The New Camp

Things have been really kind of hectic for our slow season, and while there has been so much going on I really have not had much time to sit down and write. So, as I said there is much to share and I will try my best not to overwhelm you with a really long blog. It may end up being a series.

As you may have heard by now we were asked to leave the camp that we were renting in Juarez so that the land could be sold. That put us in a long a drawn out process looking for a piece of land that we could purchase. Well, we found that land located some 15 miles southeast of the city of Juarez. We borrowed money from our general operations fund to purchase the property and have begun the task of fund raising to pay that money back.

In September we made the move from the old camp to the new. And have begun construction on the fence (which should be finished any day now). We still need to build a warehouse for our tools but the camp is ready for groups. In fact we have had three groups there already. They all were very impressed at how quiet it is a luxury we did not get at the old camp. It is truly amazing how God provides. So we have been busy setting up showers and Baños. We have been doing our best to get pricing on water and electricity. We had the land cleared and as I already said have been we have been having a fence built. it has kept things interesting this year. I hope you enjoy the photos and I will try to update you on the rest soon

Eternity ?

Do you think what we do today matters for eternity?

Are the choices you’re making now shaping you into the kind of person you’ll be forever?


Pretty heavy questions, Huh? I thought so too. They came from a video study we are doing as our fall bible study at Amor. Honestly I never really considered eternity, I really only thought about how I was living this life with the realization that I will not live forever. As I thought about it I realized that no matter how we choose to live this life there is an existence after we pass away. Really I have been trying hard to align my self with Gods will so that my existence will be with him. But today I realized that there is an eternity of death if we choose not to live as God created us to live. It made those two questions so important. We can’t just sit around here expecting to be with God in heaven if we are not trying to live with him here and now. I started to see how the choices we make either align with God or they don’t. The more we align with God in our lifetime the easier it will be to be that kind of person in eternity, the same being true if we choose to live our way instead of God’s.

I suppose I really want to choose God’s way over my own, although, not out of a desire to go to heaven and not that I always succeed. Rather, because I am stunned by his love for me even though I have chosen to live in opposition to his plan so many times. I really only considered an eternity with God as a place I did not deserve to be, but I sure did not want the alternative. These questions made me realize that God is giving me this life so I can become someone who will learn to partner with God for all of eternity and I get to practice it right here right now.

This is why I love the work I do with Amor. I know there are many who think that we don’t evangelize so it is not a valid ministry. They are wrong, we do. We just do it through the local church; many people that work with us never see it. But back to the point, loving people is aligning with God’s will. That is what we do when we build homes, when we serve groups, when we provide food or school supplies and when we share our faith in God’s love. It is what you do when you support us financially or through prayer. The love and emotion I see when a family receives the key to their new home never fails to leave me standing in awe. I hope I never stop wanting to draw closer to God and choosing His way over mine.

“May you believe that death has been taken care of and you can be a partner with God in redeeming and restoring this fallen broken, hurting world. That you can literally be a partner with god in making this the kind of place that God originally intended it to be.”
Nooma video “Trees”

Encouragement

It is not hard to love your job when people do things like this. I had a wonderful time working with this group from Colorado. I hope they come back. With or without me they would have had a great trip I know because they are a great group. Still, it is the small things like this that make the difference in how a day can go. I should do more of this myself.

I don’t know what to write about. I know I have not written in such a long time. But, I have been struggling with words lately. I guess this is what writers go through when they have writers block. Someone once told me that I just need to sit down and start writing and things will eventually come.

I was just looking over some of my past post and realized that I never told you about Dan. Dan Smith was hired on to take my place in the field. He has been doing a wonderful job. He is a delightful person to be around and he works very well with our groups. He started last summer and just went through his first spring. I think he is a good addition to our team and I pray that he feels led to stick around for awhile.

Wind! I have lived here six years now and I have not come to terms with this wind. I know I am supposed to be awed by God’s creation and as a Christian thankful for all things including the sand blasting wind. But I’ve got to say after six years I am sick and tired of wind. If Chicago is the windy city I never want to visit. I have been walking outside and when the slightest breeze hits me my first thought is “oh no, not again!” I suppose I’ll get over this funk about the wind sooner or later, but to tell the truth I’d just rather it stop. Oh yeah, I heard the news today guess what? That’s right… more wind.

You may have heard me say something about us trying to purchase a new property for our camp in Cd. Juarez. Well it’s been over a year but I think we are just about to sign on the deal here real soon. Things are looking good.

Last Sunday I was asked to speak at our church and explain what I do with Amor, a little about the ministry, and how people can get involved. It is amazing how God uses something so simple to remind me why I am here. Even now I get so tangled up in my own thoughts of my unworthiness that I end up wondering if I am being effectively used by God. As Listened to my own words and those of the others asked to speak, I was reminded that God just wants me to be willing. He can use me if I am willing, and I am honored that despite my short comings he is using me to help bring his kingdom to us here on earth.

Well would you look at that there are actually words on the page. I guess the person that told me told just start writing was right after all.