Sandy's Challenge

Tonight at youth group Sandy gave the study/lesson. She chose to talk about the three types of man: the natural man (the unsaved), the carnal man (the saved man who lives as though he were unsaved), and the spiritual man (the saved man who grows in Christ and continues to mature spritually). Not only that but her point was that the only way to really grow and mature as Christians, to move from eating milk to eating solid spiritual food, is to dig into the Word of God and to know it, study it, love and treasure it well, constantly, and consistantly. She did a GREAT job on this lesson. At the end of the evening, as we do every week, everyone was paired up with one partner for the prayer portion of the evening. Sandy was paired up with Carla. I do not know what they prayed about or talked about, but I do know that they were together for about 15-20 minutes really dialoguing before they finally prayed. On the way to drop off the kids in Arrayanes, Sandy did tell me that they had a really great talk and prayer time!

The cool thing about this is

1. Sandy is actively reaching out to Carla. She introduced her to the youth group tonight (even though most of them are her cousins) and made sure to tell Carla that she is already a part of this group and that anytime she can or wants to attend/participate we will always welcome her and be glad to have her! This impressed me quite a bit!
2. Sandy shared with me this afternoon before youth group that she went to the church facility in Arraynes this afternoon to spend some time in prayer preparing for tonight's lesson. She thought she had been there only about a half hour, when in reality she was there praying for more than an hour. She said it was an amazing time of prayer, that she could not lift her head and was crying most of that time. She said she felt like she was holding her bared heart in her hands as it beat before the Lord. She said she went there to pray for herself, but once she started she found that the Spirit would not let her pray for herself until she first prayed for everyone else. She said she prayed for her parents, for me, for her family as a whole, and FOR CARLA, among others. I know the Lord was praparing her not only for the lesson she was about to give, but for that time with Carla! What an amazing work the Lord is doing in and among these girls...and such an obvious one up to this point!

The other thing that Sandy told me as she related the experience of this prayer time was that the Spirit would not let her pray for herself until she did one other thing, and that was to ask God a very specific question. Sandy and I are doing Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself study on the Fruit of the Spirit. This past Monday we finished up our week on Kindness and Goodness, but we talked specifically about goodness and how the Bible overwhelmingly associates "good" and "goodness" with DOING. At the end of the lesson, I gave Sandy homework: to spend this week praying and asking the Lord a very specific question: "What is it, Lord, that you now want me TO DO?" And I told her that she had one week to pray and listen to the Lord and that I knew she would have an answer from him by the following Monday. This was the question the Spirit wanted her to finally ask of the Lord before He would allow her to continue on, praying for herself for the evening ahead of her. She said the question came to mind and she knew she needed to ask Him, but she couldn't get the words out because she knew there were so many barriers and that if she asked and He answered, she just couldn't see how she could get past the barriers. The biggest barrier she said she recognized was her parents. She said she was honest with the Lord and told Him all this, and as she did she felt the Lord telling her: "Let that barrier go. That is mine to deal with, not yours. You just do what I ask of you and let me deal with all the barriers." She said as she felt Him telling her this she was finally able to ask the question, and she heard the Lord answer. And at that point she was able to move on to praying over herself for the evening's lesson.

As she was telling me all this, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Every time she tells me about an encounter she has with the Lord, it's just such a powerful one! God has great plans for this young lady's life, and He is working them out right now. He is preparing her to move forward into her own promised land right here on earth! And it is EXCITING to be here to see that work taking place. What a priveledge it is, and it's so humbling. But more than anything it just makes me want to dance...and those who know me know how little I like to dance, so that's a pretty significant thing! And all this is affecting others. She is touching lives, whether she sees that effect or not: her parents, her sisters, her brother, Carla and her family, and others in the youth group. Tonight as she talked about the three types of man, she asked the youth to think about which kind they were. As she waited for response, some of the more mature youth in the group admited that they identified themselves more with the carnal man because they lacked a consistant meaty diet of the Word. I was surprised at their open honesty in front of so many! They were hearing her, and even better, they were hearing the Lord challenging and calling them to more! And it's all for the glory of God! What an AWESOME God we serve!

Please continue to keep Sandy in your prayers as well. There is much in her immediate future as she begins to gain more photography business as well as taking on more direct leadership in the youth group. God's doing big things, and we are only scratching the surface of the fruit of that! Keep praying because the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective!

The prayer of faith...

On Wednesdays we have family groups both in Cofradia and in Arrayanes. I attend one on Wednesday in Arrayanes that is composed of primarily family members of Sandy, including the girl herself and Jay and Faith and I. Recently we've had some new attendees: Sairah and her daughter Carla (age 15), and they bring along the baby Edgar who's about 1 (their other son Juan has been attending church for some time now, though without his family). This past Sunday, they were all in church including Sairah's husband, Emiliano, and tonight Carla came for the first time to youth group!

And this is the story of how they all ended up attending various church meetings.

It seems that about a year ago, Gabriel, one of Sandy's uncle-cousins, decided to pray for three people--that God would bring them to salvation and have them start coming to church. Emiliano, Gabriel's brother, was one of them. He finally came this past Sunday, as I already mentioned, but it wasn't just out of the blue. Their baby, Edgar (about 1 year old, please note), has been a sickly child. He would daily feel bad in some capacity, whether it was sniffles, not eating, not sleeping well, running a fever, etc. Erika, Gabriel's wife and Sandy's aunt, had been trying to reach out to Sairah (while Gabriel was praying for Emiliano, her husband), and finally convinced Sairah a few weeks ago to bring Edgar to family group so that we could pray for him. She did just that, and we prayed for Edgar and then visited for a bit before heading home. The following week Carla was at a monthly youth event in Cofradia, and the week after that they were both in family group with Edgar. They have continued to come ever since. Then the whole family came to church this past Sunday--the first time.

This past Wednesday, at the end of family group, we were talking about how the way we live our lives makes a difference and ended up on the topic of prayer and its effectiveness. Sairah jumped into that conversation and talked about how for so long Erika had been trying to get her to come to church or family group but she never would. She shared about how Edgar was always so sick and she was at the end of her rope as far as how to get him better, and she finally agreed to let us pray for him that Wednesday night about a month ago. She said since that night he's been fine. He eats well, and he sleeps better. He hasn't run a fever or had cold symptoms or anything else. He's not irritable but rather is now a happy little 1-year-old, and she knows that it was because of that prayer that night. After that she decided she wanted to know this God that healed her son through prayer, and she's been coming to family group ever since. Her husband is a harder case to work on, but they did finally convince him to go to that Sunday service last week. Carla has been coming with her mom to family group, and finally was granted permission to come to youth group with us! Now Erika and Sairah together are working on Gabriel and Emiliano's mother, and both say they believe that one day, she too will know the Lord.

But God started working in this family even further back than all this because Juan who is about 12 has been in Faith's Sunday school class for quite some time now, attending every Sunday even without his family! Who knows what kind of a role that played in helping to bring his mom and his sister to a knowledge of the Lord. Please keep this family in your prayers: Emiliano and Sairah, Carla (15), Juan (12), and Edgar (1).

And it gets even cooler! Carla has been very open and friendly to Sandy and Mili and I for some time...well, in regards to church stuff. Granted, Carla is Sandy and Mili's cousin, and for that reason has always been on good terms with them, but I have never noticed that they were ever really engaging in making it more of a friendship or that the girls were actively trying to reach out to her. But they have certainly played a part in Carla's drawing closer to the church over the last month, and I'm encouraged to see how Sandy reaches out to her very actively now.

April Update

Happy May!!

It continues to get hotter here in Mexico. I hope you’re enjoying beautiful spring weather! April started off with a team from Southside Christian Church in Spokane, Washington. This was their fourth year coming to Cofradía, and their outreach consisted of an exciting VBS Kids Club that included relay games, dramas, music, and crafts. The local kids seemed to have a wonderful time, and it was very cool to walk around and help translate for the group leaders as they not only led their crafts but also conversed with the kids in their groups and got to know them better individually. And of course, every day after Kids Club was over, there was a ton of tag games and swinging and shouts of laughter as the Southside youth and the Cofradía kids played together and enjoyed each other.

The Days of Youth

Ecclesiastes 11:9 says, “Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.” This was one of our goals in April as we canceled our youth meeting in the middle of the month and arranged a day at the beach for the youth of Cofradía, Santa Fe, and Arrayanes. It was such a fun time to play together and just relax and ENJOY ourselves. We have such a great group of fun teens in our youth group, and it was a priceless time of celebrating that fun-ness as we discovered live sea creatures, dug mud Jacuzzis, walked on the beach, ate great food in the shade, and of course enjoyed the Pacific Ocean! I have posted about this day on my blog and included pictures there. If you get a chance, please take some time to read all about it.

In our youth meetings we’ve been talking about having vision in life drawing from material presented in Chazown: A Different Way to See Your Life by Craig Groeschel. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision the people perish.” The main point of this study has been that the Lord has a vision for each of our lives, and knowing that, we are faced with a decision: we can either live stumbling through each day and arrive at the end of our lives with regret that we did not do more in life, or we can live on purpose keeping the end in mind and taking full advantage of each day that God has given us to fulfill the purpose that He has designed for us. We have talked about the need for vision in our lives, having an ear to hear the voice of the Lord as He directs us towards knowledge and completion of that vision, and finally three areas that can help us in discerning the Lord’s vision for us: core values, spiritual gifts, and past experiences that God wants to use. The youth have responded very well to this study and we have had some really great discussions. It’s great to see them thinking about these things and seeking to understand what it is that God has for them. We have encouraged them to dream and to dream BIG, an activity that is very dangerous for one trying to avoid disappointment. But they are responding and even sharing their dreams, many of which include serving the Lord somewhat vocationally: starting leadership schools, being youth leaders, missionary work, charity work, etc. The Lord is working great things in the hearts of these young people…

…including leadership! In April Julio (on the right in the pic above) gave the lesson at youth group one week. He spoke on respecting our leaders, and it was a stellar lesson. The kids not only listened to him, but they participated in answering questions, discussions, and even by asking questions of their own on the issue. At the end of the evening Julio provided a time for the youth that were present to thank us as leaders (that were present) for our leadership and investment in their lives, or if they needed to ask forgiveness or discuss something with us then they were free to do that as well. It was a really neat time, and even more so because it was led by one of their own! It was truly a blessing to be present for that!

Mentor Gazette

Sandy has also expressed an interest in taking on more of a leadership role with the youth. We have asked her to give the lesson in two weeks, May 25. She is in the process of deciding what to share/teach, and I’m excited about the potential that some of her ideas contain. In addition, we have talked with her very briefly about the possibility of making her a student leader next year for the whole year! This would include being part of the staff for our CHALLENGE event in September as well as possibly teaching on a regular basis in our Friday night youth meetings. She is very excited about this idea and looks forward to having that challenge in her life. She shared in a testimony at youth group recently that the passion in her heart is to share with others, especially youth, what the Lord has taught her and in that way to lead others to an understanding of the abundant life that we can have in Christ when we don’t just play around with Him but commit to a serious and life-encompassing relationship with Him.

Sandy and I have been doing the Beth Moore Bible study Living Beyond Yourself since my return to Cofradía in March, which is a study on the fruit of the Spirit. As we brain-stormed recently about possible ideas for her upcoming teaching (May 25), I asked her what has impacted her the most recently that the Lord is teaching her, impacted her in such a way that she senses in her heart that it’s something others need to hear or learn as well. Her answer was this study. “It has turned her perspective on life in Christ upside down,” she told me. “I always knew about the fruit of the Spirit, but studying each one like this has made me realize that I really didn’t know what they were and I didn’t even realize it. It’s like I didn’t know I was blind until my eyes were opened and I finally found out what it’s like to actually see.”

In addition to our studies, Sandy is trying to start earning money doing something she loves: photography. From the first time she picked up my camera in October she has been in love with taking pictures. Best of all, she’s pretty good at it, even without having a clue as to what she’s doing! You all have seen her work quite frequently, since almost all of the pictures I end up using on my blog or in newsletters have been ones she has taken. I recently bought a printer that she will be able to use (with some contribution toward paper and ink), and this week she had her first two photography “gigs”: the Mother’s Day celebration at the school in Arrayanes (May 10 in Mexico), and at an infant baptism for a family in her town. Not only that but there are also folks in Cofradía and Santa Fe who have heard that she is beginning to offer her services and have requested that she come and take pictures of their families or children. The response has been very promising, and we’re looking forward to how the Lord will develop this opportunity for her. In addition, we are considering printing some of her pictures to sell while I’m home in this summer in the states. If you would like to see her work, please check out the album on my photosite at: http://foreveramber.photosite.com/ThePhotographerInside/. Let us know what you think! She welcomes all suggestions, opinions, and instructions. I’m encouraged daily as I think about all the Lord has done and continues to do in Sandy as she continues to earnestly seek His face. Please continue to keep her and her family in your prayers.

Forward Thinking…

I’m beginning to think and plan for my trip home this summer/fall. My reservations are made, and I will returning home August 17 and will stay until the middle of October!!! I know that it’s numerous months away, but I’m already excited about having so much time to spend time with as many of you as humanly possible! I’m also thinking forward to fundraising during that time. I still need to raise the last 15% of my budget. In addition we have some exciting ministries going on in the church including our radio ministry and continued construction on the central church facility. Please be praying that the Lord would give me wisdom in planning and preparing for those precious two months, and that I would be sensitive to His guidance!

Reading Rainbow...

So, I've been reading a lot recently...ok, so not a lot in comparison to what "a lot" has looked like in my life in regards to reading, but it's a lot for being in Mexico. Usually I can't stand reading anything other than fiction and at any time other than just before bed because I spend so much time alone here in Mexico, that I can handle the quiet I need to concentrate on what I'm reading. But recently I put myself to reading some C. S. Lewis. In the past I've steered fairly clear of him. Other than The Screwtape Letters (which I read freshmen year of college and found fairly easy to understand) and The Chronicles of Narnia (which I read for the first time last year), I have never read much of his stuff because every time I tried, I couldn't wrap my mind around a word he said, and I finally just put it down out of frustration. But I'm realizing that there are some things that one should just fight to read in life, and Lewis is high on my personal list of those people.

I read The Great Divorce before my trip home in February, and I had difficulty with that one. I think I need to do some other reading first, or so I'm told by a friend of mine who is an amateur Lewis scholar (yup, that's you Beth!). Then a couple of months ago I started Mere Christianity, and I'm finding that I really like it! He has such a simple way of explaining some pretty complex concepts, and his perspective provides such a fresh perspective that it's like a breath of fresh air in some ways. And it's SUCH an easy read! So, far, I'm really enjoying the read, and I highly recommend it. I'll probably read it again more closely and underline and highlight things, but for now I'm enjoying just getting to know Mr. Lewis a little bit and his wonderful freshnocity!

I also have The Screwtape Letters to read again, and more closely, since when I read it the first time in Intro to Christian Theology I could have cared less. The Four Loves is also in my stack of Lewis books, which is one that deterred me many years ago. However, I'm willing to give it another go!

At the same time as Mr. Lewis, I've been re-reading a small book called Jewish Insights into the New Testament by Barbara Richmond. She is a Bible teacher from Florida who is also a Messianic Jew. According to the forward, this book was published from information that an Hassidic Jewish man gave her in the old city of Jerusalem when she was there as a guide once. Apparantly this man approached her and told her that Yeshua told him to find her that day and tell her his story: that he and about 40 other Hassidic Jewish men had come to know that Yeshua was the Messiah and that they had been studying the New Testament together in secret since He had not yet revealed to them that it was time to reveal their faith in Christ. All of this was a very rare experience for her since apparantly Hassicid Jews will not speak to women in public. In the end, he found out what she does and offered her his notes from their studies, and those notes contained insights into fairly well-known passages of the New Testament that only someone coming from the Jewish culture would know. It is a very thing book and very interesting. Some of the notes that she chose to publish in this book provide very interesting perspectives on stories such as the meeting between Christ and the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, the story of Blind Bartamaeus, and the story of what Peter and John found they went to the empty tomb after hearing that Christ had risen. There are several other passages that she explores, but it's an easy and very interesting read. I recommend it.

Next on my list is a book called Spiritual Mothering. It's a look at discipleship/mentoring relationships as modeled after Titus 2, and as far as I can tell it is directed specifically to women. This book was given to me by my InterVarsity staff worker several years ago, but I never ended up reading it. I've been in discipleship relationships since she gave me that book, and I'm sure it could have helped me, but for some reason it just never called to me. However, I find myself in a quandry here in Mexico with the young ladies of our youth group. That quandry has to do with trying to disciple people who don't open up to me. However, I've noticed that the younger girls open right up to Mili and Sandy, who are very open with me. So, I'm starting to think that one strategy that I need to start implementing is training Mili and Sandy to disciple other girls, and well, while I seem to have a handle on discipling others (though let's face it I'm sure I could use some help as well!), I have no handle on training someone else to do it. So, this is the first step in trying to put together some sort of strategy in this aspect of ministering to the girls in this area: reading Spiritual Mothering. I'll let you know what I think about it once I've read it.

In the meantime, I've started reading the minor prophets in my morning quiet time. Every morning over breakfast and coffee I spend time reading in the Word and soaking it in, and then I have some pretty significant prayer time. I have truly come to treasure that time, and I miss it dreadfully if I don't have it or if I only do it out of habbit rather than truly engaging my heart in it. I started with Hosea, a book I've read many times before and continue to love. Yesterday I finished Joel, and found myself stuck on a passage in Joel 2:

"I will repay you the years the locusts have eaten -- the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm -- my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed." (2:25-27)

I was captured by the part where God describes the different kind of locusts and then calls them the army that HE sent. Later on he says they will praise Him for the wonders He has worked through that restoration of all that was lost as a result of the judgement that He himself sent upon them! Some might read something like that and claim that it's evidence for how fickle and manipulative God is. I read this passage and I am comforted by the truth that our God Almighty cares about us enough to discipline us. But he doesn't just discipline us like our parents did: I know mine would spank me when I deserved it, let the punishment sink in, and then discuss what happened and comfort and hug me and reassure me of their love. The Lord "spanks" us for sure, but he doesn't end the restoration with a little comfort and a hug. No way. Our God disciplines us, and then He doesn't just restore to us what was lost during that discipline but He works wonders that cause us to turn around and praise Him! And the end goal? That we would know that He is God and there is no other and that His people would never again be shamed. What an awesome God we serve! It's all for His glory, but He includes us in that glory! He shares it with us and all shame falls away.

Peace...

Ok, so I don't remember if I mentioned before but I'm doing a Bible study by Beth Moore called Living Beyond Yourself. It's a study of the Fruit of the Spirit, and it's REALLY good. However, I'm doing it twice simultaneously, in English with the staff ladies and in Spanish with Sandy, so this stuff is really hitting and sinking in. The odd thing is that it's sinking in more after doing it in Spanish than when I do it first in Spanish.

Anyway, we just finished studying peace, and that study really affected me, especially given certain situations that we have been dealing with in regards to one of our youth. It has been a difficult process, and the Lord has been teaching me a lot about resting in His sovereignty instead of in my own ability to affect things and people, especially when they do not respond to my counsel or influence. And He's been teaching me a lot about continuing to love people even when I'm not in agreement with them. In the midst of all this, though, there was this study of peace. Here's what I wrote in my post this week on our staff intranet:

So, I've just finished a couple of weeks of studying peace in this study on the fruit of the Spirit (Living Beyond Yourself). I think what has stuck with me the most and really has me thinking is that the peace of Christ that we are gifted (John 14:27) accompanies the authority of Christ (Is. 9:6-7). That puts a whole new spin on peace somehow: that instead of seeking peace, we ought to be seeking out and yeilding ourselves to the authoriday of Christ. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit that has been important to me for quite some time, but this new perspective has completely uprooted my understanding of what it is, and yet at the same time it has finally given that understanding some sort of solid form. It sure does have me re-evaluating a lot of things, though.

This week we're starting in on Patience, and so far we've looked at one of two greek words for patience, one that translates most commonly as "perseverance" or "endurance". The most striking point that she made in relation to this particular type of patience is that it is inspired by hope, and in the greek the word for greek means a hope that is expecting to see the results it's hoping for. She pointed out that very often when we talk about hope today we talk about something we that might happen but there's still doubt in our mind and we remain somewhat skeptical until we can know that it has happened. But hope in the greek is when we expect to see that hope become reality--no doubt about it. I was really challenged by this, especially following on the heels of peace and how it accompanies the authority of Christ. In the face of difficult situations or relationships we often find ourselves having to be patient in the sense of persevering or enduring with the hope of the resolution. But the resolution comes when we yeild ourselves to the authority of Christ and allow Him to work in those circumstances or relationships. It's when I put my HOPE in the authority of Christ that I find the peace that passes all understanding and nurtures a patience in me that pushes me to endure whatever is going on for the resolution that God has in store. It's amazing how it all works together like that....

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
~Romans 8:28

Dry Season

Well, here in Mexico we are definitely in the middle of the dry season! No rain...for MONTHS..not a drop! It's so weird for this Virginia girl to NOT have rain in April and yet still see trees blooming. In fact, things are so dry and brown here at this time of the year that when the trees do start turning a vivid green, it is even more vivid sitting next to dried out brush! It's hot and dry and dusty, but the rains are on their way--June. It's not that far away, and that will be a new experience for me. Hot and humid at all times, but rain! I'm excited to see it for myself!Anyway, the other day Sandy and I went out on the road between Cofradia and Arrayanes so that she could take pictures of the green that is coming out right now in the midst of this dryness. I thought I would post some. Enjoy!

As you can see, the green is coming out! It's something that happens pretty suddenly: one day it's all brown as you can see close to the ground, and the next day there's a canopy of the most lucious, verdant green!!

This pic (above) doesn't show much green, but it captures a bush that is covered in white (just over their right shoulders), and the pic below this comments is a close-up of that bush. She said she didn't try to get the pic to come out this way...just shot the shot, and look what came out! Ironically, almost all of the best pics she takes have the same history: "I wasn't trying, I just took a picture!"

This is the kind of dryness that typifies the dry season!

Again, more of the green canopy!

Being in black and white, this doesn't show the green, but it's a close-up of the same boys biking it in the pic above it. It has that 1950's childhood kind of feel to it!

These were the only two blooms on the bush, and none of the other bushes around it had any blooms. The leaves on this bush crumbled in Sandy's hands, and yet somehow it had these two beautiful bright yellow blooms!

This was the last pic she took that day. This is the baseball field at the entrance to Arrayanes. If you look closely, you can see a kneeling, praying angel in the clouds there over the field. I love this pic! The angles are praying with us for this town!

Conviction

Pastor Goyo has been doing a series the last couple Sundays on conviction, and he's been drawing from John 16:5-16, specifically where Jesus tells the disciples that when the Holy Spirit comes, "he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgement" (v. 8). Both times he started the sermons saying that he was not going to focus so much on the part about conviction of sin because as followers of Christ, as His Church, we have already received conviction of sin and are therefore now just and righteous through the blood of Christ.

Last week he pointed out that very often we as believers go around calling ourselves sinners when in fact Scripture says we are now righteous saints, a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9). Then today, we had communion and he referenced Paul's rebuke to the Corinthians for not taking the communion seriously, not respecting it and regarding it as holy. Basically, for approaching the elements with a sinful attitude. He said today that for us, the just and righteous (in Christ's blood), to come to the table calling ourselves sinners, what we're in fact doing is not taking God at His Word, and that is part of that sin of not respecting what Christ did for us, or treating that sacrifice irreverently.

Both weeks, I found myself convicted (go figure!) concerning just these tid bits of the sermon. Last week I found myself thinking about his statement that we call ourselves sinners when in fact we are now the Just, and I asked msyelf why I do that. Because it's true: I do do that! And the answer I came up with was that I'm giving myself an easy out for when I fail (lower expectations) and an excuse for my laziness. Because if I were to keep in my conscious mind that I am now just before the Lord Almighty, I'm convinced that there are many things I would live and do differently. Yet, I continue to walk around with this mistaken, yet automatic, mentality that I'm a sinner, and the end result is that I trick myself into living as such, I convince myself back into the sin of unbelief.

Now the issue is how do I take these things captive and make them submissive to Christ? What does that look like, and what changes does it require of me both in my way of thinking as well as in my actions? These are questions for which I do not yet have answers, but it is a joyous thing to know that in the midst of conviction of sin, I can take comfort in the fact that my God is so merciful and gracious that He never gives up on me even when it's the same thing over and over again! What a great God we serve!

Footprints...

So, last week there was a youth retreat in Tepic, hosted by our mother church La Fuente. However, none of our youth were able to go. We decided to take Friday off and cancel youth group, and on Saturday we took them all to the beach! We had 5 leaders, 10 youth, and 4 children. It was a ton of fun! We went to Playa Novillero; it's about 2 hours away, and we got to drive on the new toll road for part of the way! It was very exciting. Some played sports on the beach or dug holes. The kids played in the water and with their sand toys. Sandy, Mili, and I had a good time talking and walking on the beach for the while, and then most of the youth ended up in the water. Since I'm not a big swimming fan, I didn't go in, but it was so much fun to watch them having such fun!

Ruben even found a couple of live crabs in the water and it was cool to see him get them to fight a little bit, despite the pain of having them latch on to his finger! Mirna found a live starfish, and we watched it walk! I've never seen a live one in person. Some of the guys dug a huge whole in the sand, filled it with water, and called it their "jacuzzi"!! It was hillarious to see them just hanging out in their mud whole as though it were a relaxing jacuzzi!!!

And of course there was food and shade! Many of us cooperated and provided different aspects of the eating portion of the day. I was to provide sodas. Pola made cebiche (pronounced "say-bee-chay"), which is this sort of shrimp salad type of thing, and we ate it on tostadas. Of course, the Mexicans like to put lime, salt, and chile on it as well. Regardless, it's VERY tasty!

And of course the camera was present as always, and almost all of the pictures were taken by Sandy. So, enjoy the pics! Yea for fun in the sun!!!

Playa Novillero (Novillero Beach)

Shade, food, and good company--three important ingredients for a great day at the beach!

The lovely Cecilia. She just turned 13 in March.

Miss Mirna, cousin of Mili and Sandy, and part of our youth group as of her 13th birthday in February!

We came upon this boat in our walking, and Sandy wanted to take a pic of it with Mili and I in it. We refused to climb in, but we stood by it anyway. This is Sandy's favorite because of the reflection in the sand.

The cold cocanut guy! There were numerous carts like this.

One of he crabs that Ruben found while swimming.

It's alive! You can see the starfish's feet suctioning to the table!

(L-R) Julio, Riki, and Goyito enjoying their mud jacuzzi. These three are our pastor's three youngest.

Pola and Julizza (on the right) and Isabel and Josue (on the left) enjoying the beach. Pola is Mirna's mom and Julizza her younger sister.

An apple a day...

...keeps the doctor away, or so I'm told. I don't know if that's true, but I recently had my first personal encounter with the Mexican health care system. I've heard from others on the staff about how the medical staff in this area isn't quite up to parr and about how local hospitals don't really pay much attention to you when you go to the ER or something, so I was a little nervous. But I had to see the doctor because nothing I was doing on my own was working to treat the health issue. So, I walked across the street to the clinic, made an appointment, and then later that afternoon went for my exam. The doctor was very cordial, but in the end his diagnosis left much to be desired. I went for some blistering in my mouth that will not go away and is very painful. It looks like thrush, yet he told me that I have a bacterial infection caused by fillings in my teeth that have been there for almost two years. Now, maybe that's possible, but I've never heard of such a thing. I took the medicine anyway...WHICH WAS FREE...and went home to talk with a missionary nurse that I know. I ended up going with different medical advice, and have started treatment, but I thought I'd just take a moment to share what I know about healthcare here.

It's quite interesting because these doctors and nurses have been to medical school, but it never occurred to me that they would be taught something other than what I have always understood to be medical science. Our understanding is that medical science is not a subjective thing. It just is what it is; doctors learn it and treat their patients accordingly. I had never thought that medical science could say one thing in one country and something very different in another. Yet, that is what I keep encountering when people I know get sick and relate to me what their doctors diagnosed them with! For example, a friend of mine got sick last October with something like a sinus infection. She went to the doctor and they gave her like 10 injections to give heself to treat it. However, what blew my mind was how they told her she contracted it: they said that it happened because she had been working in the watermelon fields so her body was heated up from the work and the sun, and then she went home and opened the refridgerator and the extreme change in temperature is what caused her to get sick. I'm sure your reaction is the same as mine was, but you'll have to let me know. I hear similar things quite frequently. Some of it to me seems a little superstitious or akin to old wives tales, but I'm not a doctor, so who am I to say for certain? But it's certainly taking some serious redecorating of my mental file cabinet to wrap my mind around the idea that what is medical fact in the US isn't necessarily medical fact in Mexico.

Anyway, one of the nice things about Mexico is that you do not have to have a prescription to get medication! You just go to the pharmacy and tell them what you want, pay for it, and go home! This means that although the clinic gave me meds according to what the doctor prescribed (an antibiotic), I can go to any pharmacy and get something totally different no questions asked. So, that's what I've done. We shall see how it all turns out. The other nice thing about Mexico is that if they prescribe you meds at the clinic, you get them there for free. But if you buy meds at a pharmacy, they are not expensive at all! In addition to that my entire doctor's appointment, free meds and all, cost me a whopping $2.80 USD!!! Now how's THAT for affordable healthcare! And that's without health insurance. For the local people, if they have health insurance, it's FREE!!

Here's another illustration of the overwhelming difference in medical costs between here and the US. One of our staff couples is expecting a baby, and they recently went to Tepic to find a hospital for the birth. They figured out that in the states, if they were to end up with a C-Section birth which is more expensive, without health insurance, they would spend a total of $22,000 including all the pre-natal care. Here in Tepic at the most expensive hospital in town, even if they were to have a C-Section, it would cost them a total of $750 USD. That is, however, in additoin to the cost of her doctor visits which cost a whopping $50 TOTAL each time, without insurance!! I don't know how they run their healthcare system here, but I'm thinking we might be able to learn a little something from this affordability!

Mexico never fails to keep me guessing, but for now my dinner awaits! And it's off to the beach tomorrow with our youth group! May you have a blessed weekend!

Menos Macho..

So, living in Mexico has its bonuses and its downsides. One of the things that drives me crazy about living in this culture is how men treat women. In the states there's always this abstract concept--perhaps more abstract for some than for others--that there are indeed men who objectify women, but for the most part I myself have never REALLY had to deal with this. Even if there were men walking down the street who passed me and made comments, they did so in a way that never made me aware that they were doing so. Perhaps part of that equation is my own naivte or obliviousness. Regardless, that aspect of male-female interactions was never really an issue for me before.

That is not the case here. In Mexico, it is just normal for a girl to walk down the street and be cat-called or whisteled at or some such response by men on the street. Some girls like it, others don't, but it's just part of life here, so those who don't like it just go on their merry way ignoring these guys.

On top of that, male-female interactions in Mexico are very different in other ways. For example many would consider it flirtatious for a girl to look a guy directly in the eye...at least here where I am. Perhaps it's not so in the city, but in the country, that can illicit flirtatious behavior from a guy.

Anyway, the point of this discourse is that for the most part, I ignore the male popluation here in Cofradia unless they are part of the youth group (and then I don't interact much outside of youth group) or married to a woman whom I have befriended. Yet, ignoring the male population does not seem to help free me from being cat-called on every other corner and whistled at by the guys across the street or the truck driving by, etc. I honestly despise that part of this culture, but I have learned to just ignore it and keep walking. Yet, I have also learned not to expect respectful interaction from men.

Sunday, however, after returning to Cofradia from the church service in Arrayanes, I headed over to Jay and Faith's to borrow a movie. I drove over with them in their truck, but then I had to walk all the way back to the base which is on the other side of town (12 blocks away). It was a lovely evening, so I just meandered my way down the street enjoying the sunset and the cool evening air. The street was pretty empty for the most part, but at one point a man passed me on his bicycle. I kept my eyes down and on the road and didn't really acknowledge him, but as he passed he greeted me cordially: "buenas tardes." I was shocked out of my mind, but I somehow managed to remember to greet him back as I kept walking. Not very many steps later, a younger man, probably around my age, passed me in the street on horseback (yes, that's a common mode of transportation here!). I had even LESS intention of looking at or acknowledging a man in my own age range, so I kept my eyes down and kept walking. Yet, he too greeted me quite cordially: "buenas tardes." I looked at him and greeted back and kept walking, but I found myself stunned. In a matter of a few minutes, TWO men had greeted me so nicely, so politely...so NORMALLY...as though I were a person and not just their eye candy. I believe this was the first time this had happened like this with complete strangers! And it was very pleasant!

I related this story to a couple of my Mexican women friends, Antonia and Sandy. Sandy told me that a similar thing had happened to her and her aunt Erica a couple of days before. That they had been walking somewhere and a teen boy cat-called then and greeted them as they expected. They ignored him and kept walking only to be passed immediately by an older man who greeted them politely with "buenas tardes." They greeted this man back, and the youth guy noticed that they ignored him but greeted the man who treated them with respect, and it caused him to shut his mouth.

Antonia made an interesting comment to me. She said, "Ya know Amber, it's true. Even though we don't believe it, there are still a few men who treat women with respect. I just wish that there were more like that." My friend Ruth, who teaches English in South Korea, recently blogged about a similar experience. Check out what happened to her and how she chose to respond!

Please pray for the men of this culture. Their culture is so rich and vibrant, but it could be even richer if they only knew what they were missing out on by not treasuring their women!

Southside

Well, we just had our final spring team, Southside Christian Church, finish up their ministry in Cofradia and head back home to Washington. They are from Spokane, and they were one of the three teams that came last year during my first three months in Mexico. Truthfully, it was because of how much I enjoyed the time I spent with this team last year, that I decided I wanted to be Short-Term Missions Coordinator when I returned to work here full-time. This church has a great bunch of youth, and they put together a stellar team every year. They are creative and full of energy, and that affects people! We had another great time this year.

Just like last year they did a Kids Club VBS in the afternoons and did construction at the new church facility in the mornings. But we started their trip off differently than last year. This year, on Sunday after church, they took a sightseeing trip to the Penas Mountain, returned for dinner, and then we took them to Arrayanes for a worship experience. It was a really neat experience not just for them but for me as well. We started off with some worship, and then Jay and Steve (who were leading the evening) explained the different stations and put music on and let them go at it. Basically the purpose was to allow the kids to worship in whatever way they could and creatively. There were stations for molding playdough, finger painting, drawing, writing sins in the sand as confession and then erasing it to symbolize their forgiveness, writing letters to God, a prayer wall where they could write names of people they know and love that they are praying will come to know Christ, and a music video station where they could just sit and worship before the Lord in music. It was a really cool experience, and I think it definitely helped set a correct tone for starting their week of ministry.

As for the construction aspect of their trip, this team (like Cy-Fair) had the added bonus that they were here last year to help start the construction on this facility. Last year, this team helped finish pouring the foundations for the property walls, and they made re-bar cages for the beams that support the walls. But at that time the facility was still just a piece of land that still didn't have a wall built. This year, they came back to find the property walls built to 2/3 their final height; a sanctuary floor (larger than a colegiate basketball court) completely poured and finished; a finished sanctuary platform with storage rooms on either side; and the property secured by a ginormous iron gate painted brown and ORANGE! :) I took them down to see the property on Sunday morning before the service started (the morning after they arrived), and as they approached the property, they saw the walls and their mouths just started dropping. The best part was when they walked inside though and saw all that the Lord has accomplished in this humongous project just in the last year! It truly is incredible. They couldn't believe it! The great thing is that this year in their construction work, they began digging and pouring foundations for the education wing, and especially the library. Not only that, but they were able to finish the foundations of the libarary, pour its floor, and start work on the brick walls! They worked hard, and they got a lot accomplished. It will be neat to see how far we are next year when they come back!

The Library

The Education Wing

For the Kids Club VBS activities, their theme was being the salt and light of the world. Each day they started off with some fun games for the kids, and some songs.

Day 1: Four-legged race.

Day 2: Hippity-Hop relay race



Day 3: Balloon-Stomping

Day 4: Balloon Toss
and...
Huge Balloon Relay. Some of these balloons were almost bigger than the kids carrying them!


This is a video of the kids singing "Jesus Loves Me" for song time

Then they moved into a drama that they had prepared for the Bible story of the day. Then finally, their pastor gave the short lesson and explained the craft they would be doing that was related to their story.

Day 1: Faith Like a Mustard Seed

Day 1 Craft: Seedling Planters

Day 2: The Sower and the Scattered Seed (this is the good seed)


Day 2 Craft: Coloring the different seed scenarios and gluing on stuff to decorate them

Day 3: Being Salt and Light

Day 3 Craft: Salt and Light of the World

Day 4: Fishers of Men

Day 4 Craft: A fishing game
They colored the fish and attached paper clips to each. They each got ten and then could try and hook them using other fish and their hooks!

The kids seemed to enjoy the activities and kept coming back each day. When everything was over, the youth on the team would just play with the kids in their groups. Some would chase them, some played on the swing set. Others played games with the hippity-hops. The greatest things was seeing the kids having fun with the youth. These youth know how to play, and the kids here appreciate and remember that. It was a really neat time, and I know the Lord used it!

At the end of their trip, they headed back to Puerto Vallarta. Last year they flew through Mazatlan, and I was blessed to be able to go with them for their last night in the country. This year they came through Puerto Vallarata, and again I had the chance to go with them. It was cool cuz I had not yet had the chance to go to PV, so this was a new experience for me. We stayed at a hotel in the Romantic Zone, which was a very "interesting" experience for sure. But it was a very beautiful part of town, built on these steep hills. It had this old-town, antique feel to it, and was just very beautiful. The hotel was also beautiful and right on the beach. The room I was in with two of the youth girls had a balcony overlooking the beach and the ocean, so we got to sleep to the sounds of the ocean waves! There's nothing better than that, for sure!

The Tropicana Hotel, Puerto Vallarta

The view from my balcony!

Built into the hills..reminds me of pictures I've seen of Greece!

For their team banquet we took them to a restraunt called the Brazil. It was INCREDIBLE! This place is basically a meat/steak-house. You come in and sit down and they bring you about 10 different kinds of meat prepared in various styles, along with other side dishes and cold salads, and wonderfully delectable food! And let me tell you, these kids ATE! But everyone had a REALLY good time at the restaurant and in just hanging out on the beach or shopping in town. It was a great time with the team from Southside, and we're looking forward to their return next year!

The meat fest at the Brazil

Back there in the corner, you can see how they served us the meat--they just went plate to plate!

It is such a special thing to be able to build these long-term relationships with the teams that come down every year. They have such unique opportunities to minister because they build lasting and ongoing relationships with the people here, and it's neat to see how the Lord works through that regardless of the distance and the time. It doesn't matter that the people here don't see or speak to them for a year at a time. When they return, they are old friends! That is a very special gift from the Lord, and I'm looking forward to seeing how He uses those gifts He pours down on us to further His Kingdom in this area!

Meandering Thoughts...

So the past couple of days I've been dealing with some worrying. Now I wouldn't say that I'm a worry wort, but I definitely deal with my fair share. In the past couple of days the Lord has really been convicting me of this, of how it is the absence of living in the Spirit and relying on the strength and sovereignty of God in all things.

As I was preparing Bible study for mentor-time today, I needed to find those verses in Hebrews that talk about how Christ was made in every way just like us and was tempted with every temptation that is common to man (1 Cor 10:13), and yet was without sin (Heb 2:14-18; 4:15). I started wondering if Jesus was every tempted to worry. Those verses say that He experienced every temptation that we as humans experience, but it just seems preposterous to me to think that Jesus, who was and is part of the Trinity and therefore one with God the Father and therefore is also completely omnicient knowing the end from the beginning and everything in between and how it has, is, and will continue to all play out--it seems preposterous to me to imagine HIM, already knowing it all, to be tempted to worry. Now I know that He did NOT worry, or that would have been sin, but what about that temptation.

Sadly, as I pondered that mystery I did not receive any glorious or insightful revelations to answer my deep philosophical questions of God. However, I was reminded that He indeed knows it all from before the beginning to after the end. He is familiar with it all, as I was reminded while preparing Bible study for today. He has a file for everything that I will ever encounter, and HIS SPIRIT is living inside of me! All of that is inside of me through the prsence of His Spirit...what need have I to worry?

My biggest area of worry is the lives of other people. How ironic is that! Maybe it's not. But ya know, if I can trust in the Lord for myself, then I should certainly be able to trust in Him for the well being of others, especially if they too are believers. All of that which is in me is in them as well, and He loves them no less than He loves me! If you ask me, that's cause to rejoice if ever there was one!

Thank the Lord for His wonderful care and provision and omnipotence!! Nothing surprises Him and nothing ever will! The great thing is that as I came to these conclusions, even just this morning, I continued to ponder them on my way to mentor-time with Sandy. Before we jumped into our study for another week, she shared how God had spoken to her this morning as clearly as possible without actually appearing physically before her concerning some unclear opportunity that she was facing. I was left in awe once again at how amazing our God is, because as I was praying over this stuff and offering up my worry and seeking to trust in Him once again, there He was making things extremely clear to her!! He didn't have to allow me to know about that, but He did, and the joy abounds as a result! How awesome is our God!!