A Heartbreaking Separation

I have been putting off writing this for quite some time now. I know I need to let you know what has been going on, but it is just so much easier to write about the good that happens rather than the hardships. Besides it was better to keep quite for awhile to avoid making things worse for all involved.

As you may recall About 2 years ago Jackie took a job with the church we had been attending. She started working in the office of the school they run. Being in the position she was she saw quite a lot that was not being handled in ways she thought they should, especially for a Christian ministry. One of the things we have come to admire about Amor Ministries is their desire to do ministries above reproach. It is not something that seemed to be of the utmost importance to the school.

At first I thought that it was just an adjustment that Jackie had to get used. Most of us put people in ministry on a level above ourselves and expect that they have it all figured out and under control. When in reality we don’t we have just given ourselves to God to be used by him despite our shortcomings. In this way, we know when good is done through us it is only God who deserves the credit and praise. At first I thought that Jackie was adjusting this realization. To my shame I was wrong and I ended up hurting my wife with my words. To her it seemed that I did not believe her. I did believe but looking back I can see how my words led her to that conclusion.

About a year after she started working at the school Jackie had determined that she would not just sit back and allow things to continue without opposition. So she spoke her mind freely about the things that she felt were wrong. This led to many nights coming home crying about the way she was being treated. They honestly got mean. She was accused of gossiping and trying to bring down the church. Now, Jackie is a talker she and others in the school that saw what was really happening talked about it but they spoke the truth. Jackie was the only one that spoke up about it to the director. At which point she was called a witch. They used scripture to try and validate the point.
1 Samuel 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
They said that because she was rebelling against them that she was like a witch. I could not allow this and confronted the church. Her rebellion was against the acts she witness that were wrong, not against God as the scripture indicated. Over the next year we fought together to bring reconciliation to ourselves and the church leaders and tried to point out that work needed to be done to restore the church to what it should be. But all our efforts were met with what appeared to us as indifference. They just did not care. I eventually started telling Jackie that it was time to leave but she stayed because she felt that God had put her there for this reason. It was about this time we found a new church to worship at.

About a month ago Jackie was put on suspension. They sighted complaints from parents that she spoke down of the school as the reason. We were informed later by friends in the church that this was not the case. Instead it came from a letter that was written to the church asking questions about what was going on based on a conversation that took place with Jackie and another former member of the church about why we no longer attended the church. Jackie was told that if she chose to return she would have to change her attitude. We took this to mean Shut up or get out. Jackie finally had enough and decided not to return.

I am writing this to you so you know what has been going on over the last couple of years so if I bring it up in the future you won’t be completely lost. There are some of you on my mailing list that still attend the church. I want you to know that while we have been accused of trying to tear the church down, we really only wanted to build it up. If I don’t address the problems in my own life then I don’t grow. I believe the same is true for the church. We wish the church well and we continue to pray for it. I admit it has been really hard to love the people we were at odds with for so long, but by Gods grace we do still love them. Unfortunately the reports we here from friends are not encouraging. It looks as though it will all be swept under the rug. I pray that God will straighten it all out. There are far too many good sisters and brothers still there to wish ill on the church. For their sake I pray for a great revival in the church.

For now we have found a wonderful church to attend here in El Paso. Jackie is still searching for work and things have gotten really tight financially speaking. But I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of our family. I know God will provide for our needs. So I just have to keep trusting that he has our best interest in mind.

We are here for the Least of these…

I would like to share this story with you it comes to me from our Mexico Minisrty Coordinator Lydia Lozano. She runs these outreaches in all the cities we work in as well as here in Juarez.

We are here for the Least of these…

Each year our Mexico Ministry Planning Board holds a community outreach sponsored by an Amor group. This year our Tijuana pastors hosted an outreach in the community of Terrazas sponsored by the Trader’s Point Christian Church of Indianapolis.



It is amazing to see the connection between our Amor pastors and the “American” groups. TPCC was so excited to make such a huge investment into the Kingdom of God. They met the Tijuana pastors and worked along side them to reach about 500 people at the outreach. Most of which were children.

One thing that stood out for me was the following story of a family of seven who came to the outreach.

An Amor Ministries outreach includes fun games for the kids, crafts, small lunch, and a message of salvation for all to hear. All these festivities are free to everyone who comes and there are many opportunities to share the love of God to the hurting. Children from all over the community came to play games and win prizes. Laughter rang through the hills. Each participant had a job to do. Either they were manning the game booths, helping little hands with crafts, making ham sandwiches or talking one on one with a hungry soul.



The pastors were busy talking to families that Amor Ministries has built houses for letting them know that all this was a gift from God to them. One lady came up to me with such an expression of joy as she shared that she was grateful to Pastor Eusebio Haros (one of the Tijuana pastors) for connecting her with Amor Ministries. Now she and her family have a home to enjoy and the love of God made such an impact in her life.



Still there was one particular family that really touched my heart. In all the chaos of children running around having fun there was a family of seven who stood in the middle of everything looking a little bewildered. A father, mother, and five children huddled together as they tried to figure out what was going on.

I noticed that they were carrying buggies, boxes, bags, and a little cart full of scrap metal. The families’ clothes were worn and dirty from foraging through mounds of trash to find a little metal to exchange at the recycling mill for money. Yadira and I explained to them that this was free to them and that the children could play games and win prizes.

At first the children felt embarrassed because of their clothes, but with a gentle nudge of their father the children tentatively made their way to the games. The father stayed close to his kids and the mother stood watch over their things. I loved seeing how the father would rejoice with his kids when they would win at a game. I marveled that this family took time for their kids to have fun. I was touched when I saw the kids bring their tickets to their mother so that she could “buy” something at the prize table.

She chose a handmade quilt which she continually caressed with her calloused hands. They made a connection with our pastors who will help them as much as they can. I even had a chance to introduce Stan (TPCC trip coordinator) to them. I told Stan that if this outreach was for only this family it was all worth it.

I asked the mother if she would allow Stan and I to pray for her and her family. She happily agreed and we prayed together knowing that God heard our cry. The family had to leave so I made sure to pack them a good lunch and gave them a Bible.



All this happened because of someone who took the time to care. The outcast of the world met with the eternal love of God. It reminded me of the story of Jesus when he spoke to the Samaritan woman. She was an outcast of society yet He took time to give her what she needed most….love. Thank you for that opportunity to love people into the Kingdom!

Praying for Nathan

In the five years that I have worked for Amor Ministries I have never had the troubles crossing the border the way I did just two weeks ago. We got turned away from the border three different times at two different border crossings in the course of two days. Twice they took issue with the buses our groups were bringing and once with a rather large trailer. In all it took me about 14 hours to cross three groups. I can normally cross one group in about an hour.

Needless to say it was a very frustrating weekend. I was temped to ask God what he was thinking in allowing such troubles, but I kept reminding myself that God’s ways are higher then my ways and his thoughts higher than mine. With that in mind I started asking God to open my eyes to what ever it may be that he was trying to show me. And he did.

While attempting to cross the border with a rather large trailer for the second time, the border guards turned us away because the group had pack a lot of items to give away while on their trip (they failed to inform me of this). You can only do this at one border and you need a permit which is a really big hassle so we just don’t do it. So my plan was to take the group to our office in El Paso unload the donations and the try it again. As we were being put in the line to cross the border back into the U.S. one of the border guards asked me a question. At first I did not understand because he was talking to me in English and his knowledge of it was about as good as mine of Spanish. I thought he was trying to tell me that we should have just paid him off, but being unsure I asked him to repeat himself. As it turned out he was asking me to pray for him. He also asked me to pray for his family and his church. I remember the wave of emotion that came over me as I realized that God had put us there for this very reason. So I asked his name (Nathan) and I have been praying for him ever since.

The next day I was turned away from the border that we normally cross with a very small bus and sent back to the down town border crossing. An unusual event for one day indeed but two days in a row was getting on my nerves. As I crossed the border I was pulled into secondary and who should be the one inspecting my vehicle but Nathan. I stood amazed at the opportunity’s God gives us as he finished his inspection and let me cross. Before I left I called him by his name (he seemed surprised that I remembered) and let him know that I was praying for him and that others would be as well. So if you are willing I want to ask that you join me in praying for Nathan, his family and his church. I know God will work wonders if we are faithful.

All Nations Seminary

We just finished an amazing week working at All Nations Seminary, and I just wanted to share a little bit of it with you.

Beauty from Pain

Awhile back I was driving home from Juarez. On the car in front of me was a sticker that I am sure you have seen. It has become one that I see on quite a regular basis. It is the little boy Calvin from the famous comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. I remember when I was a boy sitting around the breakfast table waiting for my parents to finish with that particular section of the morning paper so that I could read the comics. Calvin was one of my favorites. I cringe now when I see him on the back of someone’s car, for what started out as someone’s clever way to state their loyalty to one car company or another has become a way to put down anything or anyone that causes us pain. By now I’m sure you have seen the mischievous little boy standing with his back to you looking over his shoulder while he urinates on something we are to assume the driver of the car does not like. On the car in front of me this particular day he was urinating on the words EX-WIFE. My heart sank as I read the words. I couldn’t understand how someone could come to hate someone that they used to love with such venom as to post it for all to see. As a sat there I realized that this is all too common a thing for us. You see I really don’t think he hates his Ex-wife I think he hate the pain he feels because of the relationship that they failed to hold together. We all hate pain. I don’t know anyone who truly likes it. I remember the pain that I felt when my high school sweetheart of three years broke up with me. I can’t say I felt much different than then the person sitting in that car in front of me, and looking back now I wish I had handled it better then I did. I don’t like pain anymore then the next person, But I have learned that if we let it pain can make us grow.

I guess that is why it love the work I do with Amor so much. When you really take a close look at one of our mission trips you realize it is full of pain. You are out side in the elements, the hot beating sun, the wind blown sand, some rain now and again, and on the rare occasion snow. You work all day to come back to camp only to find that you have to set up your tents because the wind has knocked them down. Someone one your team is going to hit themselves with a hammer sometimes repeatedly. You can bet the more then a few will have bad sunburns. You have to use an outhouse that you can’t stand to breathe in. Flat tires, broken down vans, cuts, scrapes, aches and pain it all goes hand in hand with one of our trips.


So why would over 25,000 people choose to put themselves through this every year. Why aren’t they running from the pain? Why don’t you see Calvin urinating on Amor’s name, or any other mission trip organization? Maybe it is because with Jesus we grow through our pain. Jesus endured an excruciating amount of pain to show his love for you and me. These groups endure a small amount of pain to show their love for Jesus and their fellow man. When we start to realize that we are not the ones that matter but instead we serve the one the matters. Pain is just a side effect, a passing event that will be replaced with joy. At the end of nearly every trip I see smiles on faces, on the families that receive and the groups that give. I have yet to see any amount of pain ever take that away.

A Very Different Year

What an amazing spring we had this year. Looking back over the past years I have worked here I have never had a spring go so smoothly. We even had beautiful weather. Normally during spring we have many days of hard wind which can make for some grueling work days. But this year I believe there were only a couple of days of wind at all and they were not near as bad as I have seen in the past.

It was a very different year for me however, I was not the one out there constantly with groups. My roll this year was that of supporting the staff; Eric, Howie, and T.J. They all did a wonderful job for our groups. I had many groups express their appreciation of each of them. We also had much more volunteer help this year then I can remember in the past. It made for some busy weekends getting them settled in and trained but it was all worth it. They laid the ground for an exceptional spring by getting all of our prep work done early and taking the load off of our staff on work site lead out days. I can’t express how grateful I am for each of our volunteers.

This is the first spring that I have not spent all of my time in the field working along side the groups. I remember the first day after getting the groups settled into camp I spent some time visiting with the groups and then as I got in my vehicle to go home for the night, I felt a little sick driving out of camp. I realized that there is a big part of me that is going to miss being there in the field ready to act on whatever comes up. There is such a bonding that occurs when you spend that much time with groups trying to assist them in their mission. While I really enjoy my new roll, I know I will miss that more then anything. Thinking back on it now I am glad for that little bit of heartache. It tells me that I really do care for those that I serve. Anything we do can easily become just a job. There are times that I ask myself if I am letting that happen to me here at Amor Ministries. I think if I ever answered yes to that question it would be time for a change. But I know my heart is still in it, the many lives that are touched by this ministry continue to touch mine. I cannot see this as just a job when it impacts my life so profoundly.