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.

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!