From January 20-30 I was part of a team from Agua Viva on a mission in Southern Baja California, visiting a missionary working among isolated ranches in the San Francisco mountain range. Here are a few quick statistics from the trip:
10 days; 2 showers; 1 little mountain town; 5 ranches visited; 1 mule ridden; 3 meals of goat meat; 5 Christian outreach movies shown; 15 hours hiking; 3 nights in a tent; 1 flat tire; 2 little girls who accepted Jesus after hearing about how He is their Good Shepherd; 200 photos taken.
Things were different from what I was expecting in the sense that the people we visited hadn’t actually become Christians yet, so we did more chatting with and praying over people than teaching and ministering. Some of the places we visited were accessible by car, some were accessible only on foot or mule back. But in San Francisco (the ‘little mountain town’ mentioned above) and the different ranches there was no electricity or running water. At all of the ranches the buildings were made of wooden boards, even cardboard, with dirt floors. The men spent the day with the livestock, either cattle or goats, and the women took care of the house, cooking meals over firewood. Life revolves around the location and availability of water. I conversed mostly with the women and children, many of who were very glad of the company, since the closest neighbors are a few hours away. I felt that God was at work planting seeds and slowly revealing Himself through us to those who do not yet know Him. They know that we are hermanos (brothers) who come because we love God.
I am coming away from the experience with a renewed sense of the great spiritual need in Mexico and the challenge of missions among such isolated people, many of whom are illiterate. I’m thinking now about some of the people I got to know: Chachita, a ranchera who eagerly asked me when I was coming back; Carla and Caramela, two little girls who asked Jesus into their heart but might not hear anything more about Him for another year; Jorge, an adolescent ranchero who seems curious about a God who loves him but cautious about wandering away from 300 + years of tradition his family has maintained in the Sierra de San Francisco. They have become more of the many reasons I am serving at Agua Viva Ministries.
Prayer Requests:
Please pray continue to pray for my health. I was feeling well but in the last few days have felt the bacteria dancing in my guts again. I’m taking samples to the lab tomorrow...
Pray for the people I encountered on the mission trip, that God would continue to make Himself known to them and that they would come to know Him. Pray also for Jose and Lupita, the missionaries working there, that they would have courage and grace to share the Gospel.
Pray for my administrative work at Agua Viva as I continue to tackle my to-do list and administer funds in the off-season, when money is extremely tight.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
January News
I think that this year, 2009, is the first year that I have ever made an official New Year’s Resolution. I have been feeling the need for a while now to step up my communication with those care for and pray for me, and so I have resolved to send monthly emails informing of happenings at Agua Viva Ministries, prayer requests, and the like. I am pretty serious about this resolution, so if you notice that I start slacking and miss a month, please be on my case!
This time of year (January to mid-March) is considered our off-season at AVM. There are very few, if any American short-term groups and Mexican camping groups. But that doesn’t mean that there is nothing to do. In fact, I have a rather long and ambitious to-do list for the coming weeks: create a budget for 2009, ensure that the new electronic payment system with PayPal is functioning correctly (online giving is now an option ☺), wash and store all of the linens that were lent to the seminary students last term, create a meal pricing system to offer more options to Mexican camping groups, and I could go on. Like I said, it is an ambitious list, but will greatly contribute to the overall efficiency of the ministry.
Fortunately, I am feeling refreshed and ready for action after three lovely weeks with my family in Virginia for Christmas. And I have a feeling that 2009 may be my best year yet at Agua Viva!
On the Calendar:
January 20 – 28, Mission trip to South Baja California
This year I have the chance to go on a mission trip with other AV staff members to the San Francisco mountain ranges of Southern Baja California. There we will visit a missionary named Jose Ponce (a former student of MTI, the AV seminary) who goes on foot or mule to visit and disciple families at isolated ranchos. We will join him to support him and his wife in their work, visiting families, leading Bible studies, working with kids and youth, etc. We will hike to many of the ranchos, carrying all of our things on our back. I am very much looking forward to the trip and making use of the hiking boots I got for Christmas!
Prayer Requests:
Pray for wisdom and endurance as I tackle that to-do list mentioned above.
Please pray for my health. I recently finished a round of antibiotics to deal with three different parasitical bacteria living in my stomach. The whole process has been pretty rough on my poor insides, so I am hoping not to contract any more unfriendly visitors.
Join me in praying for the upcoming trip to South Baja. It looks like I will be leading a few talks (in Spanish, por su puesto) and would appreciate prayers that God would use me there and help me form relationships with people who live a life so different from my own.
This time of year (January to mid-March) is considered our off-season at AVM. There are very few, if any American short-term groups and Mexican camping groups. But that doesn’t mean that there is nothing to do. In fact, I have a rather long and ambitious to-do list for the coming weeks: create a budget for 2009, ensure that the new electronic payment system with PayPal is functioning correctly (online giving is now an option ☺), wash and store all of the linens that were lent to the seminary students last term, create a meal pricing system to offer more options to Mexican camping groups, and I could go on. Like I said, it is an ambitious list, but will greatly contribute to the overall efficiency of the ministry.
Fortunately, I am feeling refreshed and ready for action after three lovely weeks with my family in Virginia for Christmas. And I have a feeling that 2009 may be my best year yet at Agua Viva!
On the Calendar:
January 20 – 28, Mission trip to South Baja California
This year I have the chance to go on a mission trip with other AV staff members to the San Francisco mountain ranges of Southern Baja California. There we will visit a missionary named Jose Ponce (a former student of MTI, the AV seminary) who goes on foot or mule to visit and disciple families at isolated ranchos. We will join him to support him and his wife in their work, visiting families, leading Bible studies, working with kids and youth, etc. We will hike to many of the ranchos, carrying all of our things on our back. I am very much looking forward to the trip and making use of the hiking boots I got for Christmas!
Prayer Requests:
Pray for wisdom and endurance as I tackle that to-do list mentioned above.
Please pray for my health. I recently finished a round of antibiotics to deal with three different parasitical bacteria living in my stomach. The whole process has been pretty rough on my poor insides, so I am hoping not to contract any more unfriendly visitors.
Join me in praying for the upcoming trip to South Baja. It looks like I will be leading a few talks (in Spanish, por su puesto) and would appreciate prayers that God would use me there and help me form relationships with people who live a life so different from my own.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)