Back at it!

Hey all,

Just thought I would update anyone who is still looking in here to my life.

Things have been a-shiften, if you don’t mind me saying so in a funny manner.  I got home to not having the usual house that I stay at.  It was sold.  It has actually been a good thing.  A good motivator to get me going on from old places.  Though Tsawwassen has been my home for many years, it seems that my community there is hard to find.  I come home to find that relationships are not really re-entered, but rebuilt.  Some are lost, some are remaining.  Some are more distant.  Some are closer.  Some come out of nowhere.  Some cause joy.  Others bring back memories both good and bad.  It may seem like I’m saying some of this in a sad state, but that is not true.  It is just that feeling that many missionaries, and those that have moved a lot start to feel.  You enter what once was home, only to find that it is really just another missionary field to begin a new work.  It is like starting over in many senses.  Home, as so many have said in the past, is simply the place where you have community.  It is the place where you don’t have the constant anxiety of wondering who your friends are.  It is the place where you don’t have the constant anxiety of trying to have something good to tell others you are doing so you feel dignified in some weird way.  Home is where you have peace.  Thanks to the Lord and his Holy Spirit we are able to have peace anywhere.  Perhaps it is more fleeting in some places more than others, but the same God is everywhere.  His rules apply across the universe.

I was worshipping the other day and was blessed by peace.  It seems there is much to not be at peace about, but in the Lord’s presence I have found it.  It is sad that it lasts for such a short time, but all the more reason to go back to him and worship with all my heart.  It is where I have found my strength to remain. My strength of getting through those times where you soul just doesn’t want to be at peace. We must worship!  I have learned this the past year.  In all those times where I felt lonely or just out of passion, it was in worship that my bitterness once again was turned to thankfulness.  It is worship of him that we are made.  So it makes sense that if I am not worshipping him with all my heart in what I do that I start to go empty.  Just as a car does not run on air, my soul does not run off nothing.  But if I want to keep a heart on fire for the Lord it is going to take maintenance.  Not hard maintenance, but joyful, passionate, all-heart giving worship.

This has been some of what has been on my mind.  I hope I can encourage all out there who are empty in soul that the Lord does fill!  He will bring peace.  Perhaps it seems the farthest things from reality, but that it when seeing him come through will mean all the more.

A song that I keep on repeat right now is:  Love Came Down by Bryan Johnson.  I suggest it.  Not just once, but all day!

Blessings until next time.

Ending off Well

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

My time here is coming to a close.  It is interesting how fast it is coming.  I think now it is only 3 weeks.  I come back on the 13^th of June.  I still have 2 weeks of debrief left in Abbotsford.  It is an interesting feeling having to come to an end of knowing a bunch of people for seven months.  There is somewhat an ignorance of the ending time.  It is kind of like the ignorance of death.  We just keep going because what really can we do.  Do we sit and focus daily upon the fact we are going to die?  Hopefully not…  But the same with my time coming to and end.  Unlike death, I know the exact date it is coming.  I will be leaving and will have a whole bunch of awkward moments with people.  Some people I will never see again.  With some I may cross paths with again.  I say goodbye and then… do the awkward wait…  Usually it is followed by some comment that tries to cut through the awkwardness, but usually is just adds to it because it is not something you would ever normally say.  I think I am getting too good at this whole awkward goodbye thing.  Here is a little summary of my goodbyes:

I’ve had to do it first when I left Tsawwassen to do my year of the Quest program at CBC.  Then I had to do it at the end of quest.  Then I had to do it at the end of my Africa trip as well.  Then I went home for two months, then had to say goodbye because I was off to the Trek program.  Then after training for two months with a bunch, we had to say goodbye.  Then after my time in Germany I had to say goodbye being sure that I would never see many of them again.  Then, back for debrief to say goodbye for good to the other teams that were in other parts of the world.  Then is was back home for two month until I again left and said goodbye to go back to CBC.  Then half way through the year at CBC, I said goodbye to all and went to Jerusalem.  After four months I had to say goodbye to those in Jerusalem.  Then it was straight to Malibu without really seeing anyone at home.  Then after another 4 months at Malibu camp I had to say goodbye.  Then I spent the next 6 months between to worlds.  One working in Tsawwassen and the other in Ellensberg in which I would eventually say goodbye to both.  Then it was off to Toronto for training again.  I got to meet a big group of people but as well said goodbye with my team to Germany again.  After a month again in Germany seeing people I never thought I would have seen again, I had to say goodbye to all again.  I went back to Toronto to say goodbye for good to the other teams that were in other parts of the world.  Then it was back home for a small time until I said goodbye again to all and went off to do Trek for the second time.  Same goodbye thing happened after the first two months with all the other teams.  And now what is to come, but another goodbye after seven months of living in Mexico.

I don’t recount it to complain.  It id just interesting to look back at the past four years and think of all the people that I met and will never seen again if not in heaven.  Needless to say, I’m getting pretty experienced in this hello and goodbye thing.  It is kind of sad because I don’t really get sad anymore.

I continue to hold on to thanking the Lord for all that he has brought including this time in Mexico.  It has been a different life than I had expected, but looking back at the hard times and the good times it see his hand at work.

I’m looking forward to see all of you who are reading this once again.  I hope we can meet up soon enough.

Blessings to all

PS – the pictures are some of the thing that we have been doing (Ministry in other parts of Guadalajara, in other parts of Mexico, and our times spent here doing thing for the Matthew Centre.

Sheep and Goats

I was reading my bible today and this impacted me a lot.  Sometimes I get frustrated with serving and wonder why I continue to pursue a life focused upon seeking the Lord’s kingdom when everyone tells me we are all going to heaven if we say Jesus’ name in a prayer once.

The Sheep and the Goats

31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Missionary Quotes

I was just looking up some quotes for an assignment and was quite inspired by some.  Though I would share them with you guys:

“Not called!” did you say? “Not heard the call,” I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him  whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.    – William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army

“God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.”
  – J. Hudson Taylor

“The greatest missionary is the Bible in the mother tongue. It needs no furlough and is never considered a foreigner.” 
  – William Cameron Townsend

“Here am I. Send me.”  – Isaiah

“Had I cared for the comments of people, I should never have been a missionary.”   – C.T. Studd

“Do not think me mad. It is not to make money that I believe a Christian should live. The noblest thing a man can do is, just humbly to receive, and then go amongst others and give.”  – David Livingstone

“The more obstacles you have, the more opportunities there are for God to do something.”  – Clarence W. Jones

“Christians don’t tell lies they just go to church and sing them”  – A.W. Tozer

“Today Christians spend more money on dog food then missions” 
 – Leonard Ravenhill

“Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring” 
 – Jesus

“The mark of a great church is not its seating capacity, but its sending capacity.”    – Mike Stachura

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”     – John Piper

“I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God; first, it is impossible, then it is difficult, then it is done.”     – J. Hudson Taylor

“Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you are alive, it isn’t.”     – Richard Bach

“When God’s finger points, God’s hand will open the door.”     – Clarence Jones

My business is to witness for Christ. I make shoes just to pay my expenses”              – William Carey

“Whom God would use greatly He will hurt deeply.”     – A.W. Tozer

“Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:34, 35).            – Jesus Christ

Campo Real Week

Me and Bailey (Dog of James and Alyssa Wiest)

This week has been an amazing week of being in a great young and growing community of believers.  We, as the team of Hadime, were living in Campo Real – a community near the outskirts of Guadalajara.  Though it may sound like it is some trailer park, it actually is a middle class nicely laid out closed community complete with parks of green grass, fountains, and funny outdoor workout things that just seem to be there more for encouraging people to do something active rather then them actually being active using the random and sometimes hard to figure out how to use machines.

Some of the youth from Campo Real and Teri using the comp

Currently there are two missionaries in the area from MB Mission: Alfredo Beltran and his family and James Wiest and his wife Alyssa.  Alfredo has started many churches in the past; including the one I usually attend here in central Guadalajara.  They have been in the area for the past few years, but just recently started planting a new church.  The services are currently in the stage of being outdoors under some coverings put in the park with some picnic tables and a few extra foldable chairs.

Reyna with a side of Alfonzo and a bit of James in the far background

Being there made for an amazing opportunity to learn how a church of a few months functions and continues to press toward.  We attended community groups, put on games in the parks, prayed for people of the church, and went door to door asking people if they had prayer requests (I did it in Spanish!).  Though we did not pray for them on the spot we received a good summary of what the struggles and desires of the people of the area are they we the church may continue to pray and support.  We also helped one guy from the church at his work.  He has many issues with his workers being in conflict at his work so we went to work and be an example.  Not to say we are always the best examples of a team, but with a team of missionaries versus a team of bus mechanics there are many differences to be notices.  We were able to pray for the place and for some of the guys there in hopes of the Lord beginning a work within the hearts of some of the guys.

Some of the youth from our team and youth from Reto

Spiritually for me things were actually very encouraging in this time.  Perhaps it was the joy of having more youth around who have similar hobbies, or perhaps it was the joy of pursing the Lord’s kingdom in some somewhat riskier manners…  Whatever it was I have come from the week feeling refreshes spiritually and ready to get back into things here at the Matthew Centre.  Though we now only have half of a day before we are off to another part of the city to lead a 4 day mission trip of youth 15 and younger.  We have to do it all as a team.  The food, the games, the outreach, the lessons, the music…  Our team is in charge.  I am in charge of the music, games, and some devotionals in the morning.  Not that I will only be doing that, but those are my responsibilities to make sure they get done.  I’m getting more and more comfortable in singing in Spanish, and in general singing and leading worship.  In the past I have been involved in music in the church but never did I have a lot of experience leading worship with guitar and singing so it has been a good stretch for me.  The more I do it the more I realize I love to lead and sing.  Sometimes I wish I didn’t have a guitar so I could focus more on singing and leading the group, but nonetheless I am gaining experience and joy.

As I mentioned above we are now off to leading a mission trip.  I will be extremely busy for the next 4 days, but then after (if all goes well), we will have some time to relax.  And by relax I mean time to be living in the Matthew Centre where usually everyday we have lessons for 4 – 6 hours.  Hah!  Perhaps not the most relaxing, but at least we are situated and know where our beds are.  Our next month will be about evangelism.  Learning about it, reading about it, living it, and the like.  Prayer for continual health and joy would be amazing.  Our team has been together almost long enough now to start having conflict so prayer for continual unity and times of joy together among the stressful situations would be great as well.

New Places, New Faces, New Miracles

As of late we have been living in another part of Guadalajara studying and serving at another church.  The church is called Casa de Paz (House of Peace) and is only about 2 years old, but has been growing immensely and has great vision for what the Lord can do in this community.  It has been a blessing this past few days to be living in another area.  Though our team is together most of the day, we are again all sleeping in different houses.  This time I am living with a poorer family within Guadalajara.  They have little materially, but much spiritually.  It has been amazing to learn from them.  Though they do not have much extravagant words, or a list of their degrees, they have joy unlike I’ve ever seen.  The Father of the household works upwards of 13 hours a day 6 days a week at a pants making factory.  The Mother can’t work for she has to take care of their daughter who is 12 and their son who is 4 who has a form of down syndrome.  They have experienced many miracles in their family.  They had their first daughter, but could not have a second for Carolyn’s (the mother) womb with incapable of doing so… according to doctors.  One day a Christian who received a message for them came to them.  They were not Christians but nonetheless received the message with hope, for they were told that they would be having another child.  Sure enough without doctoral explanation they had another child.  This child was born without use of his legs, and was later to have no ability to speak.  3 years when by and little change except for his size.  But through connections with some friends they went to a local church where their child was prayed over.  He is now able to walk, and talk.  Though he still talks in a limited manner, and requires assistance walking up and down stairs he had miraculously developed.  He is now 4 and we are able to talk and play with his toys together.  Everyday I get to wake up and see his smile.  It is huge!  Everyday living with this family I am reminded that our Lord does miracles.  Not only with their child has the Lord blessed them, but with their house.  4 years back when Carolyn was pregnant with their son, they were having great troubles financially and were living with family.  They went from family member to family member looking for somewhere to stay for all their possessions had been taken away including their house.  This was very troubling for them for they didn’t know what they were going to do with their son that was on the way.  But in time and the Lord’s provision the Father (Raul) was able to get a job.  Step by step they made it back into a house.  The only issue was that they had no money to fill it with anything.  But the Lord is faithful.  Upon moving in, random people started coming to their house asking if they wanted whatever it was the person had.  Some came with tables.  Some came with chairs.  Some came with sofas.  Eventually the house was filled.  As we were sitting at their dinner table I looked around the room.  They told me that everything in their downstairs had just come to them.  It was not the most elegant or expensive of things, but it was totally filled.  The Lord had blessed them and continues to do so.  The joy that they have is unlike any other I have seen.  It is not that they do not struggle and have hard times, but their hearts are pure.

Immanuel (The Miracle Child of the family)

I think about this everyday I am there.  I am able to meet this family who is very simple in style of living.  They have little or no time to serve in the church or seek the Lord’s kingdom with great passion, but the Lord chooses to bless them.  The Lord sees his children and gives.  My view of how God is only going to help me if I do great things for his kingdom has been pushed aside.  My view of the Lord’s grace has grown greatly from being able to be with them and hear their story.  I want to learn more of our Lord because of them.  Raul, the father, told me something of great importance that he learned actually from some mormons who came to their house to help them before.  They are not mormons themselves, but learned from them that spending time thanking the Lord when you wake up, when you eat, and when you go to bed is very important.  I have began this discipline.  Sometimes I forget they I have much to be thankful for.

Climate Differences

I just really wanted to put this up for all those who are living in Vancouver and reading my blog.  Everyday I wake up and look at the little weather thing on my computer and this just made me so glad.  One of the few good things about being away from home.

Picture Update

I thought I might just put a bunch of picture up on the blog.  I have so many from these past months that I’m going to try and put some more from now on in my blog updates.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Lessons learned continued…

If you read my last update you will see a list of some of the things I learned while living in a village of 200 in the middle of nowhere in Mexico.  Though I am no longer in the village I still have the lessons fresh in mind.  It was an amazing experience with many opportunities of learning humility, patience, and many other things that I think need some explaining.

Lesson 6: The difference between the dirt you need to clean and the dirt you leave because it is the floor…

I was asked to sweep many times but found myself in great hesitation as I would look at the floor and wonder to what level the expected me to clean.  I could go all out and clean all the dirt, but then they would be left without a floor.  Usually what ended up happening is that one of the kids would see me cleaning too much or too little and just take over.  They wondered why I would continue to watch them.  Little did they know but I was trying to learn what the norm of cleaning dirt is.  I think I got it down by the end.

Lesson 7:  Taking a shower after working hard will make you sick…

This actually isn’t just a thing with the villages but in Mexico in general.  There is this – can I call it this –  superstition that if you do not immediately cover yourself after a shower and it is the least bit cold you will get sick.  Many a time I have been told in very immediate manners to cover my head when I come out of the shower.  The difference in the village was that I wasn’t supposed to take a shower after working.  I was supposed to wait.  I could imagine it has something to do with sweat, but nonetheless something I never thought of before.  After 4 days without showering I wanted to take my weekly shower but was told I should right then

Lesson 8: Mother goats don’t like it when you try to take their 2 day old kid away…

I should have saw it coming…

Lesson 9: You can eat a large bowl of brains and not even know it

A bowl of eggs in soup was given to me.  It was usual we had loads of eggs usually with every meal.  I started to eat this bowl of “eggs” and began thinking to myself, “this has a different taste than usual.”  But it could have easily been the soup that it was in.  Then about half was through I thought again, “These don’t look like normal eggs.”  Among my questions to myself I decided it wise not to ask what I was eating.  I just continued on eating as if it were eggs.  I convinced my mind greatly.  I thought just about never asking and never finding out if it actually wasn’t eggs.  But my curiosity just got in the way and sure enough I asked and they told me I had eaten brains.  A huge bowl of soupy brains.  If ever you wonder what you are eating, do not ask until after it helps so much.

These lessons were all part of understanding living in a different culture.  I am happy that I learned them.  Most of them were not reasons to be happy while living in them.  But looking back has made for amazing reasons for being grateful in my life.  Just as many of the things I have been living the past few years have not all been easy, but looking back I see what they have accomplished in my life.  I look forward to the moments I don’t want to be in but have no choice that I may look back on them and see what the Lord was up to.

Blessings! Until Next Time

Lessons of the Pueblo

Things have continued on here living in the town in the middle of nowhere.  A good example of what the town is like in reference to something in Canada would be like one of those small little towns that you see (if you don’t blink) and wonder who would ever live there in the midst of traveling to somewhere in the boonies to go camping.  It is very small about 200 hundred people.  Though they do have their own language…  But this update I would like to write a bit differently.  I think a list of the lessons and an explanation of them would be interesting…

1.       How to wash clothes by hand in a basin thing…

a.       I have had to learn to how to wash my clothes in a basin thing.  I´m not quite sure what to call it, but we us it for all sorts of things.  We use it to clean dishes. To drink from. To feed the farm animals.  To shower.  It´s all the same basin of water.  It has a green tinge of bacteria all around it growing.  But it works…

2.       How to eat using tortillas as utensils…

a.       They don’t usually supply utensils for eating.  The first day this presented a problem for every meal tends to be soup of some kind.  But as I watched I realized not only can tortillas be used to eat, but to bring the other food to your mouth as well.  Even soup.  Sure I am horrible at it, but at least I can get food to my mouth.

3.       How to walk all day in scorching heat up and down small mountains without passing out…

a.       We walk about 5 to 8 hour each day.  The whole area of just mountains.  Nothing is flat.  It is usually around 80 to 90 degrees everyday.  My first few days doing this I was on the verge of passing out most of the day, but I continued to raise my hands in prayer for the Lord´s help.  He supplied it.  I was dizzy every time I got up from sitting, but I made it back in one piece.

4.       How to cook cactus…

a.       You cook it just like any other green thing.

5.       How to go to the bathroom without a bathroom…

a.       I find that bringing a thing of toilet paper no matter where you are is of greatest importance.  Never forget your roll and you can take care of business anywhere. I prefer large trees to lean.  Skinny ones tend to bend and make things difficult.  As well large trees keep you hidden from the dogs that are always on the watch for one who might be leaving behind a special meal for them.  Trying to kick off dogs while going to the bathroom is not recommended in my experience.  If your rolls runs out there are even special leaves that have softness to them.  They do have a bathroom, but it doesn´t have a door, nor a seat, nor cleanliness (at least to my standard which I am working on lowering).

The lessons continue.  I will write some more the next time.  But for now I think 5 is enough.  It goes to show some of my frustrations… but as well my attitude to accept them as learning, not as something to reject.  There has been plenty of opportunity to be angry and frustrated, but I know the Lord is just teaching me patients and a new culture.