Persisting

We have continued helping kids in San Jose with their homework on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Three new kids started coming in October, the youngest of whom is F, a fifth grade girl. On Tuesday this week I had a chance to talk with her and as I asked her about her mom and dad I found out that she lives with her grandmother, but her parents have both been in the USA since she was five years old (almost six years ago). I asked whether she missed them and the immediately replied "nah!" very stoically. This reminded me again of the importance of being there as role models, mentors and friends showing the love of Jesus to children. Please join me in prayer for F and her brother H as they continue to be raised by their grandmother in the absence of their parents.

This is the place where we meet. The window is for one of the three rooms we have at our disposal. Currently, due to low attendance (less than 10), we only use this room.

San José meeting place.

Trip to Guerrero, Michoacán

Tomorrow I (Matthew) will join a group of just over 20 mexicans on an evangelistic trip to the states of Guerrero and Michoacán. at a location about four to five hours away from Tenancingo. A pastor from an associated church in the state of Morelos (south of Mexico City) is leading folks from three churches, seven of whom come from our church. We will be doing a number of activities with children and also house to house evangelism. This is a rural and remote area and also a place with heavy drug trafficking and violence. Please remember us in your prayers as we travel and minister. We want to show God´s love in a tangible way. Here´s the itinerary view in Google Maps.

Year end update

Judging by the frequency of our posts for the last six months one could conclude that either there is not much to report or so much going on there has not been time to report it. The latter is true as June through December has held many full adventures for us. Here's a brief summary:

Summer Campaign - we had a team of 30 from two Chicago area churches come for a bit over a week in late July to hold a basketball clinic, kids club and english class for people in Tenancingo, specifically in Agua Bendita and San Jose. It was refreshing to have much energy and excitement and a hectic change of pace. Both Lina and Matthew were heavily involved in coordinating details related to the campaign.

School - Samuel started 3rd grade and Rebeca 1st grade at the same public school where Samuel has been. Matthew got elected to the Parents Association as treasurer and has spent many hours getting to know the school structure, happenings and "ways of doing things." We have made good relationship with a number of families, some of whom have asked us whether we can help couples with counseling.

Church - We have continued our involvement with worship on a regular rotation with Lina on keyboard and Matthew singing, playing guitar and occasionally leading. This fall we also underwent some training for marital counseling with our teammate Steve Peterson. Though the program called Prepare/Enrich, we took a marriage inventory and were able to go through an evaluation of areas of strength and opportunity. It was refreshing and encouraging for both of us and we are now meeting weekly with a newly married couple and working through the followup with them. During the upcoming year we will continue to debrief with more couples both in the church and broader community.

San Jose - This past fall Matthew led a team of 5-8 mentors who spend time with elementary students helping them work through their homework. Because we have limited volunteers, we have only been able to offer help on Tuesdays and Thursdays. During October and November, our friend Carolyn Preston volunteered her time to teach English every Monday and Wednesday. She has since returned to the US, so our plan starting in January is to have homework help from Monday through Thursday. Additionally, we have had a few activities for women, teaching them crafts they can use for home business initiatives. We have started to think and pray about the possibility of moving to this neighborhood in future years so that we can spend more time investing in the people of the community.

That's the last few months in a nutshell. We appreciate the love, kindness, prayers, encouragement and support from so many. This year has been a bit difficult financially, although God has graciously allowed us to end each month in the black. We have gained a few supporting families, but lost more. We trust God will add others to our team of regular donors who will invest in our lives as we invest in the kingdom here.

Sept to Dec 2009...

Samuel and Rebeca

September came and went... October is gone... November also is behind us.... If this blog were a true measure of our lives and activities, you´d think we´ve been hibernating. Truth is we have kept ourselves so full with life and activities that we have not been intentional to share what has been going on. For those of you who check on our monthly happenings, here´s a summary from September to now...

September - full swing with school, both Lina and Matthew on PTA board for Rebeca´s kindergarden. Began kids club in two locations - four sessions on the story of Christmas. Began "Firepfroof" marriage series every Wednesday evening. Our neighbors decided to attend! Samuel and Rebeca began swimming lessons.

Marco, Dayra, Cynthia, Yolanda - our neighbors...

October - helped organize a catered dinner for young adults with special speaker. Continued with kids clubs. Matthew ran a 10K in Mexico City. We coordinated the purchase of 140 mariachi costumes for all the kids in Samuel´s grade (second grade - 3 classrooms)

Catered dinner for young adults at church.

November - More kids clubs. Neighbors still attended faithfully. Delivered the costumes. Electrical installation for our Bible institute classroom. Lina tried a few more recipes (mmmm!). Samuel and Rebeca participated in special swimming presentation.

Kids in San Jose reenacting the nativity scene.

We´re gearing up for the end of the year, with a reader´s theatre and special song. In January we´ll have a church retreat. And we´re already starting to plan on next summer´s campaign...

... we´re trusting God for year two!

La Casa de mi Padre

Well, VBS is finished now, and we are grateful for that. The last three weeks were absolutely draining in many ways. But I would not have changed it for the world! Our team was pretty commited to the vision and our kids were excited to be part of it. They do see how we, as a family, have a calling to tell others about Jesus. Samuel got to do puppets and, to be honest, he is pretty good at it. The kids laughed at what he said which was an encouragement. Rebeca, on the other hand, enjoyed more sitting with the rest of the kids, helping them with their crafts and mostly, setting a good example of behaviour. We are so blessed.

I will never be able to do justice to Matthew´s wonderful organization skills. He planned, organized, encouraged, challenged and had fun with the team. He did an excellent job leading us in this project. Thank You, my love.

The theme we used was "La casa de mi Padre" (My Father's house). We talked about creation, Noah, the life of Jesus, us being the salt and light of the world; and finally our home in heaven. We had a theme song, which goes like this, more or less:

My Father's house I want to know,

My Father's house, will be a safe place.

My Father's house, in there I will live.

My Father's house, forever with Him!

I think all of us, adults and kids, liked this song and its tune. Ironically, though, we had a tough reminder that this Earth is full of sin and imperfect. We all should be looking forward to being with Jesus for ever.

One of the VBS locations, was the street. Matthew rented a large tent to protect us from the rain. We set up things in a way that we were facing a house that belongs to a church family. On the other side of the street, live two "kids" all by themselves. Well, they are 25 and 23. They have been locked in the "house" for decades. They are victims of abuse since they were very young. Neighbors say that they used to go to Kindergarten, but all of a sudden, they were locked in the house, tied to their beds and never went outside again. They lived with their father, who died. Then their mother came in the picture but didn't stay with them. To this date she sees them every other day, gives them some food and leaves again, locking the house from the outside. If you saw them, they are so skinny and have not developed mentally. The first day we had VBS, they came out to their little yard and started clapping to the songs. Later, their mother came and locked them inside of the only room they have. We didn't see them again.

The words of the theme song were painful to sing, yet hopeful. We know that today, their house is nothing but the horrible place where they are victims of an abuse I could never imagine would exist. But one day, those kids will have a safe place to live for ever, when they are called to His presence to live in Our Father's House. May that be very soon.

Ecuador?

Between July 11 and 20th, Matthew joined a team of 22 others from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, near Atlanta for a weeklong trip to Ecuador. There, we joined missionaries Steve and Carol Thompson and their team at Camp Chacauco where we were able to help in three main areas. First, a medical team of nurses and prescription drug helpers spent time in a town called Montalvo, helping diagnose and assist with basic and common ailments as well as sharing about God's love for the people. The rest of us were involved in a three-day Bible school right on site at the Montalvo church for around 70 kids on the largest day. Finally, in the afternoons and all day Thursday we helped in construction back at the camp with building some roofs on a new building for housing the camp staff (which currently stays in dorms).
A few highlights:

• Being one of very few fluent Spanish speakers, I played guitar, taught verse and lesson for VBS all three days. I also got to interact in a small group format with the kids as they rotated from games to crafts and application time.

• On Wednesday, 7/16, played guitar and preached at a weekly service in a tiny village 8400 ft high. The full group was 50 or 60, but the locals were about 15 to 20. Got to sing songs from my childhood and have folks sing along



• Met a believer who owned a shop next to the equator and asked me to pray for her family right then and there in the store. The HCJB radio program she was listening to was an instant giveaway. She was thankful that I was able to pray for her husband who has only recently begun attending the Evangelical Church in the "Middle of the World" (what they call the equator, since the actual word for equator is the same as the counry's name).

• Went to a university function to support the daughter of one of the pastors as a foreign contact who might be interested in supporting a business idea she and a team created as a project. I discovered that I'm actually a british investor seeking to assist in the exportation of Ecuadorian fruit to the UK (and USA).

• Daily view of an active, ash-spewing volcano called Tungurahua and occasional glimpses of how it has impacted, climate, culture, topography and even religion in this area.

• Learning to use a nail gun w/ the two-by-fours and sundry pieces of wood.Seeing 50 ecuadorian youth divided up into four teams have a talent night with skits, songs and special numbers.

• Getting to wear a patch on my right eye for 24 hours due to a few pieces of sawdust getting stuck behind my eyelid. I noticed it when they came in but it was one of those things you figure they'll come out on their own. The second morning after, my eye was swollen and red and it was decided a doctor should review it. He flushed it out with saline and I felt immediate relief. However, he wanted to make sure all inflamation was gone and eye was fully healed, so I got a shot on my behind and a patch on my eye.

• Having opportunities to share about God's goodness and plan for each life with a number of people in my travel back to Chicago: on the plane from Quito to Atlanta, on Atlanta's railway (MARTA)...

Now it is off to Mexico. Stay tuned!

When two roads cross

I'm still amazed of how God, the Almighty, in a very creative way and sometimes with a pinch of humor, causes two roads to cross, no matter how parallel they seemed before. The first time I saw this technique of my Father in action, was when He, chose to manifest himself to a 12 year old and captivated her heart. That is how I would describe my conversion. Many years later, after much crying and asking and surrendering, and when I was finally convinced that it was a lot better to live as a single than married away from the will of God - and making clear to others that I would never marry and American or live in the US - our Lord pulled his strings once again and made two roads cross. I would have never thought that Matthew was the love of my life! Our roads crossed and became one which I'm grateful for more than words can say.

Now, after much longing to go back to the mission field on a permanent basis, we are seeing how God, again, is bringing people to our lives just at the right time. We have heard from several people, when we invite them to become part of our support team, say: "Actually, we were praying to find missionaries to support" or "You know, we realized we need to give more to God, and he has placed you in our hearts." We have many others who are lifting us in prayers, which we are thankful for, beyond words.

We are so amazed at how our Lord keeps crossing our paths with the ones he has called to serve in Mexico with us through their prayers and financial support. We are humbled, touched and sometimes we just smile.

We can't wait for the time when our roads will cross with the hungry, the poor, the orphan or single mother who need hope, strength for one day; and day by day they will make it through until their own path crosses with someone else's. This time they will be the light that shines and spreads.

Chasing lions with fire in our bones

This weekend we have heard two messages which have had an impact and are sure to spur further thought and motivation to action in the weeks and months ahead.

First, on Saturday our pastor shared about "chasing our lions" based on a brief verse found in the second book of Samuel, chapter 23. One of King David's strong men chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killed it. Our pastor was encouraging us to go on the offensive, to remember how we are on the side of victory and strength and that we need to stop being so defensive and "playing it safe" in our lives. Click here to hear the full sermon. Both Lina and I felt something resonate in our souls as he shared and we seek to go out and bring the love of God in Jesus to many who need to know.

Then, Sunday we also were able to hear Chris Gouzoules speak a message on Jeremiah 20 where he talks about fire in his bones. He did not despair, even though he had been thrown in the filthy pit. First he questions why God has allowed such things to happen to him. However, he goes on to say in verse 9, "But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

We sense a flame in our hearts and a boldness to go fight the "lions" that are keeping people in Mexico from seeing and experience the strenthening, healing and loving presence of God in their lives. Would you pray with us as we continue to fan that flame and get ready to fight?

What God is doing

Church

• One established Christian church started in 1997
• Discipleship
• Strong youth work
• Raising national leaders
• Around 125-150 in attendance
• Targeted evangelistic retreats

City of Refuge (project)

• Church building
• Classrooms
• Sports facilities and playground
• Rooms for prayer, counseling & other activities
• Training school for church planting
  

Focus on 10/40 window: Area between 10 and 40 degrees latitude spanning Africa to China where the majority of the world’s unreached people groups live

Mexico’s 10/40 window: Seventy towns within one hour drive from Tenancingo without an
established Christian church