My thermometer is telling me that it is 35 degrees out today, and that is in celsius in case you were wondering. What month are we in? Oh yes, the middle of May. It's funny how you can lose track of time when you live in a desert and not know what season you're currently in. Coming from Manitoba's four distinct seasons to here will do that to you.
At the center here we seem to have two seasons which somewhat correspond to the two season we have here in San Carlos: Summer and Winter. Summer of course being what it is, lots of hot, hot, humid weather with the occasional rain here and there. Nothing but shorts and showers! Winter being hot and nice with the occasional need to put on a hoodie (in the evenings only, mind you). Our seasons at the mission center: Super busy and not quite so busy! We are just heading into the not so busy season with the last missions team having left about a week and a half ago. Looking back, its hard to believe we are into the summer season. I think it has been one of the busiest seasons that we've ever had, not only with the amount of teams that we've had but also with the amount of big projects that took place over this past season.
I realize that I have not done a great job in keeping you all in the loop with everything that is going on and in the next little while I plan to do so, highlighting some of the great things God has done over this past year. For now I just wanted to check in and let you know that all is well and also ask for your prayers for a young man named Alex.
I believe I've written about him before (you read here) and I believe that a number of you have probably met him as well. He's a guy who has had a rough life in many ways, traveling around Mexico in a circus as a youth where he ended up staying in a small mountain town about 5 hours from here and "adopted" by a pastor working in a church plant. He eventually gave his life to the Lord, but through the years since then he has struggled, battling with things like alcohol and drugs at times. I believe the Lord definitely has plans for him and we've been encouraged to see him break free from the past only to see him fall back into it time and time again. We've slowly seen him change over the years and grow in the Lord but there lingers this pull and temptation from these things, these vices from his past and I would love to see him surrender these fully to the Lord and not only leave them behind one and for all but to see him truly seeking the Lord.
He's been hanging around the center a fair bit the last little while and is actually working here on a construction job (helping to build some more dorms here at the mission center). He has been making some good choices in the last little while but I've had it on my heart that we need to be praying for him, that God would grab a hold of his life. I appreciate your prayers and encourage you to send some up whenever you think about him. Gracias y Dios les bendiga a todos ustedes!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Happy Easter!
Once again it's been a while since the last post! Sorry for keeping you all in suspense for so long! We've made it through our super busy season with only one team left to go towards the end of April. We saw the last team leave on Tuesday after having three teams back to back, one team leaving and then the next team coming later on the same day. That's actually the second time that that's happened this year, that we've had three teams back to back to back. As you can imagine, we started to understand what marathon running must feel like, after running 20 miles knowing that somehow you've still gotta find it in you to push through the last six...not that I've ever even run more than six miles at one time in my life!
Back to Mexico though, it has obviously been a very busy but a very good year in many ways. Much was accomplished in the way of projects such as Pastor Rafael's church in the community of Fatima in Guaymas was dedicated one week ago with only some minor details remaining to be done on the adjacent kitchen which will be used for the feeding program. Praise God for the many hands who helped to make it happen with the first foundation stone being laid sometime in December. It is an impressive building and a monument to the vision that God has for that community. It is a large building and the pastor's vision is that the growing congregation will quickly fill it's walls!
Bus aside from the work projects, as is always the case the more important part and the more exciting part is seeing God touch people's lives. We've worked a lot in Fatima and so we've taken a number of teams into the area handing out food hampers along with members of Pastor Rafael's congregation. It's neat to see the connection that they have, whether it's the pastor himself or his wife, Marisela, with the people of the community and to use the food hamper as a connection, a way to get into people's homes and spend some time sharing the Lord with them or praying with them. And every so often we get the privilege to lead someone to the Lord; other times we get the opportunity to pray with them as they are going through some personal struggles. I remember one such case as I was leading a group along with Marisela. We came into this lady's yard and she was burdened with her son who was living a fairly rebellious life and taking it out on his family, and particularly his mom. She herself was not a Christian though Marisela had shared Christ with her before. We could see as Marisela shared with her that she was so close to surrendering it all to God but just couldn't quite take that final step. Nonetheless we prayed for her and her son and trust that God will bring her to the point of final surrender.
I know that there's so many more stories I could share of God at work in people's lives. It's such a privilege to be a part of those stories, even if I'm just a spectator. And to all of you who have been praying for us as a ministry, you are a part of these stories as well! God bless you for your part! You probably won't fully see the fruit of your efforts until we are on the other side, but for now you can know that God is using you powerfully!
I hope that you all have a wonder Easter, remembering not just how much our freedom cost but incredible joy and the power of the resurrection.
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." Ephesians 1:18-21
Back to Mexico though, it has obviously been a very busy but a very good year in many ways. Much was accomplished in the way of projects such as Pastor Rafael's church in the community of Fatima in Guaymas was dedicated one week ago with only some minor details remaining to be done on the adjacent kitchen which will be used for the feeding program. Praise God for the many hands who helped to make it happen with the first foundation stone being laid sometime in December. It is an impressive building and a monument to the vision that God has for that community. It is a large building and the pastor's vision is that the growing congregation will quickly fill it's walls!
Bus aside from the work projects, as is always the case the more important part and the more exciting part is seeing God touch people's lives. We've worked a lot in Fatima and so we've taken a number of teams into the area handing out food hampers along with members of Pastor Rafael's congregation. It's neat to see the connection that they have, whether it's the pastor himself or his wife, Marisela, with the people of the community and to use the food hamper as a connection, a way to get into people's homes and spend some time sharing the Lord with them or praying with them. And every so often we get the privilege to lead someone to the Lord; other times we get the opportunity to pray with them as they are going through some personal struggles. I remember one such case as I was leading a group along with Marisela. We came into this lady's yard and she was burdened with her son who was living a fairly rebellious life and taking it out on his family, and particularly his mom. She herself was not a Christian though Marisela had shared Christ with her before. We could see as Marisela shared with her that she was so close to surrendering it all to God but just couldn't quite take that final step. Nonetheless we prayed for her and her son and trust that God will bring her to the point of final surrender.
I know that there's so many more stories I could share of God at work in people's lives. It's such a privilege to be a part of those stories, even if I'm just a spectator. And to all of you who have been praying for us as a ministry, you are a part of these stories as well! God bless you for your part! You probably won't fully see the fruit of your efforts until we are on the other side, but for now you can know that God is using you powerfully!
I hope that you all have a wonder Easter, remembering not just how much our freedom cost but incredible joy and the power of the resurrection.
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." Ephesians 1:18-21
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Healing Bodies and Souls...
Every year we host a ministry from Montana which brings doctors and nurses to put on free medical clinics in different areas around San Carlos. Today we're on a day off having already visited four places, seen over 750 people, handed out a lot of vitamins, glasses, and other medications, as well as Bibles. With three days left to go, we're enjoying a rather odd for San Carlos day, cool and cloudy with a little bit of drizzle here and there.
Monday was the busiest day we've had so far, being a holiday, Aniversario de la Constitución, and there were people waiting for us the moment we got there. I don't think the line of people waiting to get in ever depleted until about 3:00 in the afternoon when we had to stop accepting people so we could ensure that the backlog of people waiting to see the doctor would get a chance. 300 made it through that day, either wanting to see a doctor or to get a pair of glasses, whether reading, prescription or sun glasses.
Recently, I was reading in Matthew, about how Jesus had compassion on the people. Four times the word "compassion" is mentioned in Matthew. Each time its used pretty much the same way. "Jesus had compassion on them..." He saw their needs and He had compassion on them. But it never stops there. He saw their needs, had compassion on them, and then did something about it. In every case, his compassion lead Him to action, to do something to meet there needs. Jesus' compassion led Him to provide food for them, heal them, give them sight. Though He did what He could to meet their physical needs, He also saw their spiritual needs, the condition of their hearts, and turned to His disciples and said, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
I don't mention this to pat ourselves on the back to say how we've been doing just through something like the medical clinics that but rather, that it was a big reminder for me. Perhaps you are not the same task-oriented type of person that I am, but sometimes I get caught up in the task before me and forget about the needs of the people around me, their physical needs and their spiritual needs.
It's interesting the connection there is between the physical needs and spiritual needs. Many people who come down on missions teams comment about this as well, how people who are in physical need tend to be more open to hearing about the Lord. It's easily seen on a large scale when you compare Mexico with Canada or the US. With such prosperity in Canada and the US, you see hearts that, in general, are very closed to God or anything to do with Him. Here on the other hand, with conditions being a little harder, people are open to hearing and it is exciting to see them respond!
Of course, I need only look at my own life and I can see that it is in the times of crisis that I have been brought down to my knees and have been drawn closer to God. And times of "prosperity" are the times when I may tend to drift away.
Although many people come to these medical clinics with some very basic needs, whether it be reading glasses, or with cold symptoms, or even just wanting some vitamins, some do come with some more serious medical issues. But the doctors take time to pray with each person whom they see. And every once in a while we see a transformed person coming out of that tent, seeing it written all over their face that they have in fact given their life to the Lord.
If you think about us over the next three days, pray for the people that come, not only that they would see Jesus through the acts of compassion, but that we would have the opportunity to introduce them to the One who can meet the deepest needs of their souls.
Monday was the busiest day we've had so far, being a holiday, Aniversario de la Constitución, and there were people waiting for us the moment we got there. I don't think the line of people waiting to get in ever depleted until about 3:00 in the afternoon when we had to stop accepting people so we could ensure that the backlog of people waiting to see the doctor would get a chance. 300 made it through that day, either wanting to see a doctor or to get a pair of glasses, whether reading, prescription or sun glasses.
Recently, I was reading in Matthew, about how Jesus had compassion on the people. Four times the word "compassion" is mentioned in Matthew. Each time its used pretty much the same way. "Jesus had compassion on them..." He saw their needs and He had compassion on them. But it never stops there. He saw their needs, had compassion on them, and then did something about it. In every case, his compassion lead Him to action, to do something to meet there needs. Jesus' compassion led Him to provide food for them, heal them, give them sight. Though He did what He could to meet their physical needs, He also saw their spiritual needs, the condition of their hearts, and turned to His disciples and said, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
I don't mention this to pat ourselves on the back to say how we've been doing just through something like the medical clinics that but rather, that it was a big reminder for me. Perhaps you are not the same task-oriented type of person that I am, but sometimes I get caught up in the task before me and forget about the needs of the people around me, their physical needs and their spiritual needs.
It's interesting the connection there is between the physical needs and spiritual needs. Many people who come down on missions teams comment about this as well, how people who are in physical need tend to be more open to hearing about the Lord. It's easily seen on a large scale when you compare Mexico with Canada or the US. With such prosperity in Canada and the US, you see hearts that, in general, are very closed to God or anything to do with Him. Here on the other hand, with conditions being a little harder, people are open to hearing and it is exciting to see them respond!
Of course, I need only look at my own life and I can see that it is in the times of crisis that I have been brought down to my knees and have been drawn closer to God. And times of "prosperity" are the times when I may tend to drift away.
Although many people come to these medical clinics with some very basic needs, whether it be reading glasses, or with cold symptoms, or even just wanting some vitamins, some do come with some more serious medical issues. But the doctors take time to pray with each person whom they see. And every once in a while we see a transformed person coming out of that tent, seeing it written all over their face that they have in fact given their life to the Lord.
If you think about us over the next three days, pray for the people that come, not only that they would see Jesus through the acts of compassion, but that we would have the opportunity to introduce them to the One who can meet the deepest needs of their souls.
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