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People have asked me (Dave) as we have been on the road visiting churches, “What is the most difficult problem facing the Mexican church today?” To that question I have always answered this way: “The greatest problem of the Mexican church, and the church worldwide is inertia.”
Now I understand that a word like inertia may stir up memories of tenth grade physics class, but give me a minute to explain.
When it comes to momentum, inertia can be described as the tendency of an object at rest to remain at rest. My old friend Gilbert could explain it best. He would sit in his chair after a long day working in the Evangel University Chapel and deadpan, “I suffer from dropsy and heart failure. I’ve dropped down and don’t have the heart to get up!”
As a church, we can tend toward this negative aspect of inertia. In this day and age, we often look to the church as a type of refuge, a place to rest. While this is true, an over emphasis of this one aspect can lead to negative effects. We can get so used to sitting in the pew that we lose our heart to get back up to meaningfully engage the culture.
But we don’t need to be stuck in a state of inactivity. Inertia can also be described as the tendency of an object in motion to remain in motion. The New Testament church is a clear example. Although certainly given to times of teaching and fellowship, their compassionate involvement in the community led to the Lord adding to their number daily those who were being saved. Success led to success. By the end of the book of Acts, Christianity was being preached and disciples were being made in the heart of the pagan Roman Empire.
But how do we return to Acts 2? How do we get to the positive side of inertia? It’s certainly more complicated than simply starting over. I believe that it is two-fold. First, it requires proclamation. A call must go out to return to the Bible, to the model of Jesus who was criticized for frequenting the homes of sinners. Second, it requires modeling, a living out of the biblical pattern. This is the vision that we feel that the Lord has given us for Mexico, to partner with the Mexican Assemblies of God, reaching, equipping, and releasing people to fulfill God’s redemptive purpose.
We proclaim as we train and equip, but we model as well, reaching out to the lost and giving opportunity to become salt and light, offering new life to others. This breathes new life into church programs that may have faltered along the way, and gives rise to new church plants that leverage positive inertia as disciples in turn make new disciples.
So inertia is the problem, but it can become the solution as well. The key is moving to the positive side. We believe we have the solution for Mexico, a solution that can be universally applied.
How about your situation? In which state of inertia would you describe it existing? How do you feel that the Lord would have you to keep the positive going, or to turn around a negative situation?
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Since we’ve been back from the field I would say that the #1 change for us has been the McDonald’s experience. Moving itself from a kid magnet restaurant barely tolerated by adults, McDonald’s has remade itself with drinkable coffee, a new menu, and a new look. Now, when the kids say, “Let’s go to McDonald’s,” more often than not we say, “OK!” More recently, my reduced ambivalence to this nearly ubiquitous eating establishment set up an opportunity to minister.
It all started when Brad Keller, a fellow minister, scoping out a spot to set up his Mac to catch some free wi-fi, greeted a twenty-something guy named Ricky. After exchanging some greetings and comments about the technology that we were pulling from our bags, Ricky asked us what it was that we did. It was as though he was asking us to tell him about Jesus.
I began by giving him my prayer card and explaining my mission of calling Mexicans into relationship with Jesus. He responded almost immediately with a smokescreen of excuses for not attending church. I sensed from this that Ricky was seeking, but he wanted someone to help him justify his practice of keeping the spiritual at arm’s length. I listened to what he had to say, but I gave him no justifications.
When he spoke of ministers that fail, I responded with statistics that I had heard only earlier that day that it takes some 300 A/G ministers in order to come up with only two moral failures. When he talked about judgmental churches, I encouraged him to talk to two separate ministers that lived in his area that I was sure would welcome him as he was and help him on his spiritual journey. When he brought up others’ experiences, I asked him to look to his own and to understand that he needed a personal relationship with the only on who could settle his questioning; he needed to encounter Jesus.
So I want to thank McDonald’s. Because of their change, they made possible my encounter with a searching heart. I’d also like to ask for prayer for Ricky and his friends. They have my card. They have names of pastors that they can talk to. Let’s pray that they’ll take the next step on their spiritual journey toward Christ.
Photo from LancerE’s flickr photostream
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Even in the dead of the winter, the travel schedule is heating up, as we’ve taken to the road for the 2010 Sectional Council tours here in the Southern MO District. These tours, moving through all 13 sections in the district take place roughly in the span of a week and a half and give us one of our best opportunities to reconnect with pastors and church staff all across Southern Missouri.
Things got rolling in Kansas City last Tuesday, but the lion’s share of the travel began today with meetings in Dexter and Portageville.
The schedule will go on through March 2 as follows:
Tuesday, February 23
Park Hills, Park Hills Harvest Christian Center
St. Louis, St. Louis Trinity A/G
Thursday, February 25
Sullivan, Rolla Calvary A/G
Sedalia, Jefferson City First
Friday, February 26
Clinton, Osceola First
Joplin, Mt. Vernon Church on the Loop
Monday, March 1
West Plains, Willow Springs Lighthouse A/G
Van Buren, Winona A/G
Tuesday, March 2
Springfield South, District Office
Springfield North, Springfield Northside A/G
Look for us if you are planning to attend one of the above meetings.
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It’s a dangerous business going out of your door. You step into the Road, and, if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to. –Bilbo Baggins
The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you… –Jesus
Rebekah has been reading the Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkein to me as we drive along the Missouri roadways visiting churches and speaking about Mexico. It’s a wonderful thing, hearing my daughter read what to me is a classic piece of literature. It is classic because, even decades after it was written, its message can still be heard and applied.
The story is basically about Hobbits, small and self-sufficient creatures, sheltered from the world, suspicious of strangers, with eyes that look no further than their bit of earth beyond their little holes. They had heard rumors of what went on outside their borders, but their small existence kept them from comprehending the ramifications of those strange and foreign goings on in their day to day lives. Until, one day, a not so adventurous Hobbit named Bilbo got swept off of his feet into an adventure. Suddenly, the hope of the world depended on this small, shy, and unassuming lot.
The disciples too had not seemed to seek out the adventure that they found themselves in as followers of Jesus. Most of them were outsiders, blue-collar workers more concerned with the ebb and flow of the Sea of Galilee than of the rise and fall of the religious “powers that were” in Jerusalem to the south. They busied themselves in their own routine of catching fish or collecting taxes, perhaps much like the Hobbits, without even categories to speak about saving the world. That is until Jesus came, and with the words, “Follow me,” they too were swept off of their feet, suddenly at the center of God’s plan to redeem mankind.
They had, no doubt, seen the harvest field before, but not as Jesus had shown it to them. It was a harvest, not of grain, but of souls. A common scene was given new meaning, and a common need, that of workers to bring in the harvest, was given new importance.
So Jesus called them, not to mobilization, but to prayer. However, as they prayed, they found that the answer was to be found within their own small band. The appeal to pray was not an impersonal one. It was not a way to “pass the buck.” It was a way to hear the cry of God saying, ” Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” and to respond as Isaiah, “Here am I. Send me,” or as the disciples with their feet as Jesus said, “Go! I am sending you…”
Let’s bring this, then, out of the realm of fantasy and out of the distant past to where we go about our daily lives. We wake. We work. We eat. We sleep. We certainly hear and see more than the Hobbits or the disciples, but too often those impersonal rumors on talk radio or the digital images on the screen seem incapable of grabbing us, seemingly impotent at their attempts to move us.
Except when we pray, and, all of a sudden, what seemed so far away has reached out and touched our hearts, and we hear the cry, “Who will go?” and we find ourselves, in our own small voice responding as Frodo the Hobbit before the leaders at the Council of Elrond, “I will (go), though I do not know the way.”
It is a dangerous business, therefore, to pray, but what more exciting business could you ever hope to aspire to?
Photo “Archway” by Syriloth on Flickr
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Everyone loves to hear of a great comeback story, be it an individual overcoming adversity to make it back on top, a favorite music group returning to the stage, or a sports team returning to its former glory. We love it because we appreciate how hard it is to repeat success. Athletes age, teams change players, and taste preferences in music seem to change with the fashions. So when the comeback happens, we realize that we a receiving a gift, something truly special.
Allow me to let you in on a comeback in progress…
This last year, I ran a marathon. I finished in the best time in which I’d ever run a marathon: 3 hours 37 minutes and 52 seconds. It was a great moment. However, that run has left me on the sidelines, stuck with a leg injury that has persisted for 3 months and counting. On top of that, during my examination, my doctor found that I also have arthritis in my ailing right leg, perhaps complicating my recovery. Some would say it’s time to hang up the running shoes. I say it’s time for a comeback.
Six months ago, we were on the field in Mexico wrapping up our first term as missionaries in the state of Yucatan. We were elated to have played a small part in the successes in the lives of students and pastors with whom we had ministered. We had built relationships and were looking toward opportunities to leverage these successes in future ministry. However, eight months away from our scheduled return date, we have a mountain of monthly support to raise, currently at the height of some $2,000. Some would despair at such a goal to reach. I say, “It’s comeback time.”
So rally cap in place, I’m starting the process to return, understanding that the recipe for success probably will change. As I built up for the marathon last year. I added on mileage slowly but surely until I reached a 50 mile per week peak during my high intensity marathon training. This time, I’ve got more than a mileage buildup to concern myself with. I’ve got an injury to figure out and a recovery to plan. So, I’m currently going through physical therapy twice a week with the goal to return to running. I’m also looking to alternative methods to promote healing from self-massage to chiropractic care. I’m also dedicating myself to nutrition, making sure that my tank is full of the fuel I need to power this comeback. Do I have a timetable? Sure, I’d like to see myself in a 10k race some time this spring.
Our return to Mexico can be thought of similarly. We’ve come back to the States to raise our budget in an economic recession, meaning many potential donors are feeling the budgetary pinch. We’re also returning to a Southern Missouri District that has 7 other missionary families currently raising support at the same time we are. However, we live in a time where connections are more diverse and easily sustainable and potential audiences are more abundant. We plan to leverage these connections, networking as we are able to reach these future partners, and maintaining that partnership with them through tools we never dreamed of only four years ago.
Of course, in all of this, one thing has not changed. We serve the same God who is able to to exceedingly and abundantly more than we ask, think or imagine. So while we work on this comeback as though it all depended on us, we pray knowing that it all depends upon Him. He is the one who provides the breakthroughs, stirs hearts, and cements friendships through whatever medium those contacts occur.
So I’m making a comeback, physically and ministerially, and I’m committed to putting in the work, while depending on God for the results. Wanna come along? There’s still room on the bandwagon!
How about you? Are you poised for a comeback? How do you see it happening? Have any tips that we all could benefit from?
Photo: Rally Cap by Rich Anderson
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The holiday season found us in Orlando, Florida, site of Disney World, for the Latin America/Caribbean Missionary Retreat aptly titled, “Dreams Come True.” It was a gathering of over 600 missionaries, representing countries from the Rio Grande in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south. It was a time of reconnection, worship, and inspiration.
As part of the theme, video clips were shown during the large group meetings, showing how several of our missionary colleagues had seen God help them realize dreams that He had given them. There were those who had planted now thriving churches and those who had birthed ministries that are now international in scope. There were reports of high-powered children’s ministries teams and thriving national missions departments sending missionaries from the mission field to all corners of the world. Truly, things are happening in our region!
Still, for all of the encouragement that such videos bring, I couldn’t help but ask the question, “…and the Godzwas? What have we done in comparison?” The progress that we have made all of a sudden seemed to pale in comparison to the reports of victory being broadcast before our eyes. On top of this, our son Jonathan had come down with a fever, leaving Kelly and I taking shifts staying in the hotel room with him, instead of participating as we had expected.
I was in a funk by the time Doug Clay took the stage to talk about restoring the joy of our calling to the ministry. As he finished his sermon, he asked for those who would like to experience a fresh touch of that joy to meet him at the altar. I walked forward, knowing that that was something I needed. A group gathered around the altar, and after a time of individual prayer, Doug led us in an exercise. He told us to look around and find a partner ten years removed from our age. As I looked to the left, standing beside me as Dale Coad who, 17 years prior, was a missionary on the field in the Dominican Republic where Kelly and I had taken our first short-term missions trip. As the speaker told us to join hands, I reflected on the time I had spent there on the mission field with Dale and his wife Patti. I remembered wondering, as I watched them go through their day to day ministry, “Do I have what it takes to be a like them? Do I have what it takes to be a missionary?” Now I was standing next to him as a co-worker singing, “He has made me glad!”
We then were told to widen the circle, and there, in our group stood Ron Hittenberger, a missionary that attended AGTS with me when I was in the first year of my masters degree program. At that time in my life, the mission field seemed farther away then when I was 18. I had a growing family and an uphill climb to complete my studies, but here we now stood together in our circle, Dale, Ron and I, along with other missionaries, sharing in the joy of the realization of our dream of serving our master on foreign soil.
It was unmistakable. God “opened my eyes” that night to see past the little pity party that I was giving myself. He has made my dream come true. He has completed what He had promised, and what He had confirmed so many times before has become a reality. I am a missionary!
Of course, this is only the beginning. God has bigger dreams, dreams I am only now becoming aware of after spending the last four years on the field. One such dreams is the dream of a relevant, outward-focused, Mexican church that reaches across cultural boundaries and generational assumptions to practice true Christianity in everyday situations. God has done it before in my life and in the lives of so many whose testimony was on display during our retreat; He can do it again.
How about you? What dreams have you seen God bring to fruition? What dreams does God have you dreaming right now?
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While we are on the road, the kids have the chance to grab a DVD or two to watch. Being the driver, I only get to listen. (It’s important to keep two eyes on the road at all times!) Being the Christmas season, holiday movies were being featured at the Redbox and the kids naturally gravitated to “Santa Buddies,” the continuation of the “Buddies” movies which feature talking dogs as the main characters.
The problem to solve in this episode? The Spirit of Christmas, in the form of and icicle, was melting away. No, it wasn’t because of global warming or climate change, however it is referred to these days. It was because people all over the world had forgotten the true meaning of Christmas, which, from what I could gather from my mobile eavesdropping on the movie, was watching Christmas tree lightings and singing Christmas carols. Now, while this favorite time of the year has traditionally been kicked off in our household with the decorating of the tree accompanied by Nat King Cole’s version of the “Christmas Song,” it would appear that “Santa Buddies” has the trimmings mixed up with what Christmas is really about.
The Star of Bethlehem
This brings us to a presentation that we had the opportunity to hear last Wednesday. Richard Hammar talked, from his extensive knowledge of astronomy, about what he felt the Star of Bethlehem, the star that led the Wise Men to the child Jesus, really was. As he dismissed several theories, he made mention of what one scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Center said. He said that he felt the Star of Bethlehem was a comet, because that would have been the most impressive astronomical event that could have been observed. Now this was said even though a comet would not have fit any of the evidence that the biblical record presents.
OK, you’re wondering, “What does the Star of Bethlehem” have to do with “Santa Buddies.” Give me a minute to explain. I can make the Star of Bethlehem to be whatever I want it to be if I don’t accept the reality of the historical birth of the Christ Child. I can confuse Christmas traditions for the reason for the season if I reduce the Christmas story to just another fable or fairy tale. What it all amounts to is a lot of heat without light. It may warm our spirits through December 25th, but it leaves us with Christmas hangover and little else when the bills come due in January.
Hammar concluded that a miracle occurred to lead the Wise Men to Jesus. He stated that the glory of God was what formed the star that shone on the stable the first Christmas morning and what eventually guided the Magi to the place where they found the one who would be the Savior of all humankind. And while not all who lived at that time could see the light, those that sought the Messiah, the shepherds and later the Wise Men could. I believe this still holds true today.
So as we complete our shopping and scurry to put together the “Perfect Christmas,” lets take some time to look to the reality that made this season special. Let’s turn again the the truth that God came near, that His light shone in the darkness and illuminated the way to restore our relationship with Him.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!
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Remember when you were a kid, wondering what you were going to get for Christmas? You’d found your parent’s hiding spot, and the mounting temptation had brought you, fingers trembling to, ever so carefully, open your packages so you’d be able to take a peek at their long awaited contents. I certainly do. That’s why we’re not making you wait for a print newsletter to arrive here at disciplemexico.org. Click on the image above or here in order to read our winter newsletter now! You won’t even have to keep it a secret from your mom.
To open the PDF file you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. To get Acrobat, go here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
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While travel certainly has it’s downside, one of the benefits that we receive is the chance to reconnect with friends and family all across the U.S. One such chance came this last weekend when we spoke at Saint Robert First Assembly, where our friends, Joel and Amy Maxwell, attend.
Joel and Amy are friends from our college days, when, almost 15 years ago our paths crossed in the married housing at Evangel University, then Evangel College. We shared dinners, exchanged information on where to find the best grocery deals, and basically grew up together.
Later, Amy and I worked together at Evangel while I attended AGTS. She was on the cutting edge of “exciting web technology,” even then dabbling in blogging as she maintained the University’s web presence. It was during those days that we watched our kids come on the scene. Play dates in the park or at each other’s house was a frequent occurrence.
Not all of it was good times, Joel and Amy’s lives were dramatically affected by situation in which he nearly lost his ability to walk, having been run over on the job as a security guard at Evangel. We were glad to be of support, if even in a small way as they saw their business collapse in late 2005. Their story of perseverance through adversity, however, has been an inspiration to us. To see them now, Joel having recently completed a marathon on his reconstructed leg, and rising out of the teeth of financial disaster, makes us marvel at their determination and resilience. If that isn’t enough, Joel is now serving as an officer on active duty in the Army, while Amy is a Chaplain Candidate studying at AGTS. These are solid people.
This weekend was a real treat, then, when we were greeted by the smells of Joel’s famous recipe chicken-fried chicken, with mashed potatoes and gravy to boot! I was even allowed to take part in this masterpiece of a meal in the making, as the photo above proves. Later, the kids played downstairs while we caught up around the table accompanied as well by Judi Murphy, a Facebook friend we’ve finally had the chance to meet.
The next day we held services at their church, where Amy introduced us as family, and Pastor Gabe Falen graciously allowed us the opportunity to address both the Sunday school and share during the morning worship service. The largely military congregation responded, committing their prayer support and finances.
The reunion of course couldn’t last forever, we had services in the evening to attend, but we were appreciative of the fact that, sometimes, our travels as missionaries allow us to reconnect once more with friends like the Maxwells.
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But what happens when you can’t show one? Well, missionary presentations have the tendency to stretch on a bit longer. And with opportunities to speak being more and more limited, the luxury to extend is fast disappearing. That’s one situation we’ll not have to worry about this itineration cycle, though, thanks to Curt Rozean and the SO MO District CE department.
Frequently confronted with situations where a projector is simply not available, we we’re looking to find an inexpensive yet reliable alternative for ourselves. Nevertheless, a projector strong enough to cast an image in a lit room is still a bit pricey.
Enter Curt Rozean of the Southern Missouri District CE department. He was advertising used projectors for sale. At, $250 a piece, I thought that they were definitely worth looking at. I emailed him the next day, but, unfortunately, they were spoken for. I ran into him later, however, at Central A/G in Springfield that night where we spoke again about projectors. He began by talking to me about several sites where I might find a deal, but then he stopped.
“Where do you need to use the projector?” he asked.
I responded, “just from time to time here while I are in the States, when the church we visit doesn’t have one.”
He offered, “Why don’t you borrow ours? We rarely use it and I can call you when I need it.”
A projector to use for free? Would I like to borrow one? you betcha. I stopped by the district office where he gave me not only the projector, but also a table, screen, and a 50′ extension cable. Can you say early Christmas?
Now, I know that it all has to go back sometime, but I’m thankful that Curt found it in his heart to bless this missionary with a much needed tool. In fact, it was put to use just last Wednesday night in Seligman, MO, and it will be back on the job this coming Sunday night in Hartville.
So I just wanted to take a moment and post my thanks to Curt Rozean and the SOMO District CE Department. Thanks for the loan. It will be well taken care of and put to good use!
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In this season of giving thanks, we want to express our appreciation for your words of encouragement, sustaining prayer, and faithful support as we serve as your missionaries in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. Our prayer is that your Thanksgiving and Christmas season would be filled with the joy of the Lord and the peace that comes from following His will for your life both now and in the coming New Year.
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We’ve met our share of great people along the itineration trail. One of those great people happened to be Cherri Pike, who works for the Personnel and Family life department at AGWM. After hearing our presentation at New Life Church in Springfield, she asked to feature our ministry as the Missionaries on Assignment” on the GoAG.org website. This is the website set up to promote missions to our entire Assemblies of God fellowship. So for the month of November, and for an indefinite period afterwards, you can read about the Godzwas @ GoAG.org! Thanks Cherri!
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Thank you for praying for the dengue outbreak that I mentioned in this post. We’ve received some good news in recent weeks. Here’s an update from a missionary on the field:
October 27th
I just got off the phone with Rolando Perez, one of the pastor’s here in town. His 13 year old son Iram, who was very ill last week and in the hospital (with dengue), is recovering and getting stronger every day. He turned the corner three days ago with his platelet count and for the first time in over a week his platelet count remained on the upward instead of dropping to dangerously low levels. Everybody is breathing a sigh of relief and grateful to God.
Nahum, the superintendent’s son, is no longer dealing with the high fevers and his platelet count has also stabilized.
As far as I know, there are no new cases at our church, but there are two new cases at a church on the east side of town (Jorge Mijangos’ church) and a teacher (at Iberoamericana, the missionary’s son’s school) has possible dengue as well.
The papers here finally came out with two long articles about the crisis and how this week they were going to really crack down and fumigate the areas with the highest numbers of confirmed cases. I had to speak at a church in one of these areas last Saturday evening, and the fumigation trucks went up and down the streets right smack during my talk. Despite the very loud noise of the fumigation process, I was really glad to see the government stepping up to deal with the crisis.
Thanks again for your prayers. Let’s stay united for the physical and spiritual well-being of the Yucatan!
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It was 3:00 AM and I couldn’t sleep. I had gone to bed the night before, skipping the Yankees’ game, with the hope that the early evening drowsiness would translate into some solid rest. I managed a to get a few hours in, but, by the time that the clocks rolled back at 2:00, I knew my tossing and turning had become annoyingly obvious. Now, having held myself down for as long as I possibly could, I decided to get my day started.
I made my way into the kitchen. Coffee, toast and peanut butter, and a glass of orange juice were the pre-race fare while my eyes fell upon this excerpt from Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest:
“Most of us collapse at the first grip of pain. We sit down at the door of God’s purpose and enter a slow death through self-pity. And all the so-called Christian sympathy of others helps us to our deathbed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, as if to say, ‘Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine.’”
I had known the pain of the marathon before. It is a grueling test of physical endurance and mental toughness. Certainly there were “easier ways” to raise money for missions–ways that didn’t require months of preparation accompanied by the sacrifice of the ones I love most. At the same time, I knew of no other fund raising method that spoke of the total commitment that is the call to missions. I knew as well that pain, as I mention in this post, has a way of forming us and shaping us in ways no other experience can. While I didn’t look forward to the pain this day’s marathon would certainly bring, I knew that persevering and pushing through it would bring personal growth I couldn’t experience otherwise.
After I finished my breakfast, I took to the task of finalizing the preparation that I had made the night before.
Race number, check. timing chip, check. Energy gels, check.
I made coffee for Kelly who made sure the kids were up and ready for the ride to the starting line, and we were off.
Kelly dropped me at Bass Pro, the outdoor store here in Springfield that served as the headquarters for the event and returned to feed the kids while I took in the pre-race service that the coordinators had offered. Pastor Mark Zimmerman encouraged us to “enjoy the change” that running had brought and gave us three trustworthy sayings to keep in mind. “Be smart from the start. Break through barriers, and go the distance.” Each phrase is vitally important to marathoners as we face the unique test that 26.2 miles presents, but also to Christians as we continue on our spiritual journey.
With the service over, there was the trip to the facilities, which, unlike past marathons wasn’t as urgent or frequent. I had cut out milk the day before, and limited my calories. Instead of gorging on pasta, I had a normal dinner which included sweet potatoes, my secret source of power. The result was a much calmer 30 minutes before the start.
On the way to the bag check before my trip to the starting line, I got a chance to connect with a good friend, Joel Maxwell. He was running the marathon 9 years after being run over while trying to question a criminal on the Evangel University campus in Springfield, MO. (You can read his marathon story online at the News Leader website.) We got a quick picture, and then it was outside to get the marathon started.
In the parking lot where the race was to start, I warmed up a bit to get my legs ready for the 8:10 pace that I was planning to run. Then we were called in to take our places. I lined up with the 7:00-8:00 pace per mile runners as we bowed our heads for the invocation and then stood at attention for the National Anthem before the count down from 10 for the marathon. Then, we were off.
I abruptly found that I had lined up a bit too far in front as a sea of humanity rushed past me in the first half mile. I was tempted to be carried along with the crowd, but the understanding that the majority of the starters were only running the half marathon and the digital companion, Garmin, on my watch told me to hold back. My plan was to run nice and easy for the first 10, concentrate on holding my pace for the second ten, and then evaluate and determine whether to attack the last 6.2 or to just hold on for the finish.
Looking for a pacing partner, I fell into step with Brad Kielhofner, an employee for Missouri State University. He was shooting for an 8:15 pace. We chatted for the next 10 miles about our marathon experiences our family, and our faith. Running with Brad also garnered me some additional support as it seemed that at each bend in the road there were people that he knew cheering him on.
The course up to mile 4 was fairly flat and fast. By this time we had diverged from the street onto the greenway that runs parallel to Lone Pine Avenue in the southeast section of Springfield. At one point, this trail passes below Battlefield Road, a major thoroughfare through a culvert that had been converted to handle pedestrian access. With all of the rain in the recent weeks, the creek that runs through the culvert had flooded a portion of the pedestrian tunnel. Though the water might not have been more than an inch in depth, even high stepping wasn’t enough to keep our feet dry.
The dampening experience was short lived, however, as I was greeted by my own cheering section as I emerged from the tunnel. At home, Kelly and the kids had fashioned their own signs and they were yelling their support for their marathoner. Their encouragement helped me forget about the water seeping through my shoes and press on, knowing I’d see them throughout the course. In fact, they were also at mile 12, 15, 21 and 23 before hustling to greet me at the finish.
After the first ten miles, I said goodbye to Brad and began to pick up the pace a bit in order to stay in stride with my digital companion. Along the way, I ran with Dink Sommer, a Joplin resident, who was looking to run a 3:40 marathon. I also got a chance to see Norma Garnica (a first-time marathoner running for God4Girls), Mike McCreary (the young adults pastor from Central A/G) also a first-timer, and Joel again as several switch backs had runners from all paces greeting one another on the trail. A bathroom break had me fall off pace for a bit, but I was steadily making up ground and pulling even with Garmin, my digital friend, by mile 21.
Here though, the marathon began to take on its familiar humbling personality. Now snaking through the southeastern portion of Springfield, the marathon course passed close to more low water crossings. At various points, the trail was flooded with no easy path to avoid a soaking. Also, the marathon began a steady climb, from the lower trail portion of the race to the city streets ascending back to Bass Pro Shops. All of this, coupled with the miles I’d already run, took their toll as my pace steadily increased from 8:10 per mile to 8:30, eventually to a 9:30 pace.
This is what is known as the wall, where fatigue and pain rear their ugly heads. This is point in the race where your body tells you to quit and every step becomes a matter of will. By mile twenty-four my mantra had become, just 20 more minutes, Dave, you can hang on until then.
We passed over a bridge, then into the neighborhood behind Bass Pro. The course turned, then turned again. With each turn, I looked ahead for signs of the finish line approaching, but was greeted by only one tree lined street after another. The spectators were absent, the volunteers, having worked now for hours, noticeably silent. Still, I labored on, each step seemingly slower than the last. I was sure that Garmin, his digital legs unaffected by the distance, his virtual feet untouched by the dampness, was laughing at me now nearly a half mile in front.
Still, out of the fog that had become those last few miles, the finish line appeared. I heard the music. I saw the spectators, and I then they announced my name. I was finishing!
“Lift your hands,” Dave, I told myself. “Look up!”
I crossed the finish line with the last of the energy that I had. I was spent, but it was worth it. I had crossed the line at 3 hours, 37 minutes and 52 seconds, a personal best by nearly 12 minutes!
My only thought was to see my family. I passed around the barriers and through the crowd to find them. Hugging them brought closure to a year-long journey of running this marathon. We had done it together. This was a team accomplishment.
So as Oswald Chambers’ words seemed to prophesy, I had experienced pain, but I hadn’t collapsed. I hadn’t sat down. I had labored on. On the way, I’d met some great people and shared in some great stories. All of us overcoming, all of us breaking through barriers, all of us growing through the momentary suffering that is the marathon.
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For those of you who have been following our updates or have met us in one of our services, you know that I’ve been planning to run a marathon in order to raise funds for our return to Merida in the fall of 2010. Well, that marathon is only days away! That’s right, this Sunday, November 1st, at 7:00 AM, I’ll be toeing the line of the Bass Pro Conservation Marathon, preparing myself for the 26.2 mile journey through Springfield MO to the finish line.
Now, you may ask, “Why are you telling me?” It’s because there is still time to be a part of this major event in our itineration schedule. We need $48,000 in cash in order to return to Mexico, $30,000 of those dollars to be raised are designated to expand the Bible school facilities in Merida, Mexico, which currently houses 4 separate programs, from undergraduate to the master’s level, in just 2 classrooms.
I understand that 48,000 may seem a bit overwhelming, but if we break down the sum into the miles that it takes for us to return to the field, that total can seem much more attainable. It takes 2240 miles to reach Merida from Springfield, MO where we currently reside. Breaking that total down, we come to roughly $22 dollars per mile for us to reach our destination. Would you be able to commit this week to a mile or perhaps more to get us closer to our destination?
If you’d like to know more about this effort, you can visit http://www.disciplemexico.org/marathon-for-mexico-2, where you will find a PDF flyer and a link to enable you to give securely on-line.
If you’ve already responded to another request, thank you! If you haven’t, there’s still time, but only if you respond today!
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Dengue, also known as “bone break fever”, is a mosquito-borne illness that leads to fever, severe headaches, and joint pain. A more severe and sometimes fatal form of the disease, known as dengue hemorrhagic fever is on the rise in the city of Merida.
Being here in the States for itineration, we’ve received reports from fellow missionaries that the Yucatán, in addition to dealing with the ongoing problems of the swine flu, is now experiencing an outbreak of this serious disease. In their church, four cases have been reported. One case, a teenage boy, was so serious that he had to spend 5 days in the ICU with a temporary pacemaker before he responded to treatment. Our family doctor alone has reported having eight patients all with the serious hemorrhagic form of the disease in the hospital under his care.
Precautions are being taken by some, but the news media has remained strangely silent, perhaps preventing general measures from being taken to stem the spread of this dangerous disease.
In response to this report, we are asking you to pray.
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I’m a fixer. I’ll admit it. It seems as though even before I see a problem, I’m already at work on how I can make it better. I appreciate being able to make something more useful or more efficient. Perhaps that’s why I had gotten such a kick out of my helpdesk days as a geek in the Evangel University Technical Services office.
Still, what I have found out since then is that what works with machines and operating systems rarely applies directly to work with people. Some events that have happened this week have brought this reality into better focus for me.
AGTS Day of Renewal: Each year, the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary has a Day of Renewal, a time when they set aside the day to day practice to focus in on their pursuit of God as a corporate body. This year, being in the US, I had the opportunity to attend the morning service. In it, Dr. Sheri Benvenuti spoke of her impatience with others and what she thought were their petty problems until her eyes were opened through her own suffering. She said that that suffering, combined with the pentecostal experience enables us to comprehend the situation of those around us in a whole new way that facilitates true ministry.
Ezra Chapter 9: My Bible reading has me currently in the book of Ezra. In chapter 9, he is alerted to a grave problem. The Jews who had returned from Babylon were falling into their old ways. They had married wives from among the pagan nations who had led them astray before the they had been taken away to captivity.
Something had to be done. One would expect the scribe Ezra to sit down at his desk and begin dialing the offenders one by one in order to schedule their discipline meetings, but instead he tears his clothes, sits down in the dust and weeps over the situation.
A conversation with my dad: My dad spoke to me today asking for advice: How do you get a person to see the error of their ways and accept the logical solution, be it spiritual or social? So often, he related, he was met with the rejection, “You just don’t understand what I’m going through.”
Each one of these situations seems against us fixers and our desire to rush in with the solution. Of course it’s not that the people don’t need a solution, but rather we fixers forget that true comprehension of the situation is the first step to solving the problem.
Now, I’m not just talking about hearing all sides of the story. I’m talking about feeling the pain of the situation along with those who are suffering. Dr. Benvenuti admitted that she was quick with the solution before her personal pain, but now she more effectively ministers because she’s “been there” with those who suffer. Ezra hadn’t sinned, and certainly he had the right and the responsibility to meat out justice for the wrongdoers, but it was his public display of sorrow, not his administrative prowess that bought about a spontaneous renewal of the population. Furthermore, the offenders were the ones who carried out the solution to the problem, not Ezra.
So it would seem that people need to see more than the error of their ways. They need more than some set of logical steps to a better life. They need someone to weep with them over their present situation. They need to see that there is someone who truly cares enough to comprehend–to treat them as fellow human being and not just as a problem to be fixed.
A challenge for us “fixers?” To be sure. Still, when it comes to people, God has called us to do more than fix; He’s called us to love.
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The answer is a resounding yes. Here is what Ilona Hadinger, missionary to Oaxaca had to say in a prayer focus on Mexico AG.org:
Earlier this month in Oaxaca State, catholic Indians in a Zapotec village burned the pentecostal church to the ground. The thirteen families that make up the congregation were either detained from leaving the village or forbidden to reenter. They were also threatened with lynching.
Won’t you take a few moments to read the prayer focus and pray for the persecuted church in Mexico? Let’s stand together with them as they persevere in the midst of suffering.
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Wondering what our itineration theme “Running with the Solution” is all about? Just click on the photo or here, to get up to find out and how you can get involved!
To open the PDF file you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. To get Acrobat, go here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
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That’s right our newsletter is headed to the printer. But if the wait for our print edition is too much to bear, you can download it now before it hits your mailbox!
Just click on the photo or here, to get up to date!
To open the PDF file you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. To get Acrobat, go here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
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What’s going on with the Godzwas?
That’s a good question. I’ve got an hour of McDonald’s Wifi to let you know a bit about what we’ve done for the last month.
We’re back in US! We made the 6-day 2,240 mile trip from Merida, Mexico, to Springfield MO. We’ve been through Missionary Renewal on the campus of my alma mater, Central Bible College and stuck around for the excellent re-entry program sponsored by by Caring Connection. Since then, we’ve been trying to move back into our house here that has been rented out for the past 4 years. Until that time, our internet connection will limited to our 2X2 cell phone screens, but we’re planning new updates when we’re finally settled in. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, be sure to check out our updated contact information.
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Tree down in our neighborhood
Hurricane season started with a bang here in Mérida as a ferocious if short lived storm passed over the peninsula last week. Tropical force winds and a half inch of rain in the span of about 45 min brought down this tree and numerous others in the city, and brought damage as shown in this slide show of the “fotos del día” from the Diario Yucatán (Opens new window, captions in Spanish). The damage shown in the shopping mall is just about a mile away from our home.
We were safe and sound during the downpour, although without power for about six hours after the storm. A few flashlights, candles, and a bit of patience were all that were required for us to deal with the aftermath of this first installment of hurricane season ‘09.
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2009 Bethel Graduation
Since we’ve been in Mexico, we’ve witnessed the passing of a generation. No, we haven’t been here in Mérida for 20+ years, although looking at the growth of our kids during this term has made me wonder at times. I’m talking about the recent Bible Institute graduation service celebrated this past Monday, where Generation 06-09, walked the platform to receive their diplomas from the District Superintendent. This marks a milestone as it means that the students that I had the chance to teach from the first year of their Bible school experience are now being launched into ministry. The freshmen from my Personal Cvangelism course of December 2006-February 2007, my first solo class taught in Spanish, are now moving into their vocations.
Watching them receive their charge as graduates I had mixed feelings. There is a sense of joy in knowing that I had a part in their formation as ministers, but there is also a sense of regret. So often I had wished that I could have had certain sessions over again, where my lessons could have been more polished. On more than one occasion I’ve wish that I could have another chance at conversations that I’ve had knowing now that my Spanish could have been more understandable. In spite of my wishing, though, what was taught was taught, and the encouragement, advice, and prayers have been spoken. And that’s OK, because I believe that, though at times stammering or searching for the words, we communicated. As we learned we grew, each one of us offering to the other what we could not acquire on our own.
It wasn’t by chance that God brought me together with this generation at this moment in our lives. I so as I said goodbye to each one I prayed that as we part our ways, the graduates to their respective positions, and my family and I to the US to intinerate, that God will help us to remember the ways in which our being together expressed the manifold wisdom of God (Eph 3:10) that saw fit to join us together during their generation in the Bible school.
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If you are familiar with Tolkien, you’ll have to forgive my obvious allusion to his popular tale, The Hobbit, but no, my recent trip didn’t include trolls and dragons, and the only real danger was related to the risks of travel by air and taxi. So to save you the long story, and the 255 pages that comprise my edition of the Bilbo Baggins tale, I’ll make it short.
On Sunday afternoon, I hopped aboard a flight to Mexico City, which seems to be recovering from its bout with the Swine Flu, where, on Monday, I met with the national leadership team about our future here in Mexico. I presented them with a report of what we had done and the plan of what we feel God would have us do in the future. They approved that plan, and they invited us back to serve for four more years here in the Yucatán!
Now, that we have received this approval our upcoming itineration becomes more clear. Our goal during these upcoming months will be to reconnect with churches and individuals to show them what God has done and invite them to continue their investment in the lives of the people of this region.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we make our transition to the States with the goal of continuing to raise disciples here in the Yucatán.
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The Godzwa kids: Ready to go back!
The day has finally arrived! After two weeks of being homebound, Mexico has reopened its elementary and middle schools. Rebekah, Joseph, and Jonathan were all smiles, ready to see their friends after the long suspension of classes.
Nevertheless, although our kids are happy to return, the reopening of the schools here in Mérida is being handled very seriously. Last week around the city, school buildings were being sanitized while teachers were taking classes on how to prevent the spread of the virus. As the children enter classes, they’re being checked for symptoms. If one student is found to be ill, he or she will be sent home for a minimum of 7 days. If the school finds a group to be symptomatic, the entire building will be closed for 2 weeks and the community will place itself under surveillance.
So, another step is taken back to normal life here in the Yucatán and in all of Mexico. We have appreciated your prayers and your concern through this time, and we look forward to seeing you as we plan our return to the States in June.
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The A/H1N1 Virus
The swine flu has left its mark on Mexico. With 1204 confirmed cases and 44 deaths, the statistics are slightly less alarming than once predicted, but the disruption that it has caused, in the form of canceled activities and the accompanying economic hit (to the tune of millions of dollars), the images of mask wearing citizens, and the general preoccupation will not long be forgotten.
Here in Yucatán, where we were once thought to be swine flu free, the government has reported 18 cases, most coming from previously discarded cases that have since been confirmed. Still, even though the virus has yet to be eradicated, life begins its slow progress back to normalcy. Businesses, which had been closed completely except for basic necessities like food and gasoline, reopened on the 6th. Classes, canceled since the 28th of April, will resume on Monday, and, with the ban on public gatherings lifted, we’re resuming our ministry in churches starting this Sunday with another evangelism conference.
So even though we’re statistically worse off, it seems as though this round with the swine flu is drawing to a close. Still, we ask that you would keep praying for recovery for those who are now sick, for comfort and a sense of God’s presence among those who have lost a loved one, and for a realization here in Mexico of the fragility of life and the need of Savior.
Also, we ask that you would pray for us. We need to remain healthy as we transition back to the States. There is a lot of ministry to finish in addition to all of the reducing and packing we need to do before we say goodbye on June 20th.
Photo by LA100RRA 3logs
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Police Officers don masks for protection.
The early afternoon is usually a usually a time of hustle and bustle here in Mérida. Students are heading home for “comida” the normal big meal of the day. Families are planning for the rest of the day–sports activities, a trip to the mall, an evening downtown, or school meetings to attend. But everything is strangely quiet. There is noticeably less traffic on the avenue near our home. There is no sound from the loudspeaker that normally broadcasts the names of the students whose parents have arrived to drive them home. That’s because there hasn’t been school since Monday. All public events have been canceled and activities that would gather people together, from churches to team practices have been prohibited, all to prevent the spread of what is now the scourge of Mexico, the Swine Flu.
Our understanding that something was awry began when our friends, Josh and April Amiot notified us that they were returning to Mexico City to attend the funeral of one of their good friends and ministry co-workers. An otherwise healthy mother of three, Nelly didn’t fit the profile of those who die of the flu. Normally the very old or the very young, under six, are those who succumb. Of course, this was just the trickle before the flood. By last Friday the 24th, we had heard of hundreds sick and dozens dead as the Swine Flu spread rapidly across central Mexico. At the end of the weekend, there were reports of sicknesses in 19 of the 32 Mexican States and drastic measures taken to stem the spread of this highly contagious, and surprisingly deadly, conglomeration of three different flu viruses.
Here in Mérida, and across Mexico, all schools have been closed until the 6th of May and all public gatherings have been prohibited until further notice. Labor Day, May 1st here in Mexico, will be observed without the customary parades. Sporting events have been held without fans, and our district convention, set to have begun yesterday has been suspended until a later date. Even church services are against the law. Those that need to work in the public sector have taken to donning masks to protect them against the airborne virus.
But we are not writing to scare you. Our family is well, and to date, no officially recognized case of Swine Flu has been recorded here in Mérida. Still, there is a definite tension in the air as anxiety and fear have taken hold. There is a sense of helplessness apparent as society waits for word of progress against this disease.
But we are not helpless, we can cry out to God and know that He will hear and respond to our requests. So we ask you to join with us as we intercede for this nation. Ilona Hadinger, a fellow Mexico Missionary and the coordinator of our prayer devotions on MexicoAG.org offers these points to guide us in our intercession:
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Please join with us during this crucial time.
Photo provided by sarihuella on flickr.com
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We needed to replace the grass in our front yard about two weeks ago. A busy schedule and low water pressure had taken it’s toll on our previous lawn, and all that was left after the dry season that we’ve had was a lot of dust. So, after a change to our water system was completed, what was left of the old lawn was removed, and new grass was brought in.
As the Agustín, the gardener, was removing the remnant weeds, he looked over what used to be a flower border. “You want me to take these out too?” he asked. The border was a disaster; it looked like a mess of limp grass. Still, I said, “Let’s keep it. Maybe it’ll grow back.” So the limp-grass-once-upon-a-time-flower-boarder remained. Perhaps just to suck up water that would be better spent on the new lawn, I thought, but I had hope.
And that hope wasn’t disappointed. After about one week of watering, one sunny morning I was greeted by the picture above–dozens of tiny white flowers where once only limp grass stood. It was amazing to see the power of life in what seemed to be a hopeless situation.
Nevertheless, a dying flowerbed pales in comparison with the hopeless situations that many of us face. While we’ve been on the field, we’ve watched sadly as many of our friends were hit with what seem to be knock-out punches–unemployment, sickness, and divorce just to name a few. They are situations that are devastating for the parties involved and that leave those of us who must watch confused and questioning. “What is going on?” we ask, “Where is God in all of this?”
Of course, we have just celebrated the triumphant outcome of another seemingly hopeless situation–the resurrection of Jesus after a his death on the cross. The disciples had fled for their lives. Peter had gone as far as denying that he had ever known his former teacher. Jesus Himself, while dying cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The situation was irrevocable, or so it seemed. Nevertheless, just when it had seemed that God’s plan had been checkmated, the table was turned and the outcome was forever changed. That is the reality of Resurrection Sunday, the reality that still reverberates even two thousand years after the event.
I was reading Amy Maxwell’s blog the other day, when I happened upon some free music downloads. One of the songs, Rescue, by Ten Shekel Shirt, caught my attention when I was in the middle of thinking about one of my friends’ seemingly hopeless situation. The chorus of the song reads, speaking of God’s power:
You rescue, you redeem
You save, you intervene
You rescue, you redeem
Our lives, the stories of our lives.
It’s true. As the flowers reappeared from the dust of our yard, so God is able to redeem us even in the most difficult of situations. Like the prodigal son who’d cast away the riches he’d demanded, if we turn to Him, God is ready to receive us and restore us as His sons and daughters, even if we have squandered the chances we’ve been given.
So, if you have a chance to download the song, I highly recommend it, and if you happen to be in one of those seemingly hopeless situations, or know someone is going through one, renew your hope in the fact that God redeems. His empty tomb stands as a testimony to the fact that a restored life is possible.
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Today during the afternoon service, I will be sharing about two of the seven words from the cross that Jesus spoke. I’d like to share one of those with you on this day that we remember our Saviour’s death:
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. –Luke 23:34
Beaten, bloody and tired, Jesus now hung from the cross. Just hours before, He moved freely about the city, teaching and celebrating the Passover with His disciples, but now He had been arrested, judged, and condemned. The hands that had healed the sick, the arms that had reached out to children, the feet that had walked in search of the lost had been stopped–nailed unjustly to the wood.
Jesus, the only truly innocent one of all now paid a debt that He didn’t owe. He never blasphemed God, yet the priests handed Him over to Pilate for this offense. He never tried to raise up a rebellion against Rome, but over His head was the charge, “Jesus, King of the Jews.”
In this moment, He exemplified the classic picture of a victim: a man who, for no fault of his own had to suffer. Nevertheless, Jesus Himself rejected this description. Moments before, Jesus redirected the pity of the women who had met him on the way saying, “Don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and your children instead.” In front of Pilate, Jesus rejected his intervention, explaining that that the authority that He recognized came from a place higher than Rome, and in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus allowed His power to flow when the soldiers who came to arrest Him fell down before Him. Obviously, it was something else that held Him to the cross.
It was love. It was the power of the only One who knew what He was doing. Among all of those who played a part in His crucifixion, Jesus was the only one truly free. The others were like the priests, who had been blinded by their rage, or like Pilate, deceived by his supposed authority, or like His disciples, trapped by their fear. Jesus suffered from none of these delusions.
From the beginning, Jesus understood his purpose–to give His life as a ransom for us all. Whatever doubt that he had held on to left at the Garden with his declaration, “Father, not my will, but yours be done.” Now with these words, “Father, forgive them,” He shows the culmination of His power. Jesús, as the only one who never sinned, as the only one who remained pure, as the only God-Man, refused His right of vengeance, and in that moment, in that act of pure love, He granted them their pardon.
He freed those who were still cursing Him, those who couldn’t understand that that man on the cross was their only hope They didn’t know what they were doing, but Jesus knew. He knew that it would mean His humiliation and His death but even so, He did it. What is more, in His love He removed their guilt.
But it wasn’t only the soldiers and the priests and Pilate that crucified Jesus on that day some two thousand years ago. You and I are responsible as well. The Bible says that all of us had gone astray to commit sin, and Jesus carried all of those sins on the cross. He died for us even when we had not yet realized our need for Him. In other words, while we were blind like the priests, or deceived like Pilate or tormented like His disciples, Jesus extended His forgiveness to us. He removed our guilt for His death from us as well.
In addition, with the words, “Father forgive them,” Jesus extends to us an opportunity. Jesus promised, before He returned to the Father that, in this word we would have trouble, but counseled us to take heart, for He had overcome the world. But, how did He overcome? Certainly not by His miracles or by His teaching, because, having done all of that they still crucified Him. No, He conquered it through His love–the love that put up with rejection, that endured the Roman lashing, and that suffered the crucifixion, the love that gave forgiveness instead of condemnation. And we, being His hands and feet can follow Him in His example.
What problems do we have? Abandonment? Rejection? Pain? Jesus suffered all of these, but never became their victim. Now, what will we do? We have the opportunity to triumph with Jesus. We have the opportunity, today, to extend forgiveness. Maybe those who have mistreated us don’t deserve it, but neither did we, and we accepted it. Let’s follow Christ then. Let’s be victors and offer, like Him, forgiveness.
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Seminar participants raise The Lord's cellphones.
Stuff. We all have it, and it seems that there is no end to the amount that we accumulate. From flat panel giant screens to the latest GPS system for our car, there are countless items on our wish list as “must haves” that weren’t even on our radar screen a few years ago. Now, as we can justify the usefulness of such items, we ask, as we watch what the future holds , do we really need them?
It’s really no different here in Mexico. Case in point: I was doing holding a talk in the town of Chunchucmil. As I was nearing the place we were to hold the meeting, I reached for my cell phone to make a quick call to the pastor. However, in this small town near the Campeche/Yucatan border, there was no signal. Nevertheless, as I entered the church, I noticed that it seemed that everyone, including some kids, had cell phones. Behold, the power of advertising! The basic idea is this: you need a cell phone, even if you can’t use it where you live.
It all boils down to this question: our stuff–are we controlling it, or is it controlling us? I’ll be the first to admit my love for gadgets, but has this “technolust” boiled over to the point where we’ve scalded our reason? A family loses its house because it can’t pay the mortgage, but it owns two large screen TVs. Another can’t put food on the table, but owns three computers. What’s going on?
Our priorities are out of whack. For that reason, we’ve been excited to have been able to tour the district with our stewardship seminar. It is a two part series, based on the Howard Dayton book, Your Money Counts. It’s goal is to get its participants to understand that in order to achieve freedom to follow God’s will for our lives, we must recognize and submit to His plan for our finances.
Part of that plan is turning over everything that we have to it’s rightful owner, namely, God. It’s a liberating exercise in that it helps us to relinquish the worry that our stuff produces in us, and to depend upon God again for our needs. It also inoculates us from the power these things can have over us, helping us to recognize that proper stewardship, which leads to the freedom to follow God wherever He leads, may ask us to forgo certain items, like say recharging that cell phone instead of paying down debts.
The picture above is of our most recent event, where I asked the question following the exercise, “How many of us are carrying the Lord’s cell phone?” It’s encouraging to see the response as those who perhaps had previously lived “compartmentalized” began to recognize the role that God plays in every facet of our life.
How about you? In this economic crisis, have you taken time to reflect on your stewardship practices? If you have a minute, why don’t you drop us a line and share with us what you’ve discovered.
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Our print newsletter is at the printer, but if you’re the type that likes to spring ahead during this season, you can get the electronic copy here at disciplemexico.org in advance. Just click here or on the photo to get up to date.
Remember, in order to read the newsletter, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat reader, which is available for free.
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We’ve made it back from Muna, and we’ve got an update in the works about the trip. However, as we get things organized on our end, we thought that you might offer you something practical:
Breakfast burritos. Their popularity is undisputed. Far from being a Mexican restaurant only fare, they can be found nearly everywhere from McDonald’s to 7 Eleven. Still, although you may have enjoyed a breakfast burrito, perhaps as recently as this morning, can you say you know how to make one?
If your response was no, then Jonathan, our 6 year-old offers you this visual step by step guide on how to make and eat the famous breakfast burrito in this video. Enjoy!
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We’re headed back to Muna with the AU Chi Alpha Team for a week of ministry. For the first two days, Kelly and the kids will join me as we minister in the Sunday School and Sunday night services, sharing crafts and teaching with the kids and stewardship training for the adults. On Monday through Thursday, the family will be returning to Mérida while the team and I will continue to involve ourselves in construction, general labor, outreach, and evening services. Pray for us as we seek to make an impact.
While I have you, I’d like to mention a the changes we’ve made to our Contact Us page. We’ve updated our VOIP phone. The new number is 814-746-4952. You can call us via your US based land line or cell for the cost of a US long distance charge. (If you happen to be located in Erie, PA, it’s a local call.) Also, check out the other options to communicate to us through email, IM or Skype! So visit the page, and drop us a line, however you choose to contact us. We’ve got our ears on!
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2008-09 Evangelism Class
I don’t like goodbyes. But ever since we got back from the World Missions Summit 2, we’ve been receiving reminders that our present time on the field is winding down.
It started at our home church where, during a planning meeting, I had to step down as coordinator of the Missions and Evangelism Team because I would not be able to finish out the year. Following that, I finished out the semester at the Bible Institute and was thrown a touching going-away party from my evangelism students. When I finally got over that reality, my itineration packet arrived detailing the steps that we need to take to return to the States.
So it’s real; our stay here in Mexico is coming to an end, but one thing is for certain, our call is for a lifetime. Yes, our cycle may be coming up but our career has only begun. So, I’ve been reflecting on our time here, but I’ve also been thinking about the future and our on-going work here in Mexico. We are returning to the States, but our stay will be limited because our call, and our heart remains here in Mexico.
Steven Covey repeats the phrase, “Begin with the end in mind.” It has to do with visualizing the goal, setting forth objectives in order to reach them. I’ve decided to modify the phrase just a bit in order to describe our goal for our remaining months and our upcoming itineration cycle: “End with the beginning in mind.”
Yes we are saying our goodbyes, but our goal in the remaining months is to strengthen the relationships that we have formed in order to begin our new term in 2010 with a running start. Concerning our return to the US, our desire is to immerse ourselves in our itineration, utilizing a broad array of means available to reconnect with current supporters and welcome new friends who would like to partner with us as we continue our work in Mexico.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the sidebar of our website, you’ve seen that one of those means of generating excitement and raising awareness for our work will be the running of Marathon for Mexico 2. Last itineration cycle, I ran the Springfield Marathon, raising funds to help us get to the field faster. Recently, I’ve been blogging about my recent weight loss and my training for the Bass Pro Marathon which will take place on November 8th of this year. It’s our desire that this marathon will serve as an even bigger part of our support-raising effort, so keep an eye on our Marathon Page for more information and updates.
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It started with a blown radiator and a whole lot of improvising. It ended with dozens having committed their lives to the Lord. That, in a nutshell, was the result of our evangelistic campaign in Tekax, Yucatán.
On Friday January 23rd, I had the opportunity to take 17 students from Bethel Bible Institute to the town of Tekax, which lies some two hours away from our city of Mérida, to hold a two-day evangelistic campaign. The campaign was the culmination of a four week training that we had held for the members of “Templo Emanuel,” where Romeo Calvo is pastor. The goal was to start a small group in the neighborhood of San Juan de Dios at the site of what had once been a catholic chapel.
On the day of the event, we left just about a half hour late, which, here in the Yucatán, is no small feat. Little did we know, however, that the real delay waited only a few miles down the road. At mile 16, I noticed one of our students pulling to the side of the road. When we stopped, I asked what was the matter. Lifting the hood showed the obvious problem. The cap of the water tank had been left off, and all of the water had spilled out. The result was a severely over-heated engine, a big mechanic bill, and a delayed start to our campaign. After a bit of traffic direction around the stalled truck, and a two-hour wait for a replacement, we were back at it again, finally arriving at Tekax with enough time to scramble to put things in place
At the site, basically a street in the middle of a poor neighborhood, we busied ourselves grabbing electric from a nearby house for our lights and sound and starting as soon as we were able in order to keep the crowd that had already gathered. Fortunately, the quick thinking of students and the preparation of the host church paid off. Not only did the people stay, they responded! After the songs, the dramas, and the message was over, students dispersed through the crowd to pray. Several decisions were collected that night. I personally got a chance to pray with three people who had decided that night to follow Jesus. Still, that was only the beginning.
We arose the next day to a hearty breakfast, ready to serve the people’s needs. From 10 AM until 2 PM, we had a team helping with dental hygiene, another giving haircuts, a nurse giving health examinations, and a team fitting people for glasses. On top of that, the church had gathered clothing to give away. All the while we were serving, we were inviting the people to attend the closing service, and attend they did.
In the final event, we had over 100 kids and several adults. The kids laughed, played, and sang with the students and church members while all stayed attentive for the dramas, and the closing remarks. One drama, the Auction, pulled no punches as it spoke of the life that many of the inhabitants of that neighborhood were living–a life full of alcohol, drugs, and despair. As the call was made, we found that we didn’t need to go out to them, they came to us! The children responded first and then the adults. Many came forward to repent of their past lives as whole families wept together. It was an amazing sight! As I greeted the pastor and gave him the 15 decision cards that I had received from other students, he pulled out a stack of his own, possibly up to 40 in all had made a commitment in the two-day event.
The wonderful news is that the event itself was just the beginning. There is now a small group meeting at the site of the campaign. Discipleship materials from John Hall, “Start-up Studies” in Spanish are being utilized to help these new believers experience the eternal life that they now possess, and church members are being utilized to help them along their journey. It is our prayer that not only those 40 will be affected, but that a whole neighborhood will be changed because of this intense effort.
The road is difficult though. Tekax, although ready to receive the truth, is ripe to be deceived by falsehood as well. Signs of false teachings were evident, and cults seem to be gaining ground among the spiritually hungry. Still, we are encouraged by this first step, and we are confident that the results will remain and grow.
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I remember our road trips to New York when I was young. We had a family of five, so there were three of us in the back of a Mazda GLC and lots of territorial fighting; “That’s my space you’re in!” we would cry, or “Why do I have to sit on the hump?” would be a frequent complaint. I vowed then and there that I would never have a family of five. Time, though, has a way of softening our youthful vows, and here I am the father of three in a family of five, a decent group by American standards and certainly when it comes to the limits of my patience.
What would I do with one more? Two? How about 8 more? I can’t event imagine. Yet LARGE families seem to be a standard, especially when we head outside of Mérida. The picture above can be translated, “The Store of the 11 Brothers.” Imagine the situations that a family of that size could get into! The kicker was what happened as I was trying to get the photo. One of my students, unimpressed, said, “I come from a family of 13 brothers and sisters.”
Speaking of heading out of Mérida, say a prayer for us this weekend as I lead a group of students from the Bible Institute for a two-day campaign in the city of Tekax (Teh-cash).
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Teaching in Opichen
Around this time of the year, I start to get anxious. It’s been almost three months since the end of the World Series, and we’ve got only a few short weeks until pitchers and catchers report to start the 2009 baseball season. I’m looking forward to the date with anticipation, knowing that soon they’ll be playing baseball, and hoping that this will be the season that the Yankees win it all again.
In order to prepare, I start to watch baseball movies. One such movie is The Rookie , that Disney released some years ago. It’s the story of a high school science teacher who gets another shot at playing in the majors. In one scene, travailing in the minor leagues, traveling the lonely miles and feeling the pressure of his responsibilities at home, he decides to throw in the towel. “I’m just wasting my time,” he says to his wife over the phone. She asks back, referring the the game, “Do you still love it?”
He hangs up the phone and goes for a walk to think it over once again. Along the way, he encounters a night little league game, and in it he finds the joy and the hope in the game that he played as a child and had been given a chance to return to as an adult. With a renewed outlook, he heads back to the locker room. As he enters he asks another player, “Do you know what we get to do today?” Then, answering his own question he says, “We get to play baseball.”
Why am I waxing eloquent about baseball? Because I’ve been thinking about our job as missionaries. Lately, we’ve been really busy, rushing from place to place. I celebrated my daughter’s birthday on Saturday and directly after I was teaching our first session of the District Stewardship conferences that I had been invited to teach. Since that time, I’ve been on the road 3 of the past 4 nights, getting to bed later each night. When this finishes, I’ll be on the road again, this time to help in an evangelistic campaign that will take place two hours outside of Merida, where we have our home.
At times like these, I find myself missing my family, looking forward to getting home, and sometimes wishing that the events would be over. But then I have to ask myself what it is that I am actually doing. I received the call to missions when I was 15 years old, and since that time, my life had been centered around making it to the field. We prepared ourselves, obtained the necessary approvals, and raised funds for the purpose of becoming missionaries. Now, we’re doing it. How many times have I hoped, prayed, and dreamed of the day that God would allow us to make it to the field, and now it’s a reality.
Thinking about it again I’d have to say that, sure there are times when we find it hard, but we’re doing what we’re called to do. God’s fulfilled our dream, and every moment that we have here is another moment that we get to step out into another adventure with our Lord.
So I want to say thanks to all of you who have had a part in helping us to get here and stay here. I’d also like to ask you to pray for us. Pray that the words that we say would be what God would ask us to share, and pray that these events will reach the people that He’s preparing. And while you’re doing that, stop for a moment and thank God for the journey that you’re on with Him. After all, “We get to play baseball!”
Thumbnail appearing on the excerpt of this article from B Tal’s photostream on Flickr.com
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One of my favorite Christmas gifts was one I wasn’t even wishing for, a set of world-shaped coffee mugs. My mother-in-law had one of these in a cabinet for several years, and I always tried to get my hands on it when breakfast time rolled around. It just seemed appropriate, me being a world missionary and all. She picked up on the hint and bought me an entire set this year.
Of course, I’m not the only one waking up to world missions in this new year. Several students who attended the World Missions Summit have also woken up to their responsibility to be a part of the great commission. Over 4000 attended the conference with 845 commitments to “give a year and pray about a lifetime” made at the event, a number that is sure to rise over the coming days.
We were blessed to link up with several of these students as we hosted four “Meal with a Missionary” events throughout the week. We had a chance to share our call, while we affirmed each participant in what the Lord was doing in their lives. We wish them well as they follow God’s direction.
How about you? How are you waking up this year to the Great Commission? Drop me a comment and let’s talk about it.
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We’ve made it to Cincinnati where an estimated 6,000 have gathered to respond to the challenge to “give a year and pray about a lifetime.” Of course, with this event being sponsored by Chi Alpha, my brother twin brother, Mike, is also here, having brought his Chi Alpha team from American University where he serves as a campus pastor. This has made for an interesting mix of “worlds” where several, knowing either Mike or I but not the both of us, have found themselves greeting a complete stranger when they were expecting to talk with an old friend. As the interactions became more frequent, I decided to catalog the encounters and put up an album of my new friends. Click here , or on the picture of Mike and I to launch the album.
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I should be in the car as this post is released. We’re on our way to the World Missions Summit 2, a gathering of Chi Alpha college students who are being challenged to give a year to missions and pray about a lifetime. With this possible influx of new missionaries it just so happens that, serendipitously, Jim Cottrill, a fellow Mexico Missionary at Missionary-Blogs.com is asking us to give our best advice to up and coming missionaries. So in anticipation of the event, which begins the 30th I’ll weigh in with what I feel to be the best advice that I have received as a missionary: “Attempt to be a cross-cultural servant.”
We who come from developed countries have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with those who have been less fortunate. We have access to the best information, the most knowledgeable scholars and the latest in high technology gadgets. Still, we find that in many situations we fail to make a significant impact in areas where we feel that our advantages could most readily be put into service. Furthermore, in many parts of the world, those of us who call ourselves Americans are more readily cursed than we are welcomed. Why is that?
Some could say it is a case of sour grapes, that other countries are frustrated that Americans have received so much while others have had so little. Still, I feel that there is something more. I feel that it comes more from what we convey than what it is that we have.
In his recent book, Cross Cultural Servanthood Duane Elmer remarks that many of us, and Christian Missionaries probably more often than others convey attitudes that “inadvertently communicate superiority, paternalism, imperialism, and ignorance. While never our intention, our ethnocentrism leads us to behave in a way that tells our host culture (the people of the country where we live and work) that we are the experts. We are there to give out of the vast knowledge that we have, while they submissively receive. This attitude immediately creates an “us and them” mentality where the host culture is frequently evaluated and usually denigrated by our accepted American “standard.”
To illustrate, Elmer uses the story of a monkey, watching a fish struggle against that current. Moved by his plight, the monkey, at some risk to himself, climbs a tree and swings out to an branch that overhangs the river. Extending his hand, he grabs the fish, and climbing down from his precarious perch, he places the fish gently on solid ground. Joy comes over him as, after a momentary struggle, the fish enters into a peaceful state of rest there on the bank.
Now of course, we all know that the did not help the fish at all, but from the monkey’s point of view, he did him a great service. Our problem is that we often behave like the monkey–offering our help while failing to fully evaluate and understand the situation, and while we may accomplish certain goals we may be at best tolerated and at worst isolated, while gains are usually only short lived.
What Elmer suggests is that we learn to become true servants–entering into the culture, finding guides to learn from and then inviting them to work together with us to reach sustainable goals. This requires more than simply learning the language, although it starts there. It requires an openness to change and a suspension of judgement on the part of the missionary that needs to occur on an ongoing basis. If we can convey this attitude, we will go far in identifying with our host culture and opening new bridges for collaboration, the key to make real progress on the mission field.
So as we make our way to Cincinnati to share with the students assembled there, I’m preparing myself. If anyone asks, I’ll ready with a copy of Duane Elmer’s book and the best advice that I’ve ever received: “Be a cross-cultural servant.”
Have you seen cross-cultural servanthood in action? What did it look like? What were the results?
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Here’s something to cheer you up:
Piñatas are a common site these days, cropping up in kid’s parties almost as often in the US as they do in Mexico. But what happens when the piñata is for adults? Take a look at this video from Mérida and see how piñatas have the tendency to bring out the kid, and the competition in everyone of us.
Can’t see the video. Check it out here.
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Our print newsletter is in the mail, but if you’re afraid that it won’t arrive in time for Christmas, you can get the electronic copy here at disciplemexico.org in advance. Just click here or on the photo to get up to date.
Remember, in order to read the newsletter, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat reader, which is available for free.
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The following is a sermon that I preached last Sunday. I felt that I wanted to share it as well with you.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
–Luke 2:6-7
The temperature has dipped and another page on the calendar has turned. The holiday sales have begun, and the bonuses are being paid (“El aguinaldo” or 13th month of pay is a right of the worker in many Latin countries.) It’s official, the holiday season has begun. In our house, the tree is trimmed and the manger scene has been set as our thoughts turn toward December 25th and the celebration that is Christmas.
Still, though, I’ve been wondering lately. Although it seems that this is a season that we anticipate from the start of the year, could it be that it has caught us unaware? Although we’ve made the preparations in our homes and our budgets, have we overlooked Christmas in our minds and hearts? Will Christ be relegated to the outer confines of our lives because there is no room for the what He desires to bring into our lives?
Two thousand years ago, Jesus left the glory of heaven to become flesh and live among us. God literally broke into history to take up residence here on earth. Luke allows no questions about this fact, dating the time, “in the days that Caesar Augustus issued a decree” and the place, “Bethlehem the town of David,” that Immanuel, God with us, was born into this world.
The God who fills the heavens had come down. He who in the Old Testament could not be approached but once a year, and only then according to a strict ritual, had decided to take up permanent residence among us. He who invoked fear in the hearts of His people who dared not come near to the Mountain of the Lord in the book of Exodus, now invited this world to reach out, to touch Him, to hold Him near to their hearts.
Still, we read that this God-child received a less than wholehearted reception. Instead of a royal palace and a team of mid-wives to ensure a successful delivery, his birthplace was a less than accommodating stable. Luke, the physician, mentions no attendants at the birth of the Savior, instead we see the image of a solitary woman wrapping her new-born in the cloths that she could find and placing him in a bed borrowed from the animals that dozed nearby. A misfortune wasn’t it, that Joseph couldn’t find a spare room on this night of nights, or was it? Was the holy family turned away because they lacked reservations or because the innkeeper simply didn’t want to receive the new-born king?
No room could mean a lack of space, but it could also mean discrimination. The Jews during the time of Jesus followed strict laws of ceremonial purity. Those who desired to worship had to follow a strict dietary code as well as avoid situations–sicknesses and certain household uncleanliness that would contaminate this purity. One of those situations that a faithful Jew needed to avoid in order to maintain their ceremonial purity was the birth of a child.
The woman who gave birth during this time would be unclean for at least seven days. For those seven days, she would have to withdraw herself from contact with others. Those who were unfortunate enough to have contact with her would be subjected to a bath and be unclean at least until the end of that day. So it would have been in the best interests of any self-respecting businessman or head of the household, if in fact the inn was nothing more than a guest room, to shut out the hassle and potential contamination that a first-century birth would bring. Therefore, it is a distinct possibility that the conditions that Mary and Joseph faced were brought about because the people who received them just didn’t want to be bothered.
The shepherd boy: Truth or Fiction?
This certainly seems to work together with the surrounding details. Directly following the account of Christ’s birth we read of the angel’s announcement to the shepherds. For this reason, our Nativity scenes usually include a rosy-cheeked boy with a lamb around his shoulders–a placid picture of what we consider a pleasant occupation, but reality presents a different situation. Shepherds in this day were the outcasts of society, a smelly dirty lot, so disdained that they were inadmissible as witnesses in a court of law. And therein lies the irony, who better to witness to the birth of an outcast king than this society of outcasts?
There we have the original Christmas scene. Jesus, God made man had come down, but instead of receiving Him, His own people shut him out. They looked on Him as a problem to be avoided, a situation to be deal with instead of a King to be worshiped.
Over two-thousand years have passed since that day, but still the question nags me. Have we truly received the Christ that we celebrate during this season, or have we continued to shut Jesus out in the cold? Of course, it’s possible that each of us place the nativity scene in a central location in the house, and we might proudly wear our buttons that read “Jesus is the reason for the Season,” but does He still exist on the fringes of our lives? Many of us adore the child of Christmas, but have we prepared ourselves to receive the Christ of Christmas?
A case of mistaken identity
One time, I was walking on the campus of Evangel University. I was working there while a group of Chi Alpha campus pastors were meeting. In this group were several that knew my twin brother, Mike, but had never met me. On this day, as several members of this group approached me, they began to greet me as if we had know each other for some time, but I was, in their eyes, oddly silent, unable to return their greeting. When I asked them if perhaps they had mistaken me for my brother, they thought that I was joking. Only when I produced my driver’s license did they understand their error.
How do we see the Christ of Christmas?
Perhaps, as we get closer to Christmas, we’ve committed the same error. Perhaps we’ve mistaken Jesus for someone He isn’t–a baby and nothing more, or much worse just something to fit into our schedules that are overwhelmed with activities, gifts to buy, and family to visit.
Jesus is so much more than that, but in order to find out who this Christ of Christmas, we need to open our Bibles to the ninth chapter of the book of Isaiah and the sixth verse. There, we find the hope of a Messiah that the Jewish people had, and there we find the complete identity of the Savior whose birthday we celebrate.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Wonderful Counselor (With recognition given to Dallas Willard for much of this content.)
The age in which we live is called the Information Age. CNN the 24 hour news network has as it’s tag line, “Because you need to know. Always.” (Translated tag line from CNN en español.) Those that know, win. Those that don’t, lose. Therefore, when we look for someone who can give us advice, we usually look for those who are the most up-to-date in our area of need.
But what happens to Jesus in this Information Age? If he remains as a baby in a manger, we push him aside. Statistics state that the majority of Christians don’t consider Jesus as someone who has reliable information about their lives. Not even one in a 1,000 people would describe him as well-informed, brilliant, or intelligent, but could we imagine that Jesus could be Lord if he wasn’t intelligent? Being divine, could he be dumb? I believe that our response has to be no.
Like Isaiah says, this child, our Savior Jesus Christ is the Wonderful Counselor. Paul the Apostle says that Jesus is the one in whom is hidden all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Still, how do we accept Him in this way if we’ve lost our respect for Him as one who can inform our present situation? We can start by letting Him redefine our existence.
During the Christmas season, I believe more than the rest of the year, we experience the struggle between the world’s way of thinking and that of the Bible. The world tells us that the children that have the most gifts are the happiest, as are the parents that are able to buy them, but in this commercialization of Christmas, we can see the world’s philosophy–the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what man can do–creeping into our hearts and minds.
On the other hand, Jesus says to us that we are more than our bank account or the sum total of our possessions; we are eternal beings that need to know God more than the latest fashions. Therefore, if we really are eternal beings, we must understand that true happiness doesn’t come from what we can get at Wal-Mart on Black Friday but instead from our growing dependence on Christ’s counsel for our lives.
A stanza of the hymn “The Steps of the Master” reads:
I want to follow the steps of the Master.
I want follow my King and my Savior,
And allowing Him to mold my character
I sing with joy to my Redeemer.
When we reach the point of recognizing the Christ of Christmas, our Wonderful Counselor, we won’t only sing these words, we will live them.
Mighty God and Everlasting Father
This seems to be the paradox of all time. How I wish that I had been with Isaiah when he penned the those words. How can a child be God Almighty and a baby the Everlasting Father? Certainly the innkeeper couldn’t understand that the child that Mary carried was his Creator. If he had, he certainly would not have denied Him a room on that day.
Jesus’ neighbors couldn’t recognize this either. When He taught them, years later, in his hometown of Nazareth they marveled at His words and asked, “Isn’t this Joseph’s boy?”
Even His disciples, those who had placed their faith in Him, failed to understand who He was. Philip, one of the twelve who had been with Jesus from the beginning asked, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough.” He couldn’t see that Jesus was, as the writer of Hebrews tells, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.
And we as we unwrap and hold that porcelain figure of the baby Jesus in our hand we are just as incredulous; how can it be that this baby so beautiful, so innocent, can hold together all things? We forget the fact that this child grew to become the One who fed the multitudes, the One who healed all those who came to Him. The One who defeated the powers of darkness, humiliating them by His death on the cross, and the One who triumphed over even the grave with his resurrection on the third day. We take Him for nothing more than a baby.
Maybe it is for this reason that He remains in the perimeter of our lives. We have problems with our health, our families, our faithfulness, but we have the tendency to hide it as if we were trying to hide candy out of the reach of a child. Have we forgotten that the child that was born on that night was God Himself? Have we forgotten that He still lives and is waiting to help us, to guide us along the path that we should take? Have we forgotten that this child is the One who knew us even before we were born?
Prince of Peace
Imagine the scene. Jesus had arrived, and what’s more, He arrived early. There was so much to do: dishes to wash, a table to set, food to prepare. And, instead of helping, it seemed as if everyone had sat to hear Him talk. This was the situation of poor Martha.
In the manner that Luke describes it in the tenth chapter of his gospel we can almost see her going in circles in her kitchen. “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” And the frustration grew with each circle until she exploded and said to Jesus, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
But Jesus’ correction reveals the problem:
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Christmas can be a season of stress much like the first two thousand years ago, but now, instead of a census that calls us to travel, the calls of relatives urge us to leave. Or maybe it’s our turn to host the family. We have to prepare the house, buy the gifts, and make the traditional meal, all in order to celebrate this special holiday. We’re upset, worried about lots of things. Maybe we’re lacking peace because we haven’t recognized this Prince of Peace. Like Martha we treat Him like any other guest when in our home is One who can calm us and speak to the storm, “Quiet! Be still!”
Thinking about my attitudes, I have to admit that I’ve failed to recognize the One that we celebrate each Christmas. There are times when I act like the innkeeper, worried more about completing my list of chores than about preparing a place for my King. It bothers me that Jesus might yet remain outside of His central place in my life, but tonight He makes us another invitation.
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, wants to live with us this Christmas.
Maybe up until this moment we’ve failed to recognize His voice, but He continues to call. Maybe we’ve been worried about other things, but He waits for us. Why don’t we draw close to Him this Christmas? Why don’t we get to know Him as He is, the Master of our lives, the Author and Finisher of our faith and He who can give us the peace that passes all understanding. Why don’t we invite Him to to enter our lives this right here and right now?
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The Godzwa Family Thanksgiving 2008
Expressing our gratefulness from Mexico on Thanksgiving and throughout the Christmas Season.
Love,
Dave and Kelly
Rebekah, Joseph, and Jonathan
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Those of you who have read the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and recognize the style of the title of this post are possibly anticipating a story of magic and mystery or an epic struggle between good and evil. In that you may be a bit disappointed. This story is instead about the reality of missionary life. How, try like we may, we are unable to set aside one role for the sake of another. We are missionaries, but we are husbands and fathers first.
It all started on Saturday, November 9th, following a long night and an early morning of family activities. (Jonathan had just celebrated his 6th birthday, and had a basketball game the next day to boot.) I was set to embark on a 18 hour bus trip to the Mexican Assemblies of God General Council, a once every two years meeting of ministers, in Puebla. I boarded the bus at 10:00 and began an adventure that would span four days and about $30 in cell phone credit.
The first two days were fairly uneventful, a stop for seafood in Champotón, Campeche, a late night taco feast in Cardenas, Tabasco and then the push to reach Mexico City for a bit of a tour of Chapultapec Park and the Plaza Garibaldi, all expected preliminaries as we prepared to participate in what was shaping up to be a fairly important council. However, the excitement that was generating as we were arriving at Puebla was not related to the council issues at all.
“Hi. Hurt my foot. Icing it now,” read the message from Kelly at 11:00 AM Monday morning. The rhythm of the council had been broken, at least for me. I had tried to dedicate myself to the role of council participant, but the role of husband and father had turned my attention back to a different reality. Kelly had fallen bringing groceries in from the car. A false step on entering the house had left her with pain and a rapidly swelling foot.
Kelly was putting the best face on the situation, grabbing info from the Internet about how to treat the injury at home. I advised that she head to the hospital for an x-ray, but she was still hopeful that it was only a sprain. A few hours later, I sent another message asking how she was: “peor (worse),” read the reply. So, 18 hours apart, I sat praying and wondering, while Kelly picked up the kids and headed to the hospital for x-rays.
The x-rays were taken, and the diagnosis was a slight fracture of the left foot. A splint and complete rest for the foot was the prescription. Bravely, Kelly told me to stay in Puebla. I recommended that she call on a few friends to help with the chores around the house, something that was already in process. Still, the next 8 hours would change Kelly’s situation from difficult to near impossible.
A call at 5:00 am on Tuesday woke me up from my uneasy sleep. Jonathan had thrown up 2 times. Now, Kelly not only had to maintain a functioning family, she had to attend to a sick child. I was no longer a council participant, I was a husband and father trying to get back as fast as he could.
Phone calls to friends were made, flights and buses checked, and I was on my way. In the taxi at 6:30, on the bus for the two-hour trip to Mexico City at 7:00, at the airport at 9:00 and on the plane by 10:00. In 6 hours, I was back in Mérida, amazed and thankful for a return trip that took only a third of the trip there.
So here I am again in Mérida doing minstry, ministering to my family and injured wife. Instead of voting on measures I’m measuring servings of cereal for breakfast, instead of trips to the convention center, I’m taking trips to school, but I know that I’m where I’m supposed to be.
Reflecting on the events of the week, I was reminded that God doesn’t just call individuals to the field. He calls families, and those that He calls he doesn’t leave to fend for themselves, nor does He give any member the ability to specialize (i.e. “My ministry is preach and teach, yours is to the family.”) He has sent us all so that when one is weak another can be strong. It just turned out in this case that the one who was called to be strong had to travel 750 miles in order to get home.
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“¿Qué opinas del nuevo presidente? (What do you think about the new president?)” is a question that Kelly and I, being Americans living in Mexico, are hearing quite a bit lately, and it’s one that I’ve had difficulty answering. It’s not that I don’t have an opinion, but serving as form of spiritual ambassador, we’ve found that it’s not wise to involve ourselves in political matters. So often politics tend to divide, while, as members of the Body of Christ, we are called to be united. Philippians 2:1-4 mentions being like-minded, one in spirit and purpose.
Fortunately, we belong to a community of believers who, I feel, are in touch with the mind of Christ on this matter. They’ve risen above the wrangling of partisanship and focused us on the true task at hand, the proclamation of the Kingdom which transcends the cult of opinion.
The first example of this kingdom wisdom was posted by our General Superintendent, George O. Wood. In this video, he gives us a clear call to return to kingdom living along with a biblical guide on living under elected authority. It’s fully worthy of the ten minutes you’ll spend watching it.
The second example I’m submitting is a post that I encountered on Facebook. Steve Smallwood, posted there a dream that I feel should be in the minds and hearts of all followers of Christ. You can read his dream below:
I Have a Dream
It’s based not just on the American dream,
And it goes beyond justice related to skin color,
Though who could not be moved at the tears
Streaming down the cheeks of black men and women.I have a dream that transcends ethnic differences,
One that moves beyond the divisive issues of yesterday’s battles,
And calls on citizens red and blue to beat their tired rhetoric
Into plans for action to address issues of significance.My dream envisions Christians who would embrace the Kingdom,
Above and beyond any denominational or national loyalties.
It challenges the close-minded simplicity that requires large blocks of Truth
To be defined by and contained within small cranial cavities.I have a dream that is based in the example of Jesus,
Who endured ridicule and refused to throw stones
At those who were beset with the legacies of sinful lifestyles
In order to deliver refreshing living water to their parched spirits.My dream yearns for true believers to set aside,
Partisan politics and theologies of left versus right,
To not just oppose abortion but to truly cherish and nurture life
And to love God and others just as we ourselves want to be loved.It’s a dream that refuses to divorce the gifts of the Spirit,
From the fruits of the Spirit—especially goodness and gentleness,
Toward those we disagree with—even our enemies,
Who we are called by Jesus to love—because they need it most.There are days when I fear my dream is merely a vapor,
When I find myself at odds with the din of the crowd,
Then I remember that Jesus said we’re not to travel the well-worn path,
But instead to listen with discernment to his small voice and follow his costly example.
I proud to be linked with such men and women and glad to benefit from their wisdom. What’s more, I’m proud to be a part of a community that awaits, not a political solution, but an eternal redemption.
And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
–Ephesians 1:9-10
This verse just happened to be the verse of the day on Biblegateway.com
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A Typical Pemex Gas Station
There at the gas station, before the attendant, Robert, started pumping, I verified that they took credit cards. After assuring me that they did, he proceeded to fill the tank and top off my oil, a process that took all of about 10 minutes. Gassed and ready to go, I handed over the credit card for him to swipe it. That’s when the fun began.
After about a minute of waiting, the receipt spit out of the reader. “Try again later.” So we did, with the same results. Then we tried another card, again receiving the unwelcome advice. At this point, it was getting late. The manager was called over; another reader was tried, all with the same results. I was stuck with an $80 gas bill and no way to pay it.
I thought about the 15 minutes I had driven from my house just to reach the station, “How about one of you comes along to the ATM so that I can make a withdrawal and give you cash?” After a quick conference, Robert jumped in and off we went. We arrived at the cash machine in about 5 minutes where I jumped out and attempted to get the amount I needed. “We are unable to complete your transaction at this time. Try again later,” read the screen. What had started as strange had quickly evolved into the ridiculous. Now, we were to plan C.
Plan C consisted of a 30 minute road trip to my house in order to get the money that I had left behind. Getting approval at the station, Robert and I, fast becoming friends, headed off to get the cash. On the way there, we talked.
I asked him how long how long that he had been at the station, and that opened up the door to allow him to ask me about myself. Having long since dismissed the idea of making my Maya class, I told him what we did, and he began to open up about his family situation: separated parents and a constantly drunk father. Before we knew it, we were at my house where Kelly met us with the money and a healthy tip for Robert’s lost time.
On the trip back, I got a chance to speak to Robert about my history. A former Catholic with 4 separate beliefs represented in his 8 member family, he seemed to have assigned religion to something like personal taste in music, but I challenged this idea, speaking of how Christ had changed me and of how the Bible is the only set of sacred scriptures that deals with reality and offers a solution to the human condition. As I was relating to Robert’s situation and answering his questions, I realized that after nearly an hour getting gas, I wished I had more time.
We arrived at the gas station and shook hands after we had finally made the transaction. He returned to his pump and I drove away praying that the words that I shared would hit home. At the same time, I was determining to return to that gas station hoping to continue the conversation.
So a funny thing happened to me on the way to my Maya class. In middle of an an inconvenient and awkward experience God presented an opportunity for real-life ministry. Perhaps I should pray for more credit card machine failures?
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Maya Language School Itzamná
Here in the Yucatán the official language is Spanish. For this reason, we spent our first year of this term in Costa Rica learning Spanish so that we could live and work here in Mérida. Nevertheless, there are times, like this past month when we journeyed to the town of Tekax, that even speaking in perfect Spanish isn’t enough. That is because, in several towns in the state of Yucatán, many still speak the traditional indigenous language which has changed only slightly from the time of the pyramid builders of Chichen Itza to the present. Others are bilingual, having learned Spanish in school, but clearly function better in their native language.
So how do we respond to this fact? Well, we could rely upon those who are bilingual to translate for us, hoping that they will correctly interpret the meaning of our message. But what does this teach the Maya speakers? I feel it teaches them that the gospel is something foreign. Something that requires special abilities in order to understand, and that salvation is reserved for those who earn it by learning this foreign system. I don’t believe that our God is like that.
From the beginning, with the question, “Adam, where are you?”, we know that God initiated his plan of salvation. Romans 5:8 says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And John 1:14 says that Jesus, the very Word of God came near, and lived among us. We are not those who search for Him says Romans 3:10-11, He comes after us.
How does this translate then as a reaction to the situation of the Maya here in Yucatan? Years ago, before archeology became the force that it is today, many thought that the Koine Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written was a sacred tongue. This was thought because the texts available to the scholars at the time, that of Classical Greek was different from what they saw in Bible. However, as more research came to light, they found that the New Testament Greek was not a sacred language after all. In fact, it was the common speech–that which the housewives used to write out their shopping lists. So, in fact, we see that the very Bible that we read is another aspect of God “coming near” to us. He didn’t speak through the elite of the society or through a priestly class, He instead spoke through the common tongue of the merchants, the peasants, and the slaves.
Understanding this, if we are to “come near” as Christ’s ambassadors and show the Maya that this message is in fact for them, that Christ came to save every, tribe, tongue and nation, then we in turn should take the steps to learn to share this salvation in their native tongue.
So that in fact is what we are doing. Every Monday and Wednesday for two hours, I am traveling to the “Ermita”, a plaza south of town, to learn to speak and write the Maya language. (The picture in this post is a shot of the entrance to the building.) The municipal government has established a course in which they teach citizens and foreigners at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels for only $5 a month. Having extended for a year, and having scheduled outreaches into these Maya speaking regions, this was an offer that we couldn’t refuse.
So here I am again learning anew how to function in another language, struggling to come up with the words to respond to the teacher. However, when I consider what Christ did for us, coming to us as a baby, unable to speak, to function on His own, in order to live among us, I say that my struggle is worth it if it allows me to live among this people and reveal to them the God that we serve, the God who came near.
By the way, a fellow Mexico Missionary just sent us a link to an example of the power of “coming near” to an unreached people group. You can check out the video on You Tube
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Our print newsletter hasn’t yet made to the printer, but you can get the electronic copy here at disciplemexico.org in advance. Just click here or on the photo to get up to date.
Remember, in order to read the newsletter, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat reader, which is available for free.
Popularity: 8% [?]
The streets of Izamal
Using the passage as a jumping-off point, I remember expressing an idea that came to my mind: “Being released from the bondage of sin, we are now free to humble ourselves and serve one another. Although the external circumstances would suggest a different reaction, we are free to love when before we were tied to serve only our own passions and interests.”
Little did I know, however, that what was then theoretical would become suddenly very concrete.
As we were leaving the city after the meeting, we had stopped at a stop sign and were beginning to continue when, unseen by us, a motorcycle carrying 3 teenagers attempted cross in front of us. They struck the front of the truck and fell against the curb of the opposite corner. All three weren’t wearing helmets.
Immediately, I got out of the truck to tell the boys to stay where they were. Soon, those that lived near the scene were out of their houses, and before long, the police and ambulance arrived. Those that were hurt were taken to the hospital, while we were escorted to the police station where I was detained for 33 hours, first at the station, and later at the Public Ministry building in Mérida.
Now, in the US, when an accident occurs, rarely does a person go to jail, but in Mexico, when there is doubt about payment, the person who causes the accident is detained for 48 hours until the situation is settled. If it is not settled in 48 hours, the driver goes to jail. Unfortunately, although we had Mexican Car Insurance it took the adjuster one hour to reach the scene, and it wasn’t until later that night that the lawyer arrived in order to begin the process to post bond so that I would be released.
Nevertheless, being placed in detention didn’t mean that I had been placed on a shelf. The words that I had spoken just hours before came back to me during my time alone. So I prayed. I prayed for the injured boys. I prayed for Kelly and the kids, and I prayed that God would use me. I knew that, even though I had been detained by the authorities, I was free to serve.
Merida Public Ministry Building
He had once had a vibrant relationship with the Lord and had been an active member of the Christian community, but his work had isolated him, and in his isolation his bad choices multiplied. The crash was the end of a slippery slope that had left more than his car in a wreck, but sometimes it takes hitting bottom before we begin to look up.
José told me his story, and I told him mine, but I didn’t end it with the story of the accident. I told him that although God hadn’t caused my accident, that my meeting with him was certainly more than coincidental. I told him of the Father that welcomes home all who return to Him, and I invited him to start the journey back. We prayed, and in that detention center, we felt the presence of God. We knew that even though it seemed that our immediate future was out of our hands, we knew the hands that held our eternity.
José wasn’t the only one in the room with me. There were two youth who had been detained for driving drunk, and two others who were in the middle of a dispute between their respective insurance companies. While we waited for news about our situation, we formed a community: we talked about our families and our faith, we shared everything from the food that was brought to us to the floor that we slept on, but what filled me with the most joy was our last moments together.
When word came that was to be released, I asked if they would mind that I prayed. Given permission, we all bowed our heads and I began. I prayed for their safety and the resolution of their situations. I prayed for their families and their future, but, most of all, I prayed that each one of them might know Jesus, the only one who, in whatever situation, can set us free.
As I walked out of that room and into Kelly’s arms, I was thankful to be reunited with my family. I was thankful for the beginning of the resolution of circumstances surrounding our accident, but I wasn’t thankful for being set free. Instead, I was thankful for being taught the true meaning of freedom–that, no matter what the circumstances say, Christ has set me free, free to follow Him and free to serve others in the hope they they too will taste the freedom that I have been privileged to
experience.
In wrapping up this lengthy post, I want you to know that we are well. Although the accident has certainly left a mark on us, with God’s strength we are returning to “normal life” here on the mission field. We have definitely been the beneficiaries of the blessing of the Body of Christ in action through it all. From the prayers of the saints to the selfless help of our church friends and district officials, we have been cared for throughout this entire situation. Blessings on all of you who have been a part of this comfort that we have received.
Furthermore, it has been reported that all who were injured will make a full recovery. They have received the medical attention necessary and are now receiving spiritual care on behalf of the local A/G congregation. It is my prayer that this temporary setback will serve to redirect their lives toward a relationship with the one who can guide them through their eternity.
As for José, we were released together and are planning to get together soon to celebrate our freedom, freedom that God redefined for us in the middle of our captivity.
Photo of the Public Ministry building from Yucatan Living.com. You can read about their experience here: http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/yucatan-license-plates.htm
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The start of September marked the anniversary of our second year in the Yucatán. Here is a look back at some of our favorite posts that you might have missed:
This post was written as a reflection on a major part of our work here in Mérida, that of teaching. It serves to remind us that if we seek to impart the tools necessary, and convey an attitude that promotes learning, we can create an investigator who seeks to find the answer and apply truth in such a way as to create change.
This article was inspired by our trip to the flood stricken region of Tabasco, where we found that in a town where even the name encourages people to stay away, God had decided to take up residence.
A reflection on the human condition, this post reminds us that, although we struggle in our “in-betweeness” of imperfection and disappointment, the promise of Easter is that the redemption of our soul that we currently enjoy will one day be universally applied.
This post reminds us that, when it comes to evangelism, the real question should not be, “How should our evangelism look?” but rather, “How should our evangelism be motivated?”
This last selection is a light look at sharing responsibilities in a missionary home.
We’re thankful for the two years of ministry that we have had here the Yucatán. It’s our prayer that, with your continued partnership, we will be able to celebrate many more.
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Here on the mission field, we’ve come to recognize that it is important to take advantage opportunities. Take the grocery store for example. Certain staples that we depended on in the US, like applesauce, make appearances for a limited time only. So, when we saw the display of “puré de manzana” at the local Wal-Mart, we bought 5 jars.
Of course, taking advantage of opportunities requires a certain amount of preparation. First, you have to be looking for them. If we had decided that we would never see applesauce again, it’s possible that we would have passed by the display without even noticing. Second, you have to be able to make the investment. A hand-to-mouth style of living doesn’t allow wiggle room for large purchases, so without the needed cash we would have had to pass up the sweet appley goodness.
Ministry can be the same way. Opportunities arise at time when we least expect it. Take this week: a casual dinner conversation turned to a daughter in need; a meeting the next day touched on the subject of a marriage in trouble; and a greeting after service brought with it a story of sickness and family strife. How would we view each situation? Would we see them as opportunities to apply the gospel we preach and teach or would they be taken as distractions in our otherwise busy day?
I’m happy to say that each situation that I mentioned we took the opportunity to minister. A daughter was counseled, a marriage encouraged, and a fellow believer prayed for. Still, I wonder, did we see all of the opportunities? Was God working in other ways that we weren’t prepared for? Or perhaps we simply weren’t willing to invest?
Paul asks the Ephesians for prayer in chapter 6 verses 18-20 that he might boldly speak the gospel. I believe that this petition not only has to do with attitude but also with availability. Paul wrote his letter in chains. He did not have the freedom to travel and to teach. It would have been easy to say that others now need to take up the work, that now was his time to rest. He could have closed himself off from the world, and yet he asked for prayer so that he would “open his mouth” to share.
We too ask for that prayer, that we who have been called as ambassadors of Christ will take advantage of every opportunity available to us. That we will be able to recognize how God is working in each situation and align ourselves to cooperate with Him as He carries out his mission here in Mexico and around the world.
Oh, and if you’ve got the scoop on where to find some Twizzlers here in Mérida we’re ready to buy.
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When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
–Psalm 73:16-17
Over the past week, we’ve been hit with news of tragedy. One friend lost an unborn child, what was to be his first. Another passed away during a stem cell transplant procedure that was supposed to save him, and now we have received news that yet another of our friends is struggling for his life after cancer surgery.
All of these friends are committed Christians, two of them missionaries. The baby, Hannah, had never seen the light of day. Just weeks from being born, she was taken. Joe, a campus missionary, had only a few years ago left the US to take on the challenge of introducing the atheistic Scottish university community to Jesus. Though his ministry had already touched a generation of college students in the US, it was clear that he felt that there was much more work to be done. Doug, who is currently in the hospital, is a missionary to Africa. Having fought and beaten cancer before they had returned to the field only to see the cancer come back and with it a need to fight once more.
In each circumstance I am left asking, “Why?” Certainly I have explanations. I understand that we live in a sin-stained world, one in which the righteous suffer along with the wicked. I also know that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord,” but the reality of it all is simply overwhelming, impossible to comprehend. Like the psalmist, I am left groping for answers.
But in my search for answers, I find myself seeking the presence of the Lord. Recently, I picked up my guitar and sang, hearing the words of the worship songs anew and allowing them to carry me to a place where I could focus solely on the Lord. I cried, I prayed, and I cried some more. At the end of that time, I had no more answers, but my perspective had changed. Focusing on the magnificence of God, I understood that He is not wringing His hands at the recent turn of events, but rather is still firmly in control. And experiencing those moments, alone in His presence, helped me to understand that He is still very much concerned and involved with each of us who cry out to Him.
So like the mason, who must brick-by-brick continue the work though he may not have access to the master plan, we continue on here knowing only in part. Still, I am thankful that He who alone is all-knowing has allowed to meet with Him, where we find that our need for His presence is greater than our need to know why.
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Well, not really, but stops and starts made putting together an introductory video something of a long-term project. Originally started as a response to a request from Glad Tidings Assemblies of God in West Lawn, PA for videos from the missionaries that they support, we decided an intro video could serve our website guests as well. We made two versions, one to be shown on a Sunday Morning for the church and one to introduce our family and ministry here on discipleMexico.org. So here, without further ado, is our very own introductory video. (Click on the flash player to the left to launch it or here if your are receiving this update via email.)
In addition to this new video, we’ve totally revamped our About Us page, adding this video as well as descriptions of our individual callings. And, for those of your who have yet to friend us on Facebook, you can check back to keep abreast of our current status. Just a few new ways that we’re trying to keep you connected to what’s happening here in the Yucatan.
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The amazing scientific mind, Sir Issac Newton, is quoted to have said, “If I have seen farther it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” Here in the Yucatan, if we have had any impact is because great men and women of God have forged the way before us.
Friday evening we had the privilege of hosting one such giant here in our home. Nancy Cave, along with her daughter Cristiana, came through Mérida on their way to Campeche where she ministered along with her husband, Dave, for 10 years.
Nancy and Dave, responding to the need that Superintendent Alfonso de los Reyes presented to them, made the Yucatan their home and had a tremendous impact. They were involved first in evangelism, but their servant’s heart never said “no” to a need. Dave was involved in construction, everything from furniture to entire Bible Schools. As a couple they received teams, sometimes three at a time. They ministered in campaigns, at times in the Maya language, and their work reached out to all ages.
Dave recently passed away from a prolonged battle with cancer. You can read his memorial at our fellowship’s website. His ultimate months were spent in the States receiving treatment, but his heart was always in the work. His dream was to return, but it was not to be. However, days before he went on to his reward, a Mexican pastor, who had heard of his condition, sought him out in his hospice room. When Dave saw him, his face brightened and he immediately entered into an animated conversation in Spanish about Mexico and the progress of the work. Nancy told us, “He couldn’t return to Mexico, so Mexico came to him.”
As we left Nancy and her daughter at the bus station in Mérida, bound one more time for Campeche, I thought about our work as missionaries. Ours is a relational ministry. The work that we do and the attitude that we convey leaves a lasting impression on the national church. What we do now will determine in large part the effectiveness of those who follow us. We’ve been blessed to have the wonderful foundation that the Caves laid on which to work. Therefore, as Newton said, if we have seen farther, or have have made a difference here in the Yucatán, it’s because we’ve stood on the shoulders of giants–because we’ve been given the privilege to continue the work that the Caves had started.
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Preaching Friday night, teaching Saturday morning, a week long class next week, the schedule keeps on piling up. The difference is, I’m not the one who’s dealing with it, it’s Kelly. Being invited to preach in a youth service, leading a Saturday Morning Kid’s Service, and teaching during our church’s Vacation Bible School has kept Kelly occupied, planning and preparing. So much so that I’ve decided to take some flying lessons. No, not that type of flying.
Actually, flying is a clever way of talking about housekeeping that Marla Cilley a.k.a “the FlyLaydy” invented to encourage those who would like to keep a clean house, but were never “born-organized” to achieve that dream. With my Kelly out of the picture for long stretches, I needed a little bit of motivation to help me pick up the slack around the house. So I turned to the site for tips and routines that would help me keep the house up, while enabling me to devote time my kids, who just got out of school last week. Fortunately, although FlyLady.net is definitely geared to the feminine audience, I found lots of time saving techniques that have helped me to let Kelly devote herself to her preparation, while keeping me from a nervous breakdown.
In fact, as I have been swishing toilets and scrubbing pans, I found myself thinking of the spirituality of it all. No, I’m not saying that doing the dishes is helping me get closer to God, but switching roles has helped me understand a bit more about ministering as a missionary couple. Ephesians 5:22-33 is the classic passage on the husband and wife relationship. Wives are to submit, while husbands are to love. What many of us miss, however, is that Paul, in verse 21, commands all to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Now, I am not saying that Kelly is now ordering me around or leaving honey-do lists on my pillow in the morning, but what I am saying is that there are times in ministry, and I could say in secular life as well, that the husband is up front, doing the public relations and making the decisions. There are also times when that shoe is on the other foot, and the wife takes the lead. Perhaps this is what Paul was saying when he recommended Phoebe to the Romans saying, “After all, she has proved to be a respected leader for many others, including me.” (Romans 16:2 CEV)
So this week, Kelly has become the face of our public ministry. She’s been the one up front, going to meetings and making the decisions, and that’s a good thing. I’ve submitted to what the Lord is doing through her during this time knowing that He’s called us both to serve Him here in Mexico.
Speaking of what the Lord is doing, I’d like to request that you say a prayer for Kelly this weekend, and if you can, remember her throughout next week. I’m sure she’d appreciate that, and while you’re at it you can pray for me as well–dishpan hands can be really annoying.
Popularity: 26% [?]
As Jesus sent out the 12 in Matthew 10, He gave them the motive for their ministry in verse 8: “Freely you have received, freely give. Their mission of mercy–healing the sick, casting out demons, and even raising the dead is the logical response to the mercy that they had already received in the form of God drawing near. They had seen Him, touched Him, and from Him received divine power. In Matthew 10, they are sent out to tell others about Him.
What Jesus modeled is the end of any discipleship program. He made disciples who in turn made disciples, and, here in the Yucatán, we had the privilege of seeing this cycle come full circle. This past Saturday night, the ministers and members of the Assemblies of God of Yucatán met to commission and send out Norma Uitzil, a missionary, born here in Yucatán, who will be ministering among the “Untouchables” of Calcutta, India.
Yucatán has freely received. Silverio Blanco, the director of the Bible Institute, took time during the service to tell of the first evangelical missionaries who arrived in 1866 to preach in what was then the inhospitable conditions of this predominately Maya state. Since that small beginning, many have come, Presbyterians, Baptists, and Pentecostals among others. In what was once an area devoid of believers, now roughly 1 in 10 attends an evangelical congregation. Granted, there is plenty of work to be done, but the work here in the Yucatán has entered a different stage. It is time for this district to take its place in the evangelization of the world, and missionary Norma Uitzil is one of the first to respond to that call.
About a year and a half ago, I spoke of Jaime and Jaqueline Chacon, missionaries from Costa Rica that are now serving in the U.S. I echoed in that post the words of our regional director, Dick Nicholson, who said that missions is no longer the U.S. or the traditionally Christian Nations that are sending missionaries to the ends of the earth; missions has become a movement in which God is calling people from everywhere to go to everywhere. We believe more than ever in that idea. To that effect, we are currently heading up the missions program in the church that we attend, and we are committed to continually preach missions in the various congregations in which we are invited to speak.
Some might say that it is an impossibility to promote missions in an area where the minimum wage is $5 a day, but people like Norma are proving that we serve a God who makes the impossible possible. So, as we were called forward to pray for her, I asked as well that God would begin to call others to respond to His world-wide mandate, that others would hear His heartbeat for the nations and dare to believe that they can make a difference. After all, freely we all have received, its only natural that we all freely give.
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It’s a common scene, actors, tears streaming down their faces, holding their award, reciting the list of people who contributed to their success, and although recent years have seen limits placed on award acceptance speeches, we’ve come to expect the laundry list of names; we’ve come to think of it as a natural part of graciously recognizing that one’s accomplishments are not achieved without the contributions of others. It’s funny though, when we think on special occasions, like the Father’s Day that we just celebrated last Sunday, we tend to bask in the attention and forget those who’ve made us the fathers that we are, our kids.
As I woke up Sunday morning, on the breakfast table sat the new desk set that Kelly had purchased for me–a letter organizer, a pen holder, and a nifty paper clip dispenser, but what gave me pause was a picture frame holding the image that you see above. Immediately, it put the day in perspective. If it wasn’t for my kids, I wouldn’t be a father. So permit me to brag on them a bit in this post.
Rebekah our oldest, aside from being the beautiful 9 year old that she is, is a voracious reader and extremely intelligent individual. When it comes to trivia, she loves to be right, and usually is. Not limited to book knowledge, however, she’s amazingly creative and has style all her own. She’s a lover of animals like her mother, especially horses, who she hopes to treat one day as a veterinarian.
Joseph is our dreamer. He’s got big plans and the persistence to achieve them, but he doesn’t just have his head in the clouds; he’s firmly planted on the ground, often on all fours inspecting the latest insect that has caught his eye. We expect him to take up a career as an electrician, planning skyscrapers or as a biologist studying the nature that he loves.
Jonathan, our youngest, is a happy-go-lucky kind of kid. He knows no strangers and is quick to converse with whoever might be around. He has a natural kindness and an attention to detail that enables him to know just when to use it, be it to give the timely hug to lift a parent’s spirit or the well placed comment to receive the sip of juice or cookie that he’s had his eye on. We expect him to take up a career in public relations.
Yes I’m a proud father, and although it’s come with it’s challenges I’m thankful for the ones who have made it possible for me to be called Dad. And while I have them with me, I’m intent on enjoying every moment.
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Our print newsletter hasn’t yet made to the printer, but you can get the electronic copy here at disciplemexico.org in advance. Just click here or on the photo to get up to date.
Remember, in order to read the newsletter, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat reader, which is available for free.
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I just finished up another evangelism conference, this marking my sixth opportunity to hold such an event here in the Yucatán. With more experience comes more confidence in sharing the material, but that experience also brings a certain familiarity with the topic–an anticipation you could say of the inquiries and the reaction of the audience, but during class this last Thursday, a question was asked that I hadn’t anticipated.
We had been studying Mark 6:30-44, the account of the feeding of the 5,000, and contrasting the disciples’ reaction to the crowd’s needs with that of Jesus. Analyzing the context, we concluded that the disciples’ inaction and Jesus action was related to a key element, compassion. Jesus saw the plight of the crowd and the compassion that he felt moved him to action even though he was in the midst of extreme personal sorrow. The disciples, coming off of a successful preaching tour, failed to react because their lack of compassion.
Usually, the anticipated question is “How do we learn to react in the way Jesus did?” a question that I anticipate and answer within the lesson follow-up, but this time an unanticipated question was raised; a student asked: “Should we act compassionately first and then preach, or should we preach first and then display acts of compassion?” Caught off guard, I had to think a bit about the question. I wanted to know what it was that this student was trying to clear up in his mind. His clarification clued me in. Some organizations emphasize compassionate acts, feeding programs, rehabilitation centers, and medical clinics while others emphasize teaching and preaching engagements. This student was trying to understand what stance we should take in the debate between presenting evangelism as a moment of decision or what what some call the “social gospel.”
The question illustrates the danger of thinking in predefined categories. It can cause us to limit our outreaches to traditional activities like preaching, teaching, and passing out tracts while avoiding food distribution or medical clinics in an attempt to show our emphasis on “telling the good news,” or it can cause us to add mandatory evangelistic events to our “social outreach” in order to justify the undertaking, a practice that can lead others to criticize us as evangelicals for opportunistic proselytizing, or can lead to the phenomenon of “Rice Christians,” those who confess Christianity as long as the hand outs keep coming.
Separating compassion and preaching/teaching into separate categories should make us ask the questions: “Is our preaching without compassion?” and “Is social outreach condemned or considered second-class by scripture?” Obviously the answer to both questions is no. The real question, therefore, should not be, “How should our evangelism look?” but rather, “How should our evangelism be motivated?”
Returning to the passage in question, we see that Jesus taught and fed the needy crowd. There was no separation of his actions into evangelistic and social. Rather compassion motivated him to meet the need before him. Jesus wasn’t checking off items on his list; he was instead showing us that the compassionate response considers its recipient as a whole person.
Interchanging the word compassion for love can perhaps clarify the point. Paul, in trying to settle church division in Corinth, culminates his argument for unity with the famous love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, which he introduces as “the most excellent way.” In his opening words, he lists both “spiritual” (prophesy and tongues and the practice of faith) and “compassionate” (giving to the poor) acts as worthless without love. It’s little wonder then that 1 John 4:12 says that we would be known to be true, not for our excellent Bible teaching or for our hospital building, but rather for our love, and this is fitting because love when perfectly applied led to eternal life. (Jn 3:16)
Reaching out to a lost world in love then enables us to push past the categories and throw away our checklists. Ultimately it allows us to utilize the appropriate means to communicate God’s love, be it through a cup of cold water or an offer to pray the sinner’s prayer.
Learning and encouraging the most excellent way here in the Yucatán,
Dave
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I’ll be traveling to Florida next week in order to attend an ACLAME summit where teachers across Latin America will be meeting to discuss what we do as missionary educators. This upcoming convention has given me pause for thought about my own experience some of which I’d like to share with you today.
As I’ve been here in Mérida, I’ve had the privilege of teaching for a year and a half in the Bible Institute. This is a job that I have met with much fear and feeling of responsibility. As James says, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” I understood the need to prepare myself mentally and spiritually for the task before me, something that my family could attest as they frequently find me in my “cave” praying and writing, trying to sort out what I am to share with my classes.
Nevertheless, as I become more aware of the environment that I find myself in, I have found something that I was not prepared for. I entered into the learning environment with expectation. I was under the impression that the students that I would be teaching would be looking for answers, trying to hone their skills in order to seek the gospel take root in otherwise fruitless ground. I expected students to challenge me with their questions and compel me to further study as we sought to practically apply the theology that we assimilated each day, and in some cases, this is what I have found. But as I look over the half-finished assignments and the failing grades of others, I’ve faced a different reality, one that is in stark contrast with my expectations.
So I’m left with the task of answering the question, “what am I doing wrong?” Bruce Wilkinson, a teacher associated with Walk Thru The Bible Bible Ministries, says that motivating his or her students to learn is the task of the teacher. Therefore, if I am to be brutally honest with myself, and if I am to take James’ admonition at face value, then I need to reevaluate my teaching style and find out how I can reach those who fail to excel in their studies.
The Bible College system in Latin America accepts all students who feel called to the ministry regardless of their educational background. They need only letter of recommendation from their pastor in order to gain entrance into the program. This means that many of those who study lack the essential tools that they need in order to complete the requirements of the classes that they enter. I have found that the majority of students have never written a paper or done an investigation. One of my students admitted to me that her studies only reached as far as the fourth grade!
What does this mean? First, it seems to imply that education, according to my interpretation as the exchange and analysis of ideas is not necessarily the goal of my students. Instead, they are looking for intensely practical and readily applicable methods that they can use now in their context. They are not interested in asking questions; they are looking for answers. Therefore, my task as professor requires me to meet the expectations of my students by providing them answers while at the same time builds the tools that they need to make learning a lifestyle.
I find myself taking the role of a Mr Miyagi of the Karate Kid. Daniel, his student, wanted to learn to fight, but Mr Miyagi only left him to menial tasks like painting the fence and sanding the floor. Only when Daniel blocks a series of kicks and punches with techniques that he had learned by painting and sanding does he come to understand and appreciate Mr Miyagi’s style. So I’m restructuring my teaching style. Instead of driving ahead in order to complete the material, I am finding myself teaching concepts of research and reasoning, helping students formulate good questions for interviews, and locating good resources in the library. I’m breaking concepts down and trying to reinforce small steps toward large goals, all the while seeking to illustrate how the job of the minister makes the learning of each tool we cover essential.
On one hand, I lament not being able to get to “the meat” of the course, but at the same time, I realize that formal education, if it is honest with itself, must admit that it cannot impart all knowledge. I have only 3 years with a Bible School student. That is an incredibly short amount of time to communicate knowledge. Furthermore, I have to admit that I have forgotten far more that I have internalized over my 8 years of higher education. However, if I seek to impart the tools necessary to study, and convey an attitude that promotes learning, I can create a lifetime learner, an investigator who seeks to find the answer and apply truth in such a way as to create change. I guess that you could say that my goal is to create someone like the Karate Kid, who will find they have what it takes to survive and thrive in a world increasingly hostile to the traditional Christian message. I appreciate your prayers as I attempt to make this happen.
I have to go right now though. There is a fly buzzing and I need to find my chopsticks.
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The English language is much in demand here in the Yucatán, especially with the tourism that places like Chichén Itzá attract, so we often run into students who want to practice what they’ve learned with us as we go about the city. Businesses as well like to get into the act, capitalizing on the popularity that English enjoys, and billboard and signs in English are common. Unfortunately, some businesses such as the one above use English but don’t quite understand it.
This sign in the picture says: “Super 32 Thanks God is Monday” I’m trying to decide if it’s a Monday morning encouragement or a new theology. So far we’ve not had the chance to ask the owner about it. In the meantime, what do you think? Do you have any ideas as to what they might be trying to say? Leave us a comment if you’d like to take a stab at the interpretation.
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Evangelistic Campaign to be held at Salem Church in Kanazín, Yucatán
Pastor: Roger Rejón
Theme: Joshua 24:15
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Evangelistic Campaign to be held at Salem Church in Kanazín, Yucatán
Pastor: Roger Rejón
Theme: Isaiah 55:6
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First session in a series of 4 to be held at “Sendero de la Cruz” church in Mérida, Yucatán
Pastor: Julian Magaña
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Evangelistic Campaign to be held at Salem Church in Kanazín, Yucatán
Pastor: Roger Rejón
Theme: 2 Corinthians 6:2
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I have the pleasure of reading some excellent blogs about missions and discipleship. Recently, I came across this excellent post from Guy Muse a Baptist missionary to Ecuador. He writes:
Everyday for the past two weeks and continuing for two weeks more, our team has been teaching groups of fifteen pastors who are coming to Guayaquil from all over the coastal region of Ecuador. They are being introduced to our COSECHA (Harvest) discipleship/church planting training materials that will be used to reach the goal of 1-million disciples in one year.
The heart of the training is making disciples. The only way to win/disciple a million in a year is to begin making disciples that make disciples. Nothing new. But are we doing it? Am I doing it?
If we are out there everyday exhorting everyone about the priority of making disciples, who am I discipling? My biggest fear everyday in the trainings is that someone will bluntly ask me who I am discipling!
These strong soul-searching words hit home. We solicit funds saying that we are going to reach the lost, and yet, as we look at our schedules, our calendars are full of spiritual retreats and Bible conferences. Our to-do lists include research for Bible school classes and fund raising for church projects, but discipleship, defined as reaching and training followers of Christ, seems surprisingly absent. If we were to truly provide evidence of meeting our goals of reaching the lost based on our professional activities, it is highly possible that we’d come up short.
But why? God forbid that we would have intentionally mislead churches into thinking that we were doing something that we are not. I think that we hit the ground intending to see lost people saved and an impact made in the community where we live. So what keeps us from being able to see the results that we so desire?
One reason I believe that this happens is because of our dependence on the local church as we get our “feet on the ground” in ministry. As we arrive in the community where we minister, we look for people to help us establish our lives in the foreign context. We need everything from furniture to handymen to help us to get started and build a secure environment for our families and a base from which we can work. Being representatives of a religious organization, more often than not we find that help coming from Christians.
This in itself is not a bad thing of course. There are few things more assuring to a man or woman who is dealing with his or her second complete move in a year to two separate and absolutely foreign environments than to be able to delegate important tasks to another believer who will treat him or her honestly and amicably as the missionary stumbles through cultural adaptation and adjustment. However, the downside to all of this is that we begin our experience in that new culture by building a cloistered environment for ourselves that keeps us from relating with neighbors who do not have a relationship with Christ and may be seeking the message that we came to share.
Further complicating the matter is the fact that these Christians generally introduce us to other Christians who then invite us to address any number of groups and participate in any number of events generally frequented by other Christians. Before we know it, we are deeply entrenched in a Christian culture and, although busy, have severely hindered ourselves from having a real first-hand impact on the predominantly non-Christian world that we live in.
Now don’t get me wrong, I believe that those of us who serve a predominantly Christian audience, doing leadership training and pastoral conferences, do a great deal of good. Nevertheless, there is a question that haunts me: Does my professional schedule exempt me from fulfilling the Great Commission?
Another often repeated concept is that most of what is learned, that is what is transferred and actually applied to a person’s life comes through the teacher’s ability to model what he or she is communicating. In other words, that which is learned is more often caught than taught. This serves as well to make the reality all the more convincing, we as missionaries can’t just train disciplers we have to be disciplers ourselves.
But how? How can we who have been caught up in the busyness of the ministry refocus our lives in order to prioritize discipleship ministry? I have a few ideas:
These things are coming to pass in our lives as we have evaluated our ministry and daily life here in Mérida. I’m happy to report that we can count many non-Christians now as our friends. Pray for us as we engage ourselves in their their lives and adjust our schedules to keep discipleship a true focus of our ministry.
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I don’t consider myself a builder. I’ve never created anything that I can remember, except maybe the lopsided pencil holder that I made for my mom in my Boy Scouts basket weaving merit badge class. Still, I can tell when things aren’t quite right. That’s exactly Pastor Rudy Manzano noticed shortly after he took the pastorate of “El Tabernaculo” church in Yaxkukul. The roof above his congregation was bulging in the middle, a sure sign that things were amiss.
He spoke with an engineer about his problem and asked him to give him his opinion. What he had to say was not what he wanted to hear. The beams that held the roof in place had not been cured correctly. Therefore, they were unable to hold the weight of the blocks and the cement used in its construction. The roof was in danger of collapse. It had to go and soon.
So the congregation tore down the roof. The danger has passed, but now they face a problem. The rains are on their way. Beginning in May, the Yucatán receives rains almost each afternoon, and hurricane season from July through November means that it will be months before this congregation will have a building to call their home.
Kelly, the kids, and I had a chance to visit the site on Sunday. Being the type of person that likes to worship outdoors, I found the service under the blue skies to be a welcome change from the traditional unfinished concrete structures that characterize so many Assemblies of God churches here in the Southeast. Still, I knew that my breath of fresh air was a day-to-day burden for Pastor Rudy and his congregation.
I preached on faith, from Mark 7:24-30 the story of the Syrophoenician Woman, and I spoke on resolutely seeking after God. In the passage, the woman surpassed the spiritual understanding of even Jesus’s disciples as her response to a supposed rebuff revealed a truly amazing faith.
Many times we feel that obstacles are things to be avoided. Pain and suffering are products of bad choices, or even worse, sin. But in Mark 7, and I venture to say in the situation in Yaxkukul, that isn’t the case. Suffering in the case of Syrophoenician Woman caused her to resolutely seek an audience with Jesus and not be put off until she had her response. In the same way, I see the loss of this congregation’s roof as an opportunity for them to see the hand of God moving in their lives.
We had a chance to speak with the Pastor Rudy and his wife Laura at length following the service, and we found them upbeat in the face of this situation. It didn’t take long to find out why. Their oldest daughter, now attending high school had battled years before with a life threatening case of pneumonia. The strength they found in their faith brought them through that crisis. Now, they wait patiently on God knowing that He will yet again provide.
The wonderful thing about the family of God is that we have an opportunity in this situation as well. We can be an instrument of God’s provision for this congregation. The people of Yaxkukul are doing what they can, but it will take time for this group to get together the $13,000 that they will need to finish the work, time that they do not have.
Would you consider being a part? If you would like to donate directly to this work, you can give through this secure web-server by entering your offering and the project name and number “RECONSTRUCTION OF CHURCH ROOF TABERNACULO” #14312.”
For pictures of the project click here.
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OK, for those of you looking for something more profound, I’m sorry to disappoint. This post is devoid of deep thought. Instead it focuses on the technical side of my portfolio here in Mexico.
Part of what I do here in Mexico deals with maintaining my website, and the website of our Missionary Fellowship. Maintenance has a lot to do with staying current, and when the web management software that you use tends to upgrade every three months, staying current can be a challenge. I use WordPress as the engine that drives what we do at discipleMexico.org and today, I completed the upgrade process to the brand new version 2.5
Part of my reasoning behind the upgrade is to ensure the security and stability of our website. There are many languishing installs that are currently succumbing to hackers and spammers and losing their status in search engines because of it. Problems like that can hurt non-profits like us who rely on a low-cost web presence to promote their message. It pays to be current.
The other part of my reasoning lies in taking advantage of new features that the software provides. I’m on the lookout constantly for step savers or ways to extend what I offer. I was particularly interested in the WordPress 2.5 gallery feature. If it worked, it would allow me to ditch my another process and help me get pictures up more easily, and perhaps more frequently. Of course, that was only if it worked.
The first upgrade, a 5 minute process performed through WordPress Automatic Upgrade failed to produce the brand new uploader which is the heart and soul of the new gallery feature. Without that, my new time-saver was dead on arrival. OK, time to trouble-shoot, an hour of trying this and that proved fruitless. Only a complete reinstall of the software, this time manually installed, allowed me to access the new uploader.
OK. Step one solved, now on to the next, producing a gallery. I looked for examples to see what this new tool was capable of. Would it fit the bill for my site? A quick tour of the Internet proved promising, but my first gallery was a flop. With no navigation, the supposed gallery seemed unwieldy and useless. It looked like I was going to be tied to my third-party solution. Still, something in me said that there was a solution out there. Others would not have been able to get the results that they had achieved without software mature enough to deliver.
A deeper search revealed that the gallery feature relies not only on the new uploader, but also on a new template called image.php, available in the default theme. Part of the problem of heeding the upgrade warnings that WordPress sends is that many of the new and improved features are poorly documented. Tags were a case in point a few releases back. This time the photo gallery has proven to be the winner.
Sure enough, copying the image.php file to my current theme did the trick. With a few tweaks and a few bug fixes, I achieved success. My first WordPress native gallery was born. I’ve posted it below. It’s a conglomeration of some prominent images characteristic of the Mexico that we have experienced. It’s not exhaustive, but it displays a bit of what the WordPress gallery can do. I hope you enjoy.
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Many thanks to all who were instrumental in prayer during this trying week. Kelly and I were both down dealing with different sicknesses. Hers was an amoebic infection while I was flat on my back for many days as the doctors tried to determine which antibiotic was going to vanquish my dreaded nemesis, the sinus infection. We are both back on our feet again, the blessed recipients of the care and concern, (thanks Kazims), prayers (thanks especially to Carlos who called and prayed with me), and the understanding of 3 wonderful kids (thanks Rebekah, Joseph and Jonathan.)
During my convalescence, I had little to do save read, and read I did, voluminously. My most profound experience came through the words of Philip Yancey in his book “The Jesus I Never Knew.” It is an excellent work on the Jesus that came near, analyzing his personhood, teachings, miracles, and legacy.
A concept in this book spoke to me as I lay there waiting for my body to respond to treatment, waiting for my healing to come. There were moments of despair, frustration and to be sure pain. I was “in-between.” I had been given what I had needed in order to heal. I had the promise of health from the doctor, I just needed to wait. However, as the moments stretched to hours and the hours to days, the waiting was difficult, tedious, dreadful. I was tired of the delay.
We who hope for redemption are in this state of “in betweenness,” the time between Christ’s ascension and His return. Yancey says it is a sort of Saturday. He states that both the other two days, Good Friday and Easter Sunday have names on the Church calendar. But we who live in this time live on Saturday, the day with no name, the time between the promise and the fulfillment, and to be sure we fret, and become frustrated, and we despair. All around us are the signs of the decay of this world–sickness, corruption, poverty. Even our own bodies remind us that, despite our struggle to overcome, we’re made of the stuff of this earth. Yancey explains:
What the disciples experience in a small scale–three days in grief over a man who died on the cross–we now live on a cosmic scale. Human history grinds on, between the time of promise and fulfillment. Can we trust that God can make something holy out of a world that includes Bosnia and Rwanda, and inner-city ghettos and jammed prisons in the richest nation on earth?
And I ask myself: can I trust that God can make something holy out of my setbacks, my failures, and even my infections?
It’s Saturday on planet earth; will Sunday ever come?
Yet in the same way that three days of grief came to an end that Easter morning now over 2000 years ago. Our promise too will be realized because:
Easter opened up a crack in the universe winding down toward entropy and decay, sealing the promise that someday God will enlarge the miracle of Easter to a cosmic scale.
My waiting of sickness is over. My body has responded, I’m recovering, and thankfully, so is Kelly. Still, in the meantime we wait; we wait for all to be set in order, we wait for our final redemption while we hold out hope to a world increasingly reluctant to respond. But we know, despite what Paul calls our light and momentary troubles, our waiting is not in vain. Our King will come!
Photo by jaqian
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There’s an old song that says “I get by with a little help from my friends…” It’s been a full two weeks since my last post, and I have much to tell about the missions trip that we hosted and the work that we accomplished, but I’ve been sick. Yes, sick like last year. So this latest offering is offered with the help of my friend, my brother to be exact. Here is a highlight from the Chi Alpha missions trip that he mentioned on his blog:
One of the most rewarding parts of the trip was seeing the result of our work last year. At the end of that week, we met a man named Daniel. He was a member of the church in Muna and the tour guide for our visit to the Mayan ruins of Uxmal. During our time together, he mentioned to Dave how much he liked our presentation and that he would love to develop the church’s evangelistic outreach. That conversation opened the door for Dave to begin training church leaders in sharing their faith. Together, Dave and Daniel set up opportunities for us to work alongside trained church members sharing the gospel in 5 different communities. Amazing–and to think it all began on our day off from “missions work!” I thank God for the opportunity to see the impact of our trip first-hand and I can’t wait until next year.
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Our print newsletter is on the way to press, but you can get the electronic copy here at disciplemexico.org in advance. Just click here or on the photo to get up to date.
Remember, in order to read the newsletter, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat reader, which is available for free.
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Holy Week preaching engagement at Maranatha Church Tixpeual, Yucatán.
Pastor: Natanael Ku Cetina
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Holy Week preaching engagement at Golgotha Christian Center Church Mérida, Yucatán.
Pastor: Orlando Vázquez
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We’ve made it back from our second annual Chi Alpha Spring Break Missions Trip in Yucatán. (You can read about the first one here) We are still in recovery mode following 8 days of hard labor and evangelistic services, but we didn’t want to let time slip away without filling you in on some of the details. This post and its companion video speak of the impact that missions trips can have on its participants.
Cenotes are a common feature of the landscape of the Yucatán. Cenotes are created when the acidic rain region eats away at the limestone bedrock. Eventually, water filled caves are created by this continual erosion. When finally the roof falls in, the cenote is revealed.
Cenotes today are a welcome relief to the Yucatán heat. Their cool water and regulated temperatures serve as a refuge and source of recreation for many, but, years ago, cenotes were a primary water source and a site of religious ritual.
Because of the lack of rivers, streams, and lakes, cenotes were the main source of water for the indigenous Maya that populated the region before the Spanish conquest. Furthermore, cenotes were thought to be the entrance to the Maya watery underworld known as Xibalba (prounounced she-bal-ba. For this reason, in many cenotes can be found pottery, jewelry, and other offerings as well as human remains in such cenotes as the Sacred Well at Chichén Itzá.
Why all this talk about cenotes? Well it just so happens that this natural limestone formation, so important in ancient and modern times has just taken on a new significance in the life of one of our team members, Ashley Wall. A return member of our team, she decided to be baptized in a cenote near the city of Muna, where we did the majority of our work.
This cenote is a rather young one; it was uncovered by a family drilling for a well some years ago. So there was little fear of encountering ritual remains as we entered, but still, the connotation cannot be dismissed. This ancient source of life-giving water gave witness to a declaration of dependence on the Water of Life, Jesus Christ. This shadowy entrance into the underworld was converted into a place of rebirth, and this refuge from the heat became a symbolic bath where sins were washed away.
We hope that you enjoy this installment from our Chi Alpha Missions Trip ‘08 and rejoice with us as we congratulate Ashley for taking this step of faith.
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We are preparing for a busy week of ministry as we receive my brother, Mike, and his team of 9 students from the Chi Alpha Campus Ministry at American University. Instead of choosing a party spot, this group has decided to invest their Spring Break in ministry, trading a beach towel for a shovel and all night partying for evangelistic rallies.
The group arrives at the Mérida airport tomorrow at 9:00 PM, but that’s not where the story begins. This event has been in the planning stages since November of last year, and it’s scope is larger than anything we’ve attempted before.
Preparations began with two intensive evangelism training courses held in Muna and in Mérida. In these sessions, 4 churches had the opportunity to learn about personally communicating the gospel. We encouraged each student to focus on a list of five individuals that they could evangelize, praying, serving and sharing with each person in the months that preceded the arrival of the Chi Alpha team. The team in turn was preparing to share a gospel message, with the hope to be able to share this message with people who are ready to receive.
At this point, the excitement is brewing with several churches looking to capitalize on the special event that is the ministry of these college students. In Abalá, a village 1/2 hour away from Muna, there are plans to plant a church, in Opichén a town on the route to the Maya ruins of Uxmal, the town square is being reserved for the event. In Muna, the evangelism committee has painted 20 walls with the phrase: “Do you feel dry?” (Te sientes Seco?)The answer will be brought as the team distributes water and an invitation to the night’s service that says “Jesus is the water of life!” In Sacalúm the church has planned a 3 night campaign that the team will open on Wednesday.
Thinking about all of this, I can’t help but smile. Our desire when we arrived in Mexico was to serve as a catalyst within the state of Yucatán–an element that would enable the local church launch out in ministry. As this event begins to take shape, I have the feeling that we are accomplishing that goal though these efforts, providing opportunities for congregations to take their place as Christ’s ambassadors as they announce the kingdom of God in their communities.
Keep us in prayer this week, and keep posted for the good reports as Americans and Mexicans work side by side in ministry.
By the way, for those of you that voted on last week’s post we’ve declared Mike the winner! His prize? Well a trip to Mexico. of course!
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My brother Mike and 9 members of his Chi Alpha group from American University in Washington, DC will be working in the state of Yucatan in the cities of Muna with Pastor Julian Puc, Opichén with Pastor Leodegario Yah, and Sacalum with Pastor Hasabias Puc to lend a hand in construction as well as to hold evangelistic services.
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Traditional Holy Week celebrated by protestants and catholics in Mexico, and the final week of the Catholic Cuaresma (Lent). This week begins on Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday) and culminates on la Pascua (Resurrection Sunday).
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We missionaries have a serious job, but it’s important as well that we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Kelly snapped this picture during the prayer time at Monte de Sion Church in Sacalum, Yucatán. As she showed it to me this morning, she asked, “What were you doing?” Well, I thought I would open this up to the opinions of our readers. What do you think it looks like I’m doing? Write a comment and we’ll highlight the most creative interpretation.
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Even after a year and a half here in Mérida, God still finds ways of stretching us. In January, while chatting with pastors before a sectional meeting, our president asked if I played an instrument. I responded that every now and again I played the guitar, while I had considerable experience on the drums. He followed up that question with a request that I lead worship that meeting. Now, I had lead worship in the past, but always in English. (I think the number of choruses that I know on the guitar in Spanish could be counted on one hand.) Therefore, I did what any self-respecting perfectionist would–I put him off, until the next month.
I used that time to gather the some more choruses, practice, and pray. (It’s amazing how the weeks fly when you’re anticipating something like this.) Of course, I second guessed my decision. I almost breathed a sigh of relief when I thought that perhaps the meeting had been canceled for the month, but, regardless of my doubts, the event came. The end result this last Monday certainly wasn’t perfect, but it was a beginning. I was able to sing (staying on key for the majority of the service), play the guitar, and I actually felt that I had led others in worship.
When I began my Spanish classes, I looked forward to the day when I would be able to do this very thing, but for one reason or another, I had put it off. Not enough time, other responsibilities more pressing, the list could go on. Isn’t it great that God doesn’t forget those dreams? In fact, I’ve found He sometimes uses others to push us into realizing them.
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“Mérida is a tranquil place.” It’s a place where “no pasa nada (nothing happens),” the residents enjoy saying, but this headline from today’s edition of the Diario de Yucatán, one of the major newspapers of the city, seems to suggest that things may be changing.
No, we are not under military alert, nor have we hired armed guards to follow us around the city. And yes, children still do play in the park down the street, and many enjoy evening strolls along the avenues. But what many once thought was impossible here is now becoming somewhat routine.
Let me give you a run-down of the events.
Again, I’m not writing this post to alarm you, only to show you the current state of events here in Mérida and ask you to pray. Sure, we’d like to see Mérida return to the sleepy city that it once was, but we would also like to see this wake up call to the police become a wake up call to non-believers and Christians alike.
This world that we live in is broken, and increased security can’t fix it. Only the message of forgiveness of Jesus and a restored relationship with God can, and only a unified, mobilized church, reaching out to it’s community can bring this message.
Pray for peace, but pray for the lasting peace that only salvation can bring.
Photos are from www.yucatan.com.mx. You may also read the special section detailing these events in Spanish.
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I was reading the blogs of some other missionaries, specifically an interesting series of posts on “God’s call to the fools,” when I came across a little tool that measures the level of education that it takes to read and understand a certain website. Some that I tried required an elementary level education, others a high school education and so on. Imagine my surprise however, when I found what it took to read and understand disciplemexico.org. That’s right, the blog readability test said that it takes a genius to understand the things that I say.
This leads me to two conclusions:
Oh, and if you want to check out how your blog rates, head over to the blog readability test and find out for yourself.
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“Leave if you can!” That is the translated name of Salsipuedes one of the two towns that we visited on our medical relief trip to Tabasco. The village of Salsipuedes is situated on the Grijalva River in the Centla of Tabasco, a wetlands region of the state that’s three hours from the capital, one hour on good roads and two on what many would consider “off-road conditions,” but even more overwhelming than the distance to reach this place was the need that we met when we arrived. Sandy Kazim, the organizer and one of the medical providers of the trip told us that for much of the time she felt as though she was running an ER instead of a medical clinic. Four children in the same home with bronchitis and a woman who had recently miscarried were some of the most difficult cases, but case after case of skin infection and other diseases kept the medical providers working long past sunset, the time that we were told we had to leave for the sake of our personal security. Equally as tragic was the spiritual condition of the site. There were reports of active witchcraft taking place and a general look of hopelessness on the faces of many. “Leave if you can” –the name seemed to fit.
Still, that’s the funny thing about the God that we serve. Of all of the needy places that we could have gone, He sent us to the town of Salsipuedes. I think perhaps it was because, even though others had given up on that “Godforsaken” place, He hadn’t. He sent us there as an extension of His love in a tangible way.
I had the chance to enter into homes with several of the students of the Bible Institute while the medical team treated the sick. And as we passed from house to house, entering into their world, I thought of what Christ did for each one of us. He left His glory to live among us, to experience what we experience and to give us the hope that comes from a relationship with God. We in turn were serving as his representatives, offering the same hope that we now enjoy in a place where hope seemed for many to be a distant memory.
I spoke to many and told them that, although they might not have expected it, God had sent us to them specifically to let them know that He had decided to stay in Salsipuedes and that he was looking for hearts in which he could live. We prayed with many as they wrestled to take those first steps toward a relationship with their Creator.
What will happen is hard to determine. The routine of the life poverty has a grip that is relentless. C.S. Lewis once said it this way:
Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
So is the work in Salsipuedes; the population is run down, too tired to hope, too tired to dream of something better, and perhaps easily placated with the counterfeits that false religions or momentary escapes like drugs and alcohol can provide. Still, I believe that something began in the heart of those that we touched on that Friday. They received a taste of the love of God, and I believe that through the persistence of the pastor and the congregation that is serving that town, together with the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit, the very character of that town can change. In fact, I’m looking forward to the day when they invite us to the official name changing ceremony.
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An official Mexican holiday that kicks off a five-day celebration of the libido before the Catholic lent. Beginning the weekend before Lent, Carnaval is celebrated exuberantly with parades, floats and dancing in the streets.
Source:Mexonline.com
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Religious holiday that is celebrated with processions, dancing, bullfights in certain cities, and the blessing of the seeds and candles.
Source:Mexonline.com
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New period of classes begins at “Betel” Bible Institute in Mérida Yucatán
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The second and final session in a series of Evangelism Training Classes to be held at “Lirio de los Valles” in Muna, Yucatán
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This is the first in a series of evangelism training classes to be held in Opichén, Yucatan
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With the close of the year comes the barrage of top fives, tens, twenties… and while most of the lists are the best of (insert item here). I thought that you’d might enjoy another look at some of our favorite posts over the last year. They may not be the most popular, but they’re definitely worth another look:
In the personal reflection category among my favorites are:
Oh the Humanity: This personal reflection on the mystery of God’s involvement with our humanness came through a time of prolonged sickness. It’s words continue to ring true especially during this season as we celebrate the incarnation of our Lord.
Topes: With insight into Mexican culture, and cross-cultural ministry in general, this post reminds me that God is in control.
From the out of the ordinary category I would have to note:
A Visit From the Tooth Mouse: This tongue-in-cheek post presents the Latin alternative to the tooth fairy as well as some of the difficulties we face as we live in the city of Mérida.
Coincidence or Confirmation: This post takes you through some of the “coincidences” that we’ve experienced in the journey to the mission field.
In the final missions category three of my favorites include:
Conversations: is a reflection on what missions means to this missionary. It’s received a bit of attention, and I hope that it serves to help us, as Byron Klaus says: “Keep the main thing the main thing.”
Dia de la Virgen and Our Missionary Methods: just happens to be one of my latest offerings. It’s a wondering post, asking questions and providing little in the way of answers, but more than that, it’s an invitation to open discussion about what we’ve done and what we should plan to do as missionaries.
Back with a Story to Tell: is the first in a series of posts that details, day-by-day, the impact of a short term missions trip.
We hope these posts will serve as a representative look back on our year in ministry, while they inspire you to dream, pray, and get involved in what God is doing in you, in your community, and in the world.
Prospero Año Nuevo!
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We were driving back from a planning meeting in Muna last Tuesday, where we’ll be hosting my brother and his Chi Alpha team, when I noticed, all along the roadway, bikers, runners with torches, and support vehicles flashing their lights and honking their horns. There were hundreds of people in the hour long stretch that we traveled.
It resembled some kind of Olympic procession. It was as if this group was ushering in the torch to light the first ever Yucatan Games, but looking closer I noticed that each one was wearing a t-shirt displaying the symbol of Mexican religious devotion, image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Researching further, I learned from YucatanLiving.com that these “antorchistas” are youth that have made a personal vow to the Virgin, and last week on December 12th, the Day of the Virgin, they ran or biked in order to complete their vow. The trek is a point to point journey, with more favor bestowed for greater distances. Apparently, the bicycle was introduced as a way for the working devotee to cover more ground in a shorter amount of time. (Read fewer days off from the job.)
Of course, we have the tendency to dismiss all of this as a misguided devotion, a practice to abandon as pure paganism. Still, one has to admire the determination, the organization, and the passion of those who would exert themselves for their faith. We evangelicals, a group lacking the presence of young men in our congregations, can’t help but ask, “How do we instill this type of enthusiasm, this type of devotion in our faithful?”
I would suggest that the answer lies within the pages of the Bible in the example of our Lord. It would seem that we are more famous for what we don’t do (drinking, smoking, dancing) than for what we do, for what we are against, than what we are for, but Jesus didn’t seem to be this way. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them,” was the complaint of the Pharisees and scribes. What I see from Jesus isn’t a prohibition type religion. I see a radical redefinition of religious and social symbols.
To Peter and Andrew, fishermen by trade, Jesus says follow me, and I’ll make you fishers of men. To the woman at the well, Jesus says I am the one who gives living water. At the Last Supper, Jesus redefines the traditional passing of the cup and bread during the Passover meal into a remembrance of his sacrifice on the cross and celebration of the unity that we now have in the Church, the body of Christ on the earth. In other words, Jesus doesn’t seem to separate a person from his or her culture, rather he transforms the culture in much the same way that he transforms the individual.
This to me says that we as missionaries have a need for wisdom and God-given creativity when it comes to engaging a culture. What is truly anti-Christian, and what is simply an expression of culture? How can we contextualize, not just the presentation of the message of the gospel, but also its expression in worship and everyday life?
One case in point of an interesting attempt to accomplish this redemption of culture was in the Chota Valley, a culture of Ecuadorians of African descent. This people group had a dance that utilized a bottle, worn on the head and, if I remember correctly, filled with alcohol. In the bottle would be placed items that represented the pain and suffering that the person experienced in life. Missionary Joe Castleberry and his team, instead of prohibiting this cultural expression, redefined it. Gone was the alcohol and in the place of the symbols of pain and suffering was a flower to represent the new life the Christ brings.
I’ve not had the opportunity to see the “Freedom Valley” project first-hand, but I feel that it touches on an area that all missionaries need to consider. Did we do a disservice in our clothes-line style holiness of the 1900s? Have we relegated ourselves to the fringes of society though our lists of rules and prohibitions? How does it come across in the 21st century? On the flip-side, how does this redefinition of culture look, in Africa, in Mexico, in the US? Also, how do we know that we are truly redefining culture and not just compromising for convenience?
Granted, this task is not something that a simple post can solve, nor the work of one individual, but I think discussion is necessary and helpful if we are truly seeking to change the world.
Note: Picture was taken from YucatanLiving.com. (It’s kind of hard to drive and take pictures at the same time.)
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Our print newsletter is on the way to press, but you can get the electronic copy here at disciplemexico.org before everyone else. Just click here or on the photo to get up to date.
Remember, in order to read the newsletter, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat reader, which is available for free.
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We’ve returned from our 3 day trip to Tabasco, the region of Mexico that had experienced devastating floods in late October through early November. We loaded up two SUV loads of toys, vitamins, diapers, and powdered milk and drove the 8 hours from Mérida, Yucatán to Villahermosa, Tabasco to bring relief to families, especially those with small children.
Entering the city, we found that life had returned to its hectic pace with people and cars everywhere. The only visible remains of the inundation was the construction taking place to repair and clean roads affected by the floodwaters. Still, the stories we heard were incredible. People told us that many had remained in their homes, thinking this to be just a routine occurrence during the Tabasco rainy season, but that, as the floodwaters rose, they found themselves waiting on rooftops for helicopter rescue. The pastor’s home where we stayed took on more than 5 feet of water. He and his family stayed in the upper level and were able to save the majority of their appliances and furniture, but mold on the walls and ruined tile floors spoke of the work ahead to restore what the flood had ruined.
The countryside surrounding the city was a different story as floodwater remained on the roads and in the low lying areas that surrounded the houses. While no longer threating homes and schools, the stagnant water poses a health threat especially to the small children who choose to play in the contaminated pools and through mosquito borne illnesses. This is where we focused our efforts.
Entering Tabasco on Thursday night, we pooled together with Pastor Ruben, his family and several members of the church to put together relief packages with food, vitamins, diapers, milk and other essentials for the residents of these needy areas. It was touching to see the desire of these people, who were themselves victims, giving of their time and effort to help those who had needs greater than their own.
The following day, we handed out the supplies and toys to the children and their parents. It was for them clearly a “big deal” as at one point we were accompanied by one of their local government representatives. We were given complete access, even the ability to interrupt the activities of a elementary school to meet with the students.
Food was distributed, toys were given away, and much needed supplies were handed out, but something much bigger was accomplished. These victims received a much needed infusion of hope. They received it realizing that they were not alone in their struggle.
There is something amazing in the fact that God touches people to go and share his love with those who most need to experience it. At one point in the distribution, Paul Kazim, a fellow missionary, prayed. I think it was then that the reality of what we were doing came into focus: Jesus ministered to the people in Mark 6:30-44. He did that even though he was experiencing the loss of his cousin and herald, John the Baptist. He did it because he had compassion. In Tabasco, fellow citizens were putting their lives on hold, lives that had themselves been completely changed by the floods, to reach out to those with greater needs. What was the reason? I believe it to be nothing less than the same compassion that Christ portrayed to the 5,000 that were fed in the Galilean countryside.
We’re planning to go back to Tabasco January 10-13 to provide medical treatment and spiritual counseling to the needy suffering in Tabasco, to the people now being overlooked as efforts are being made to restore a sense of normalcy in the region. We as missionaries will take part, but I think the most effective counselors will be those who have lived through these floods. Those who, because of the compassion that only God can provide, have thought of others as better than themselves.
(You can see more of our recent trip by clicking on the picture above or through this link.)
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We’re on our way for a three-day relief trip to Tabasco with no time to type. What could be a faster way to relay the story? How about a video blog? Take a look at this latest offering and please remember to pray for those affected by the flood in Tabasco.
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About two weeks ago, (yes, the events of our lives and ministry have taken a toll on my blogging) we celebrated the birthday of our youngest, Jonathan. It was filled with parties–one at school and another here at the house, as well as a mountain of presents, many of which have already made their way to the black hole that our boys call their closet. Of course, all of these things came as no surprise. After celebrating the 19 kids’ parties that we have, from Princess to Bob the Builder to Spider Man to Jungle themes, we’ve come to expect the anticipation, celebration, and sugar withdrawal cycle that each party brings. However, after all of the celebration was over, and Jonathan had time to reflect, he did something unexpected: he decided to testify. In fact it was such a surprise that we didn’t have our camera. The blurry picture was taken with my cell phone.
Now, I know what you’re thinking, testimony night has gone the way of Sunday morning prayer requests in most churches, they’re just not done, but here in Mexico, testimony night is alive and well, and two weeks ago last Sunday a certain recently turned 5 year-old decided to step forward and thank God for another year that God had allowed him to complete.* Not only did he testify, he also sang “Open the Eyes of My Heart” (“Abre mis Ojos, Oh Cristo”) in Spanish.
To me, this is the sign of two things happening:
*Spanish idea: We don’t “turn” years old as we celebrate birthdays, we complete years or “cumplemos años” hence the Spanish salutation “Feliz Cumpleaños”
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This is the third in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Cristo, la Esperanza in Mérida, Yucatan
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Trip to Tabasco to help relief efforts for flood victims
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This is the beginning of the new bimester at Bethel Bible Institute in Mérida, Yucatán. Dave will be teaching the course Practical Evangelism to first-year students.
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This is the second in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Cristo, la Esperanza in Mérida, Yucatan
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This is the first in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Cristo, la Esperanza in Mérida, Yucatan
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Mondays are usually a low-key day for the Godzwa family. The day after ministry is usually reserved for catching up on household items or replying to correspondence. I had a post planned about the evangelism seminars that we have been leading. But a telephone call from Paul, our mentor missionary here in Mérida, broke the routine. “Dave,” he said, “the situation in Tabasco has gotten out of hand…” The situation he was talking about was the flood that Mexican President Felipe Calderon now calls Mexico’s worst recent natural disaster.
If you have not had the opportunity to see the images of the Mexican state of Tabasco that CNN has been broadcasting, please understand that the inhabitants of this area, which is located about 300 miles from our current location in Mérida, are dealing with a true disaster. Due to unseasonable heavy and continual rain, several rivers have flooded their banks inundating businesses, homes, schools, and churches. News reports put up to 80% of this low-lying state currently underwater. Calls to church leaders in this district have returned reports of lower lying areas completely underwater, of many homes and churches with more than five feet of water in them, and of flooding so high that even people who live on the second floor of a building have found shelter elsewhere because there is no access to their homes.
So to one side moved the household chores and unanswered went the correspondence for one more day so that I could hit the phones to see what I could do to lend a hand to the relief effort being planned here in the Yucatan.
The situation in Tabasco is being described as the Katrina of Mexico. The center-city of Villahermosa is a complete disaster and as a result, those who have been forced to stay behind have nothing. The residents of Tabasco need drinkable water, powdered milk, towels, diapers, canned food, and lots of other basic items. The people of Yucatan are changing their plans to pitch in. Instead of buying food for their family, they’re buying supplies to donate as schools churches and government buildings have opened their doors to accept donations.
Specifically, the church leaders of Tabasco have asked for medical personal with medicines and vitamins to come and offer care. This is extremely important as the floodwaters begin to recede and diseases resulting from contaminated drinking water and inadequate services begin to appear. To respond to this request, God is calling on still others to change their plans. A relief corps of Christian doctors and nurses from Mérida are organizing now to travel in order to provide first-hand relief and the peace of God to those caught in the middle of this crisis. All of these health professionals are sacrificing family-time and their personal goals as they prioritize the needs of their countrymen.
I’m happy to report that my change of plans brought about some tangible results, but a need this great calls out for so much more to be done.
How about you? Do you feel God leading you to be a part of the relief effort?
Comment or email us and we’d be glad to help you with your change of plans.
Photos courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kubricka/
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I understand that those who frequent disciplemexico.org are not necessarily interested in baseball, much less in the outcome of the American League Divisional Series. For that reason, I’ve tried to steer clear of baseball subjects throughout the life of this site. Nevertheless, there are several out there who know that I am an avid Yankee fan, and as you can imagine the events that have happened in the course of the past week have left me feeling a bit numb.
Yes, the Yankees lost again. This time manhandled by the Cleveland Indians, a club who just last year wasn’t even sniffing the post season. This of course has had me spending some time looking for ways to deal with another October sans Yankees. You can imagine my surprise when an email from my mother-in-law helped me to put things into perspective.
An avid student of Jewish culture, she came upon a video blog from aish.com titled Isn’t losing wonderful?. In it Rabbi Yaakov Salomon comments on the loss of our beloved Yankees (and the Mets for good measure), suggesting that while “victory teaches you nothing”, “losing can teaching you everything.” He goes on exposit Proverbs 24:16:
for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity
He states that Jewish interpreters of this proverb suggest that it is not in spite of the fact that the righteous man falls seven times but it is because of the fact that he falls, and the lessons that he learns in the failures, that he rises again.
I think many of us are examples of this interpretation. I know that I, for one, rarely reflect on my victories, but the pain of failure that the sense of loss that follows drive me to determine the source of my defeat and resolve to come back stronger the next time.
So encouragement can be found in the lesson of losing. Of course, now that the Yankees have fallen seven times, I fully expect victory in 2008!
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The fourth and final in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Verbo de Dios in Mérida, Yucatán
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The third in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Verbo de Dios in Mérida, Yucatán
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National Meeting of Pastors and Leaders of the Assemblies of God to be held in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico.
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The second in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Verbo de Dios in Mérida, Yucatán
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September marked for us the end of one year of ministry here in the Yucatán, and to celebrate, we brought back a best of disciplemexico.org so that you could revisit some of the highlights of our journey thus far:
1. Day of the Dead–Written as a response to a request of an friend, this post is by far our most popular post of the past year, and, with the celebration of this event less than a month away the hits are building again. This piece reveals the difficulty that we have as we try to understand the culture of the Yucatán and their ancient traditions.
2. Oh the Humanity!–is a piece I wrote about how God uses our humanness, something very evident to me as I suffered through a prolonged sinus infection, to reveal his perfect power.
3. Like riding a bicycle–is a family update/reflection on what it is that we do as missionaries. By the way, mastery of the bicycle is something that our kids are still working on. Come to think of it, we’ve still got a lot to learn about missions as well.
4. Topes–Life has a way of springing surprises on you, much like speed bumps that seem to appear when you least expect them on roads here in Mexico, but, as this post suggests, the jolts bring with them valuable learning experiences.
5. Coincidence or Confirmation?–This post about our providential guidance on the way to Mérida generated some lively if not completely related discussion.
As I look through these posts, one thing becomes increasingly clear. The job that we have been called to is not an easy one, but the God that has called us continues to guide and form us so that we can accomplish His work.
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Due to rain, this is the first in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Verbo de Dios in Mrida, Yucatan
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“He who has ears to hear” Youth conference on seeking after God to be held at Golgotha Christian Center in Mrida, Yucatan
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The first in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Verbo de Dios in Mrida, Yucatan
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The definition of missions is changing. I recently returned from the Mission Exchange fall retreat where it was obvious that the upcoming generation of leaders thinks differently about the way cross-cultural ministry should be done. One speaker put it plainly. “To me a missionary was a guy in a four pocket shirt (guayabera) who traveled with snake skins and a slide projector.” He couldn’t relate. In a context of rapid globalization, where the world seems to be shrinking by the day, more and more students and professionals are saying, “Missions? Hey, I can do that!” They’re an eager workforce looking for the right project or missions-sending agency with which to partner, and when they can’t find one, they’re making their own. One pastor, Matt Chandler from the Village Church, looking to implement a business as mission model grew impatient with his denominational organization and started his own organization which is funding 14 missionaries and a handful of missions projects in several countries.
“To God be the glory, more workers in the harvest!” might be the reaction to the current situation, but such trends give this missionary pause for thought. The church today has, to a certain extent, adopted the current business mentality. For a project to be successful, it needs to produce quick and substantial results. ROI, or Return on Investment, a term ripped out of the business manager’s handbook, was thrown around a bit at the retreat. Donors are looking to see their dollars make a tangible impact on a community, so the funding of hospitals, feeding programs, orphanages, and even the establishment of Christian Businesses are becoming increasingly popular. Still, the question remains, “Is this the best way?”
My time here in the Yucatán has shown me that the work of a missionary is never quick nor easy. What may be able to be started through a project or an event must be continued through sustained process–biblical concepts applied to the cultural situation. This requires someone on the ground, an interpreter. This role was the one that the missionary traditionally occupied–studying the language and culture in order to reveal Christ and the Christian message through concepts that could be understood and adopted. I don’t put myself at this level yet. We have much to learn to fully understand the culture in which we are ministering, but I feel that we are making progress.
For example, these past two weeks I’ve carried on redemptive conversations in three separate settings, one a meeting to minister to a hurting woman, another a conversation about discipleship over lunch, and finally an impromptu chat with a carpenter at the local library. In each setting, through an understanding of the linguistic, cultural, social context, I was able to determine the relationship that the individual had with Christ, move them further along in the discipleship process, and, because I live here, follow up with them to clear up uncertainties or integrate them into the local Christian community. This doesn’t bring about the headline worthy results of a evangelistic crusade or a medical missions team, and often a cup of coffee or a chat on the beach doesn’t “look” like ministry, but statistics show that, over the long run, this is the most effective strategy (McIntosh, Finding Them Keeping Them, 1992:45). In reality, this is where cultural exchange happens, where we can study, share, and begin to understand one another. This is not to say that we are no longer preaching, teaching, or planning events, but we find that it is in the follow-up, the relationships that we find that we make the most progress toward discipling Mexico.
The “new” trend in doing ministry has its place, but we must understand the risks involved:
The reality is that incarnational ministry, “walking among the people” is the only real method to effect change in a culture. Programs pass away, and events come and go, but it is my hope that the presence of the missionary and the example of the ambassador of Christ in the cross-cultural context will remain.
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Our missions organization, Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM), promote a missions policy that seeks to create and nurture an indigenous national church. Therefore, we as missionaries are charged with the task of forming or motivating national churches that are to be self-propagating, self-governing, and self-supporting. What does this mean you ask? Simply, our job is to partner with the church in Mexico–working, modeling, and training, so that they can, with their own people and resources, evangelize the lost and disciple new believers, administrate the work, and fund the church.
If you noticed, the order is intentional. Often, a new work moves forward quickly in the area of propagation. New believers are eager to share with others about the new-found freedom that they have in Christ. Leaders are harder to come by. Time and training are required to cultivate those who would guide the fledgling work. Still more challenging though is reaching the point of self-support. In developing countries like Mexico wages are low (the minimum wage here in Mérida is $5 a day), and the requirements of ministry can be quite high, especially if the church wishes to take an active part in evangelization and outreach to the community in which it is located. Therefore, missionaries often find themselves called upon to lend a hand when it comes to stimulating the work.
This is the reason that I am writing today. Our home church is in need of a helping hand to meet its needs as it expands to reach out to the community. Pastored by Orlando Vazquez, El Centro Cristiano Gólgota, is located in a strategic area of the city, but it’s current size is affecting its ability to minister effectively. Therefore, the church has been expanding its facilities to keep pace with its vision.
The $55,000 expansion began in mid-April with about $10,000, not even a fifth of the required need, but, through the sacrifice of the congregation and the response of friends and the community, Gólgota has finished walling in, roofing and is currently using the lower portion of the expansion where the sanctuary sits. It indeed has been a blessing to see the response of the people as they have challenged themselves to move forward. Still, about half of the work remains, including classrooms to minister to the bulging children’s Sunday School classes.
That’s where we are asking you to consider pitching in. Kelly and I have seen the kind of contagious motivation and sacrifice that the congregation has displayed, and we would like to offer you a chance to participate. So we have created, as a project with AGWM, a fund in order to receive offerings from those who would like to help Pastor Orlando fulfill his dream of seeing the church built.
If you would like to donate directly to this work, you can give through this secure web-server by entering your offering and the project name and number “EXPANSION OF CHURCH BULIDING GOLGOTA #14290.”
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Celebration of the rebellion of Miguel Hidalgo on September 16, 1810 that eventually resulted in Mexican Independence from Spain in 1821.
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Opening service for Bethel Bible Instititute’s new school year at Sinai Faith Center, Mrida, Yucatn.
Pastor: Jos Ventura
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Dave will be preaching during the Evangelistic Service Golgotha Christian Center, Mrida, Yucatn.
Pastor: Orlando Vzquez Interin
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Need. It confronts. It demands to be met. Take for example a stone in our shoe. Even the tiniest pebble can cause reduce our gait to a hobble. What’s the response? Well, it’s impossible to negate, and limping to avoid the stone usually only lasts a few steps. Basically our feet demand that we sit, take off our shoe and get rid of the stone.
Here in Mérida, poverty is a need that demands to be met. The poor stand in doorways and wander the streets looking for those who will help them out of their situation. Even those that do work are trying to make ends meet on $5 US each day, and unlike the tourists in the picture above, we can’t leave their need behind when we return to our hotel or board our plane.
After my run in with the Ronald, the con-artist that took us for $8 in Costa Rica, I searched for a way to avoid the needs. I believed that a policy would help protect me, or maybe I would be able to direct people to ministries that could lend them a hand in their situation. Still, the need kept nagging.
Reading the Bible didn’t help either. Jesus, when confronted by the clamoring masses, would usually reply, “What is it that you want me to do for you?” He had no policies, no list of places to which he could direct them and wash his hands of their problems. He was personally involved–feeding, healing, touching.
Today, I was on a search for some items to get our house finally set up. Taking the wrong way to get to Home Depot, I stopped at a local hardware store. In the parking lot, there stood Raul, a disabled, middle-aged man, who, along with his wife, had been looking for garden work so that he could pay for his kids’ school supplies and uniforms. He asked me if I could help him. My schedule was free, but my impulse was to say that I couldn’t. After all, I had just cut my lawn the day before, and my ministry is equipping not compassion. Still, his need was clamoring for attention, and the example of Jesus from my devotionals was fresh in my mind. “What do you want me to do for you?” I asked.
I decided to get personally involved. I talked to him and called one of the references that he had given me. Then I spent the next 30 minutes praying and driving them to the places that they needed to go. As we said good-bye I gave him about $20 towards the uniforms and some dry goods that we had been carrying in the car so that his family would have food to eat. He gave me his address and an invitation to visit him.
Did I do the best thing? It’s hard to tell. I would rather have taken him to buy the shoes and uniforms that he needed, but at that moment I couldn’t. So perhaps I settled, or perhaps I was used as one response to the prayers of a desperate couple with a need that wasn’t going away.
Photo Credits: “Left Behind” a photo taken by gerriet available at: http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=43491111&size=l and used under a Creative Commons License
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Our print newsletter is on the way to press, but you can get the electronic copy here at disciplemexico.org before everyone else. Just click here or on the photo to get up to date.
Remember, in order to read the newsletter, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat reader, which is available for free.
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What can we say except, “Thank God for his protection!” as we assess the situation here in the Yucatán.
The facts are plain:
Still the final results are nothing less than miraculous:
Everything from the landfall over a less populated area, to the speed in which it passed over was beneficial for the inhabitants of the Yucatán.
Again, thank you for your prayers on our behalf and that of the people of Yucatán. Also, thank you to those who wished us well through e-mail, phone calls, comments on our site, and links highlighting the situation. We appreciate each one of you.
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Faculty meeting at Bethel Bible Institute
Director: Silverio Blanco
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Although we are still under a red alert here in Mérida, Dean is now a category 1 hurricane and is passing into the Gulf of Mexico. From our vantage point, the hurricane has proved to be little more than a big blow. We’ve been experiencing high winds since 5 o’clock this morning, but little to nothing in the way of rain. Damage has been relatively non-existent here in the city. In actuality, the Kazim’s who were out a bit this morning reported people on the streets as early as 10 o’clock.
The story is still far from conclusion in the southern part of the state and in Quintana Roo, where Dean made landfall at 3:00 this morning. Nevertheless, there have been no reported deaths and slight to moderate damage, a far cry from the potential catastrophe that we had on our hands yesterday.
We’ll keep you informed as more information comes to light. In the meantime, we’d encourage you to think about getting involved with Convoy of Hope to help those who have been affected by Dean and other catastrophes. Gary and Peggy Pyatt in Jamaica have reported significant damage to ministries and schools in that country, while COH has dispatched a team to begin relief work among the earthquake victims in Peru. Also, if damage proves to be more severe here in the Yucatan, their ministry is ready to respond.
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Storm models continue to push the landfall of Dean further south on the peninsula. This means Mérida remains at a state of alert, but hasn’t declared an emergency situation. However, in the south of the state of Yucatan and in Quintana Roo, where Dean is expected to be more of a problem, many are facing the reality of this man in the picture to the left. Several have houses made of little more than sticks or corrugated roofing. While the majority of those in this situation have been relocated into shelters, the chances are that many will have nothing to return to. Please keep these in mind as you remember the people of the Yucatán in your prayers.
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We have received various e-mails about the situation that we are facing in regards to Hurricane Dean. To update those of you following the situation, the meteorologists are forecasting that the storm will take a southerly route across the Yucatan. That puts Mérida out of the range of the 150+ mph winds that will likely accompany its arrival. Still the entire state is under an orange alert which signifies the likely arrival of hurricane activity within the next 18 to 24 hours.
The city is relatively calm, but signs of preparation are everywhere. Shops with boarded or taped windows to prevent breakage. Stores are depleted of survival essentials such as batteries and are short on food, especially bread. The government has sprung into action and has plans to move about 16,000 people in the areas under the highest risk to shelters here in the city or in the surrounding municipalities.
We’ve taken necessary steps such as taking in all of the items that might possibly blow away as well as taping off windows and creating a safe area within our home where we plan to “ride out” the storm. We have food supplies for at least a week and water to drink as well as separate water for cooking and cleaning. We are preparing ourselves to be without power, water, telephone, and internet for at least a week so we ask for your patience as you look for updates or try to contact us.
Please do continue to pray. We are certainly concerned for our safety, but we now focused much more on the well-being of those who are to our south. In our minds are our friends from Muna with whom we ministered in March, and pastors in Ciudad del Carmen in Campeche with whom I studied in ISUM. Pray for their safety as well.
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For two Mid-Atlantic transplants living in the Midwest, hurricanes were at most a thing of curiosity. They were the stuff of late summer Weather channel reports. Devastating and cruel to be sure but never in our version of reality. They were events that happened to others. All of that is changing in the face of the now Category 4 Hurricane Dean.
As I am writing this update, Hurricane Dean is now bearing down on Jamaica, and all of the projections place its trajectory directly across the Yucatan Peninsula and the city of Mérida. The entire state of Yucatan is under yellow alert meaning that preparation on everyone’s mind as shoppers filled the supermarkets stocking up on canned food, water, and medicine.
Here in our new home as well we are preparing–determining areas of safety, and trying to make our plans, but even as we plan, we are faced with a mountain of uncertainty and where there is uncertainty, not far behind we find fear.
In all of this I am reminded of that tumultuous voyage of Jesus’ disciples across the Sea of Galilee in Mark chapter 4. There there were being tossed about, grown, sea-hardened fishermen uncertain if they would live or die. As they woke Jesus, who had been sleeping on a cushion, they wondered aloud if he even cared about them. In their fear, they’d failed to recognize that he was the one who had ordered them to set sail in the first place. The storm, more than the setting of a miracle, was their opportunity to recognize that, even though they went through the valley of the shadow of death, they had nothing to fear because with them was their shepherd.
Pray for us friends. Pray for our safety and for the safety of friends in harm’s way. Pray too though that we won’t fail to recognize the presence of our Good Shepherd as we wait here in the gaze of Hurricane Dean.
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For those of you who prayed and have been waiting for my schedule to break in order to give you an update, I want to say thanks. The Prayer Wall presentation was overwhelmingly received here in the Yucatán. We had a full house in the church “Cordero de Dios” as well as our superintendent and assistant superintendent present.
Phil presented his vision for a continuous wall of prayer across Mexico as I interpreted. The photo to the left shows one of our more in sync moments. It was a stretching experience for me to be sure, but it was extremely rewarding as well as tens of volunteers signed up to be a part of a 230 strong group of prayer warriors interceding 24/7 for Mexico.
Again thank you for your prayers and notes of encouragement as I stepped out in this ministry.
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In May, I received a phone call from Phil Bennett (pictured to the left), a minister from Concord First Assembly in North Carolina, concerning extending his “Watchman Prayer Ministry” to the Yucatán. The ministry consists of recruiting 168 people to pray one hour each week for the needs of the area. Here in Mexico, he’s been active in Mexico City, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz. Knowing that prayer is vital for our ministry and that our superintendent, Raul Sanchez, has been emphasizing prayer in the district, I asked him if he would be interested in having Phil come to share about this ministry. Three months later, this idea is being brought into reality. Phil and his team will be here in Mérida tomorrow at 7:00 PM. I’d appreciate your prayers concerning the reception of this program.
I’d also appreciate your prayers concerning the event itself. I will be serving as a translator for Phil as he shares with an exclusively Spanish-speaking group. The only other opportunity that I have had came during an impromptu gift-exchange during my brother Mike’s visit to Muna back in March. So as we take a step forward in prayer, I’ll be taking a step forward in my abilities as a missionary. Pray that I’ll be able to use my nervousness as a tool to listen and correctly convey the message he will bring.
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The close of June brought about the end of ISUM, the month-long ministerial advancement seminary held here in Mérida. As we near mid July, I’ve had some time to reflect on the experience and think about my re-entry into the normal missionary life.
ISUM is known by it’s grueling schedule and intense homework. The deadlines seemed to stack on top of each other as we prepared for 5 class periods each evening. Exhaustion was our common enemy as we fought back sleep in order to complete all of our tasks. Still, the struggle had a comfortableness about it. Being a to-do list writer, I found great satisfaction in marking off each assignment as I completed it, and although I routinely hit the pillow around 1:00 or 2:00 AM I did so with a feeling of accomplishment.
The return to normalcy, although less demanding on the schedule, didn’t come with the neat guidelines. A team to receive in late July, finding a house to move into by the middle of July, a youth retreat in August and the accumulation of work needing my attention while I was in ISUM each bring conflicting priorities and a collective clamoring for attention. There are no convenient class plans to follow and no instant feedback in the form of quizzes and tests along the way. These realities pose a problem for my order hungry mentality.
I would say that this may be the life that we all lead. We shout for independence as a youth, but we long for the simplicity of our childhood as adults. We have arrived at the place where we are free to determine our lives but we tire of the responsibilities, the leadership, and the need to hold everything together, and we long for someone to just tell us what to do.
And yet, this is our situation in our walk with the Lord. We face difficult decisions daily. We pray with fervency for direction, but rarely does the answer come in the form of a carefully worded class syllabus or a turn-by-turn Google Map. It’s then that we need to apply the knowledge that we’ve learned in the School of the Spirit of God’s Word, when we need to move from the parable to the person on the street, and that is where we most often fail.
The disciples coming off of a successful tour of ministry, casting out demons and healing the sick, failed the test of the Lord when facing the need of the multitude. “You give them something to eat,” he said. They reached for their calculators instead of their faith. Lk. 9:13
So is our daily struggle, rarely hectic to the point of the exhaustion of ISUM, but rarely as neat and tidy as the daily plan of activities that we received for each class. Still I’m glad we serve a patient Lord. Jesus did come through for the disciples. And, as we continue in our daily training, being formed into more into the image of our Master, I’m glad to know that our rate of success increases.
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All Mexico Missionary Retreat, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.
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Prayer Wall presentation with Phil Bennett at Lamb of God Church, Mrida, Yucatn.
Pastor: Magaly Balam Interin
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Preaching engagement at Shiloh Sanctuary Church, Mrida, Yucatn.
Pastor: Jos Luis May
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This past March, we had the opportunity to work in Muna, a small town south of Mérida. We arrived with a group of American University Chi Alpha students who were dedicating their Spring Break to help make a difference in the lives of the residents of this community.
Just two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to head back to Muna as part of a class trip of sorts for students involved in ISUM. We took in the pyramids at Uxmal, and also got a chance to stop for panuchos at the church where we worked. I got a chance to greet those who were hosting the students as well as view the progress that has been made on the church and the pastor’s home where we worked.
Click on the picture to view an album of the progress.
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Our last post is nearly a month old, prompting many of you to start wondering, “Just what is going on with the Godzwa family?” Well after a week of vacation at the end of May, June hit with a fury named ISUM.
I’ve enrolled at ISUM or Instituto de Superacin Ministerial (Ministerial Advancement Institute) which is a month long module of classes that allow Latin Ministers to work toward their college degree in theology. The work is intense. We start at 7:00 AM and finish at 1:30, but we also have group projects and homework, homework, homework. Most days I’ve been finishing at 11:30 or 12:00 at night.
Of course, the question that can come to mind during this routine is, “Why?” “Why would I spend a month sitting in a classroom and working toward a degree that I already have?” Part of it has to do with attitude. I have a Master’s of Divinity degree from AGTS with a concentration in Biblical Languages. It’s a pretty substantial degree, as was the time that it took in order to earn it. Still, if I’m content to sit back and tell myself that I’ve arrived and that there is nothing left to learn, then my degree isn’t worth the paper it is printed on.
I believe that one signal that a person has truly received an education is insatiable desire to learn more. When I entered Bible College, I wondered what it was that I really needed to learn, going on to seminary I thought that I had some adjustments to make if I were to really get a grasp on things. Now, after 8 years of study of the Bible, ministry, and theology, and a year of Spanish, I find that my knowledge is only scratching the surface of what I need to know in order to meet the demands of inter-cultural ministry. ISUM is another way to add to the resources that I have accumulated at the same time providing opportunity for me to experience a truly Latin American education, right down to the language (no English is spoken here!)
Beyond this is the “superacin” that comes from being with those ministers that lead the fellowship of believers here in Mexico. The time spent hearing their stories, of working with them, and praying with them brings us a bond that visiting their church on a Sunday afternoon simply cannot. It leads us to an recognize and appreciate the calling that these ministers have on their lives, and it leads them to see the gifts and abilities that God has placed within each of us as missionaries. This interchange can only lead to enhanced cooperation and a greater effectiveness in ministry as we are called upon to compliment and extend the work that these men and women are undertaking.
So, you may see a bit less of me online in the next few weeks, but know that what is going on in the meantime will yield true value for our life and ministry here in Mexico.
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Pentecost Sunday preaching engagement at Golgotha Christian Center, Mrida, Yucatn.
Pastor: Orlando Vzquez
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I’m prefacing this post by saying that I’m not one of those people who routinely says “The Lord said to me…” In fact, even when I feel that God is impressing something on me I like to start with the words, “I feel that the Lord is moving me in this direction..,” or “I feel that the Lord would have us…” It is something that Edgar Lee taught us in seminary as a way to offer up our words for the biblically mandated scrutiny of the church, or as the case may be, my wife. So when we experience “coincidences,” I like to offer it up for the opinions of others, in other words, I’m fishing for a few comments.
We had little choice in where we would end up in Mexico. We are first-termers and AGWM, our missions organization has taken to the practice of mentoring all new missionaries. This involves pairing the missionary with another veteran in order to assist them in the transition and the development of their ministry on the field. Because education was to be part of our portfolio, we were paired with Paul and Sandy Kazim.
Paul an educator with 10 years experience in Latin America, was stationed at the time in Villahermosa, Tabasco, but was looking to relocate when he started his new term. There were several options available. Butch Frey, our Area Director had mentioned Veracruz, while Paul and Sandy were looking as well at Mexico City and Mérida, where we are currently.
Paul had discounted Veracruz from the beginning. He didn’t feel that the city was where they needed to be. However, Mexico City was, for him, a viable option. The city was easily accessible by plane, and his travel plans for his upcoming term made this a desirable feature. Of course, there was the problem of what to do once you’re off of the plane. Two hour cars trips as a regularity didn’t excite either Paul or me. On top of this concern was Joseph’s tendency toward asthmatic symptoms which made Mexico City’s famous smog look indeed like a gray cloud on our horizon. Still, we were determined to see God’s direction in our location.
Then Kelly talked to me about a premonition that she had had. It wasn’t a dream or a vision per say, more like a feeling. She told me that she saw us working with indigenous people. Those whom we in the US popularly refer to as Indians. Mérida, one of the famous ancient centers of the Maya civilization, was filled with such people. I filed this in the back of the mind, but I also mentioned that we would have to reach an agreement with the Kazim’s when it came to the place that we would select.
Still, an opportunity came to talk about this premonition that Kelly had. Over the phone with the Kazim’s, Paul resonated with what Kelly was saying, and, adding this to items we were considering, the scale tipped decidedly in Mérida’s favor.
Now, three years later, we find ourselves here in the White City of Mérida, but the surprises didn’t end there. As I was researching information for a response to an email asking for the history of the city, I happened upon a bit of information.
Many cities select sisters cities in other countries, these are connections that are established in order to foster cultural and economic exchanges. For some time, we were aware that our home town of Erie, Pennsylvania had such a relation with Lublin, Poland, as we would hear several reports of student and governmental trips between the cities. However, I was extremely surprised to find that, listed alongside Lublin, was the White City of Mérida.
What are the chances? Sister Cities International the organizer of such relationships reports on their website that there are over 800 communities internationally participating in this program. Assuming that the selection was done completely at random, it would appear that the odds would be about 17 billion to one. Granted, such selection isn’t done at random. but think about the implications of such a number.
So, was it coincidence that our hometown of Erie would have such a relationship with the city in which we are currently ministering, or is it a confirmation of a divine plan? Whatever the response, it seems fitting that a relationship set up to foster cultural and economic benefits would be expanded to offer spiritual ones as well.
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Day of the Teacher preaching engagement at Ebenezer Church, Mrida, Yucatn.
Pastor: Gabriel Gngora
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The seventh in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Golgotha Christian Center in Mrida, Yucatan
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Our completely redesigned print newsletter is now in the mail, but you can get the electronic copy here at disciplemexico.org before the rest. Just click here or on the photo to get up to date.
Remember, in order to read the newsletter, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat reader, which is available for free here.
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Having a six year-old and an eight year-old in the house means that the “Tooth Fairy” regularly comes for a visit. Now, this is not a post on whether or not talking about the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny are worthy or appropriate topics for a Christian Household. I’ll save that for other more in-depth and witty bloggers like Rich Tatum. No this is about the interesting irony that we experienced here in Mexico.
When, Joseph, our six year-old, began feeling his wiggly tooth, he started planning how he was going to spend his money that he would receive from the tooth-fairy. He told friends and church members alike about his wonderful good fortune. However, in the relaying of his news, we found that the country of Mexico is outside of the Tooth Fairy’s jurisdiction. Mexico is the territory of the Tooth Mouse!
Legend says that the Tooth Mouse, possibly created as a story for a celebration of the lost tooth of the then eight year-old Alfonso XIII of Spain, lived in an over-sized cracker box in the palace of the benevolent child-king Bubi I, protector of poor children, and friend to the mouse. This mouse, named Perez, clad in his straw hat, gold-rimmed glasses, and linen shoes, would visit the rooms of rich and poor alike depositing gifts from his red backpack in place of a lost tooth while avoiding the ever-present threat of cats. (Spanish speakers can read the tale here)
Quite a tale! Now although the Tooth Mouse in Mexico doesn’t carry the Perez name, and the fineries he once wore have vanished, his tale continues to be told and his face graces the appointment books and literature of dentists throughout the country. Some other details about the mouse have changed as well, and that is where the irony comes in.
Ever since we moved into our house, we’ve had regular visits from real mice. Yes, those cute, furry little rodents that come in from the cold in search of food and a warm place to spend the night. Of course, we don’t have the habit of leaving large cracker boxes lying around, so our mouse had taken a liking to living inside our stove. The small crevices and warmth provided from our gas oven gave it a comfortable if not traditional space to live in.
Not realizing his mission was to look for teeth, we went to war against this intruder. Our battle against him employed, not the traditional cat, but large sticky pads with cheese as bait. It seems as well, from the picture above, that although the tooth mouse could avoid the cats, he was no match for the modern technology that we employed.
Of course, we were concerned after learning of the story of the tooth mouse, thinking that perhaps we had destroyed a famous legend and source of joy for countless children. Nevertheless, when Joseph’s tooth was placed under his pillow, he found a ten peso coin, roughly the equivalent of one dollar US, in exchange the following day (The tooth mouse respects the tooth fairy’s going rate). It seems, though, as real mice have the tendency to multiply, so the tooth mouse has engendered a number of descendants in order continue his legacy and the joy that he has brought to many here in Latin America.
So watch out Tooth Fairy! As America’s population turns decidedly more Latin, you may find yourself giving way to this equally benevolent, highly intelligent, and rapidly reproducing Spanish legend.
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The Celebration of Mother’s Day here in Mexico. Although not an official day off from school or work, the honor given to the Mother here in Mexico makes this an extremely important holiday
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Graduation of Third-Year Bible School Students to be held at Sinai Faith Center in Mrida
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Preaching engagement with an emphasis on World Missions to be held at Golgotha Cristian Center in Mrida
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The fifth in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Golgotha Christian Center in Mrida, Yucatan
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I spent the last half of last week at the Yucatan District council. This 8th District Council in Ticul, a city about an hour south-east of Mérida, included three days of meetings featuring a missions night, where we saw reports from two of the three Yucatan missionaries either on or headed to the field, and the discussion of many items of business. One of those items is pictured above, the election of our district superintendent, assistant superintendent, and treasurer.
I was selected to sit on the “Mesa de Escrutadores” (Table of Vote-Counters), a group of ten pastors and officials that separated and counted each round of votes. I snapped the picture in the middle of the process. Serving as the head of the table was our national secretary, Samuel Vázquez, who is also the son of the senior pastor of our home church. In a fairly tranquil process that lasted only through one morning, we saw all of our current officers re-elected with little to no competition.
While it was good to see our current leadership back in office, it was a bittersweet taste that the council left in my mouth. On the last day, after Silverio Blanco, the director of the Bible Institute, issued a challenging message on the continued need for evangelism in the Yucatan and beyond, an initiative from the District Evangelism Department was struck down. The motion would have appropriated resources to gather information from each municipality in the state, presenting the reality of Silverio’s message and giving the information necessary to strategically target the areas of need. Unfortunately, because it also suggested the investigation of other parts of Mexico, Latin America and the world, perhaps as a comparison, the pastors voted the measure down. Without this initiative, our district may be condemned to fighting blind, seeking to make progress, without touching the real needs.
I think the failure of this motion reflects the failure that we often see in our lives and ministries. Congruence, the correspondence of our thought, speech, and action, is so very difficult to achieve. We say we desire the advance of the kingdom, but we fail to appropriate the time, effort, and resources to go about doing it. We say we want the lost to come to know Jesus, but so often we loose contact with them in our daily lives. We say we desire God’s power, but our prayer lives, weak or perhaps even non-existent, tell a different story.
God help our district, and each one of us in turn, to prioritize your plans, to be the people the you have called us to be, and to truly take an interest in the Great Commission–to go in your power and make disciples of all men.
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The roads in Mexico are a pleasant surprise compared to the deteriorated byways that we had gotten used to in Costa Rica. We have a wonderfully paved road outside of our home, and it has been some time since I’ve had to swerve like a slalom skier to avoid ramming one of our wheels in a pothole. However, what makes the Mexican driving experience unique are the “topes” (pronounced tow-pays)
Topes are the Mexican version of speed bumps, although an American speed bump can’t hold a candle to a tope. Usually taller than they are wide, they’ll give you a bone-shattering shock if you happen to hit one unawares, bringing about a tongue-lashing from any passenger who just might be in your car. Believe me, it only takes one or two of those experiences to learn to slow down when driving, especially through small towns and neighborhoods.
The big problem with topes is that they are usually in the oddest places. From time to time, you can find them before a busy intersection or at a school or church crossing, but often they’re in the middle of nowhere, and the diamond shaped indication signs usually only give you a few feet of warning before your vehicle crashes into the unforgiving mound of resistance.
Topes, though, have a much larger meaning for the missionary or ex-patriot. The tope signifies the unexpected resistance that we experience as we continue in our work of cultural assimilation. Cruising along a comfortable speed, making strides in language, food, and relationships, inevitably we face topes that remind us that the land that we are in, although each day more familiar, is truly foreign.
We’ve been in Mexico almost 8 months now, and we are comfortably eating the yucatecan food, speaking more aporreado (what is referred to as the yucatecan accent), and building friendships with people in and outside of the church community, but we still experience our topes. Mine most recently has been in the form of our front yard.
Formerly working an 8-5 job in the states, I prided myself with the ability to keep up my front yard. I mowed regularly, trimmed the bushes and spread fertilizer in the spring and fall. Not given to excesses, except one post-season when I mowed the Yankees interlocking NY in the grass, I still felt satisfied in having a green, presentable garden.
Remembering all of this, I fell in love with the small, manageable green space that our current house gave me. I had visions of “working the land” again, and looked forward to the wealth of sermon illustrations that this labor of love would afford me, but the more I got involved in the day to day hustle and bustle of being a missionary in Mexico, the less and less time I had to devote to keeping up the garden.
So, by chance, I happened to find a gardener who could help me at least trim our trees. At less than $17 American, it was a deal that I couldn’t afford to pass up. Then came the tope. Unable to find the same gardener, I asked for a recommendation from our landlord. I contracted one of the two he recommended to trim our trees, this time for what I thought would amount to about $20. The bone-shattering shock came, however, when I realized, after the work was done, that it was to be $20 for each tree. Ouch!
Determined not to fall into the same mistake, but still needing a gardener more than ever, I contacted one after comparing the quotes of our neighbor’s gardener and one other who works in the neighborhood. We were needing help for our heat suffering grass and weed infested flowerbeds. After having negotiated what I thought was a good price, I let him go to work, but soon into the labor, I began to find the hidden costs, $20 more for extra insecticide, $70 for more plants, etc. Can someone say “TOPE!”
We expect blockades in ministry. We anticipate the frustrations that we may have to face in communicating our heart in a foreign tongue, but I guarantee that problems with the care of my front lawn never even entered into my mind. Like topes these complications hit me unexpectedly.
Still, I have to say I’m thankful for my tope experiences. Although they’ve been painful, they’ve slowed me down enough to think about my life and work. They’ve proven to me time and time again, that Dave Godzwa alone can’t get the job done. There needs to be someone else involved with a higher perspective, one who can guide us through even the unexpected situations.
So, although I’m sure that I’ll continue to feel the bumps along this road of cultural assimilation, I’ll thank God for them because I know that they’ll slow me down enough to refocus my vision on Him–the one who’s mapping my course, and who just happens to know where those topes are.
Photo Credits:
Above: Members of the Chi Alpha Spring Break Missions Team, Julia, Bethany, Ashley and Kelsey spell tope while standing on one. Photo by Bethany Chroniger
In article description: A photo of a common tope warning sign.
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Reunion of pastors and church representatives in Ticul, Yucatn, Mxico. Dave will serve as part of the team counting votes for district officials.
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The fourth in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Golgotha Christian Center in Mrida, Yucatan
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Following our series on the Muna Missions Trip, things have been pretty quite here on disciplemexico.org, but that is not to say that we’re without things to write about. If you’ve been watching our sidebar events calendar, you’ve seen that the Godzwa family has been busy. We’d like to catch you up to date on all of the information with a round-up post:
Evangelism Series
To start, Dave has been teaching an ongoing evangelism series at the Golgotha Christian Center in Mérida. Each Thursday night for the past month, we’ve been meeting to discover the God’s heart for evangelism, returning to the Bible to discover the guidance it gives to those who would join in His search for the lost.
Beyond the teaching, we’ve also been offering opportunities for the members of the church to involve themselves in practical forms of evangelism. The last Saturday in March, we joined with the children of the church to celebrate the arrival of Spring. In the 90 degree heat, the evangelism team handed out bottles of water along with cards that read, “Do you feel dry? Jesus is the Water of Life!” We also handed out copies of Luke’s gospel to those who received the water. It was quite a site to see so many neighbors receiving and reading the information.
Preaching Engagements
Our family was invited to three separate preaching engagements. The first was Palm Sunday with Pastor Natanael Ku. We traveled about 30 minutes outside of the city to spend the day with his family and celebrate the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, the official start of the Holy Week. We were able to share with the congregation as well as spend time with many in the community, Christian and Non-Christian, coming face to face with many of the needs that Pastor Natanael faces on a daily basis.
Beyond our time in the country, we were also invited to discuss, at Golgotha Christian Center, an interesting teaching of Jesus during the traditional Tuesday of Controversy. This evening we considered the passage in Matt. 22:15-22 where Jesus displays the conflicted righteousness that man uses to justify his actions in contrast to the freedom that following Jesus brings.
In addition to these events, we spent time in Mount Hermon Church, which sits to the south of the city. There we were able to observe Good Friday with the members of the congregation, observing the work that Jesus did for us on the cross.
Water Baptism
This past Saturday, a highlight of our busy weeks, we were able to witness the baptism of 6 members of our home congregation. With the whole church traveling to the Gulf of Mexico to to take part, the baptismal candidates received their charge, waded into the waters and one by one were dipped below the waters, symbolizing death to their old life and their rebirth with Christ to life anew. We’re including a video attached to this post to for those who visit the site.
Of course, none of this activity would be possible without your prayers and support. Thank you for being involved in what God is doing here in Mexico!
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Holy Week preaching engagement at Mount Hermon Church, Mrida, Yucatn.
Pastor: Gilda Molina
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Holy Week preaching engagement at Golgotha Christian Center Church Mérida, Yucatán.
Pastor: Orlando Vázquez
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The third in a series of evangelism training classes to be held at Golgotha Christian Center in Mr
