Praying for Arizpe

Since my last posting, I had the opportunity to see a lot of you as I spent about three weeks up in Winkler, MB, right up until Thanksgiving weekend.  Despite the chilly weather (and the in-house wars between deciding whether to turn on the A/C or the heat!), it was a great time connecting with many of you.  Of course there is never enough time to connect with everyone, but I really appreciated those connections that I was able to make, and to sense your support behind me as I shared with many of you what God's up to down here.

I just got back this afternoon from a quick trip into the mountains to the town of Arizpe, which I've shared a fair bit about with you.  This is of course the small town where a student from two years ago, Benny, has plans to open a drug and alcohol rehab center in the facilities of an existing church.  As I shared recently, the previous pastor couple had left this past summer and Benny is serving as their pastor right now as he prepares them as well as the congregation for the work of this rehab center, hopefully to begin sometime later on in November.

The town of Arizpe

I spent a couple of nights out there, connecting with him, and bringing a truck load of items such as kitchen utensils, a washer, a fridge, and other stuff.  I know some of you have been asking me, "How's Benny doing?" and I'm happy to say that he is doing very well, very excited for what's coming.  Some might think that it's a bit of an odd match, placing him out there.  He lives in the capital city of this state, Hermosillo, a city of close to a million.  The town of Arizpe is a farming community, with the men all decked out in cowboy hats and boats, where it is not uncommon to see people riding their horse through town.  He comes from a background of the cartel, selling drugs, and living as a hitman, and here he's taking on the responsibility of pastor in this little farming community.  But sometimes that's just what you need, a little bit of unconventional!

Talking with Benny, he's been very excited as he's connected with the people of the church (the congregation being down to about 5 to 10 people), in seeing their willingness to be involved in this ministry, and their desire to grow in their relationship with the Lord.  He's also excited with how he's seen the community respond and he's tried some new tactics to reach out into the community.  Many mornings he sets up a large speaker facing out the window of the house directed out towards the surrounding houses, pulls up his Bible and shares with those in ear-shot a verse, a few thoughts and a prayer.  At other times he turns up the Christian worship music and shares it with his neighbours.  He's been going out and inviting people, visiting with them and getting to know them.  The exciting this is that it is working and people are coming on their own, without even being invited!  People are seeing whats going on and some who have not come to church for a long time are just showing up.  One could just feel a new life and a new vitality.

Benny standing in front of the center

One of the projects we tackled, not a huge one by any stretch, but one that Benny was excited about was painting the name of the ministry on the front wall of the building.  Lugar de Encuentro: Vida Nueva.  "Meeting place: New Life" is the name of the ministry.  And that describes so well Benny's desire for the ministry, that people who perhaps have little hope in their lives having battled with various addictions, would find exactly that, the hope that comes from a new life, which can only come in Christ.  The goal in the church is not to have a large number of people in the service, but to see people's lives transformed, to see the believers of the church grew up in maturity in their walk with Christ.

Inside the facility, two dorms, a kitchen, and washrooms off to the right

The house, part of the mission

The goal is to start towards the end of November.  There are a small number of needs to get to the point of being ready to open including some things like a couple of mattresses, some chairs and tables, an area that needs to be fenced of, things like that.  For the most part everything is in place.  Benny already has the 20 people he wants to start with ready to go.  His plan is to take on 20 people, have them for four months and then see a new batch of 20 come in.

As you think about Benny and this opportunity, pray for him and this small congregation.  Pray for those first 20 people who will have the opportunity of entering.  Pray that God would already be at work in their lives.  Thanks for your prayers!