foods and desserts as well as coffee and apple cider. Then we moved into the living room where Heather and I had prepared stockings for each girl as well as 2-3 gifts that were waiting for them under the tree. It was an indescribable joy to be able to share with them some of our Christmas traditions this year, especially as they were already sharing theirs with us, and to watch their eyes light up and listen to their exclamations of joy and excitement over the small gifts that they received. They all had such fun, and it was such a privilege for Heather and I to bless them in this way. Mily received some much-needed and totally fun school supplies; Favi and Lupe received clothes for the babies as well as some pampering items for themselves; and Sandy received a pocket Bible that she has been wanting for quite some time as carrying her heavy study Bible has become cumbersome with all the traveling she does between towns. It was so much fun, and words cannot describe how my heart felt to be able to pour out on these girls that I’ve come to love as my close friends…and to share this with my sister…well, my heart was overflowing from fullness! Praise the Lord for His goodness to us!

Togetherness

The day after Christmas we began our second annual Christmas Youth Soccer Tournament! This was a huge success last year, and this year it was a ton of fun as well. Chuy and Martin (two of our student leaders) were in charge of all the planning, preparation, and execution of the tournament. They did such an amazing job taking care of every detail, and the boys who participated seemed to really enjoy themselves. It was great to see new faces on some of the teams, and we’re hoping and praying that the friendships they made on their teams will bring them to youth group in the future where they can continue to hear about the Lord and His love for them! For more reading on this event, click here and here and here.


The men of the church also held a soccer tournament during December that culminated the same day as the youth finals. So, Pastor Goyo planned a whole-church potluck picnic day for December 29, which was the day of the men’s finals and the youth finals. It was such an added bonus of excitement and fun to have all the church there to watch the games and cheer on children and husbands and friends! The woman all took care of the food, and we enjoyed a wonderful lunch of birria and rice and veggies and jamaica (to drink). At the end, awards were presented for the winning teams as well as for the most goals made during the tournament and the best goalies!


Then on December 30, Sandy and I hosted a baby shower for Favi after church. We had planned some light food items and several really fun games, and we invited the whole church as well as family and friends of Favi's who don't attend. It was an added bonus that her sisters-in-law were in town from
Tijuana visiting for the holidays, so they were able to attend as well! Our desire was to bless and encourage Favi after the baby was born during a time that can be difficult with adjustments and changes, and the Lord certainly did that! When it was all over, Favi was glowing with joy, and Sandy and I were filled to overflowing with the joy and blessing that comes from giving to others!

Happy New Year, 2008!!

On December 31, Heather and I headed back to Guadalajara to stay with my friend Erika for New Years Eve because her flight back to Virginia was the next day, January 1, 2008! Our trip was fairly uneventful and pleasant, and we had such a good time celebrating with Erika and her extended family on New Years Eve. We had a wonderful dinner of shrimp prepared several different ways with coffee and Jamaica, and we had a blast playing various kinds of card games with Erika, her brother and sister, and all her cousins! We rang in the new year with a time of prayer, and then Heather and I headed back to Erika’s house to sleep since we had to head to the airport at 5 am. On New Years Day I arrived back in Cofradía exhausted but content. This December was quite full of activity and fun and celebration, but more than that it was full of Jesus, of His joy, and of His peace! God made a promise long ago, and then He fulfilled it in Christ! Jesus lives and continues to reign on His throne. We are safe and secure in His hands, and that is cause enough for honor, celebration, and joy daily! I pray that as we continue into this new year of 2008, this will be true for you daily! Happy New Year!


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