Freedom

What a whirlwind week.  This week we were blessed to celebrate the bicentennial 16th of September - Mexico's Independence Day. I had erroneously thought that Mexico's Independence Day was Cinco de Mayo.  I have learned so much since!!    We studied the history of the 300 years of Spanish rule, of Father Hildago's famous Grito de Delores and his ringing of the Church bell at 11pm, and the 10-year war that raged afterwards.  We learned that this is reenacted in every plaza across Mexico on the night of the15th of September. We dressed in traditional Mexican dress, (see Payton's picture), ate delicious food from states across the country, and cheered at the firework display. 

We are beginning to see the beauty in the history, the culture, the people.  This is a country with strong ties to family and building relationships with those around you.  It is a "slow down and talk to your neighbor" culture instead of a "hurry up and get where you are going" culture.  It is a community that knows their aunts,  uncles, cousins and their birthdays and their children's birthdays. 

While it is a country of "haves" and "have-nots", we have a lot to learn from the "have-not's".  The "have-not's" are not unhappy, unproductive or unwilling.  They are generous, kind, and hard-working.  They may only have enough food for today, but they will share the food they have with you.  And they will thank the Lord for the food and depend on Him completely for food for tomorrow.  It is the faith that moves mountains, ties a culture together, and profides true freedom.  Freedom from worry, stress, and anxiety.  Freedom to give and know that you will be taken care of.    To the people we work with here,  faith is a prerequisite to freedom.  What an honorable lesson for us all. 

When It Rains, It Pours...make lemonade

We are back in Mexico today, Friday the 10th.  Actually, Joel flew out Thursday to Chicago for AdvoCare business, but he will be back next week.  Wednesday, the 8th, we unexpectedly threw a few things in our bags and headed back to Georgetown.  Williamson County had gotten  a very unusual burst of rain from an outer band of Hurricane Hermine, and our home had tallied 15 inches of water overnight.  Our wonderful neighbors watched in horror as the flood waters exceeded the top of the pool.  Our backyard was a running river and water had entered the house soaking most of the floors.   A full force of volunteers came to our home and before we could even drive back from Piedras had most of the furniture moved and the wood floors torn up.  Dryers were brought in, carpeting removed, and our possessions were all stacked in makeshift piles throughout the dry parts of the house.  What an absolute blessing!!!

Throughout all the work of moving furniture, spraying and moping floors to prevent germs, and salvaging leftover personal items, I could not help but feel utterly thankful for all I had.  Joel and I are blessed with the most faithful, servant friends that anyone could ask for.  We have a roof over our home, and I dropped in bed that night thinking how incredibly soft my bed comforter was.  I have running water when I lift the tap handle, and a shower that runs every time.  I do not need to turn off the refrigerator to run the microwave, and my air conditioning unit is set to the exact temperature I desire.  I have a garage with a garage door, and a car.  I have the ability to earn an income to pay for the things I need and the repairs we will encounter.  So many in Mexico where we serve do not have any of these luxuries...ever.

So this morning, before I left Georgetown again, I sat upon the concrete floors admiring the remnants of carpet glue and hardwood floor tacking.  No lemons here, only yummy leftover lemonade from a quick Dairy Queen run the night before and homemade fiber-nut-healthy muffins from a dear friend.  With the deafening hum of the multitude of blowers, I smiled up to God and yelled, "Thank you...You are GOOD!!!".  .   

I know there are so many in our community who have lost so much more than us, whose future is uncertain, and whose fear is probably overwhelming.  For those people, I am praying for God's comfort and for Him to provide for all needs.  I am confident He has a plan to prosper all who believe in Him even when the circumstances do not indicate it.  And I know He is the source of peace that surpasses all understanding.  Even when live throws you lemons.    

Enriching the Soul

It's been a few days since I have blogged. Not too many extra minutes to spare.  It rained hard this week.  I left to take the kids to school in a sprinkle of rain, and by the time I reached the school I would have sworn I was in a monsoon.  In less than an hour, the streets had almost flooded and a few were questionable on whether or not I should attempt to pass.  Lots of people in a small space and limited drainage systems made driving difficult.  I got home to the plunking of water dripping in several rooms.  Water was running down the wall of one room and dripping in two places in the kitchen.  However....amidst all the inconvenience, all I could think of was...I am not sweating!!!  It is not unbearably hot!!  Yahoo, yahoo!!  Funny how your appreciation for the small things in life can be resurrected by a bit of inconvenience.

We have duplicated the Intentional Church Planing Training twice here already and are working on a third training.  It is so exciting to see people reaching out to share their story and His story with those who have not heard. We could have a huge movement right here out of Piedras Negras.  God has big things planned!!

Pastors Francisco and Alma have sold enough tamales to build onto their Church.  I visited them yesterday and immediately was invited that afternoon to a ladies Bible Study.  I was humbled by the 30 or so ladies who came dressed in their Sunday best toting their Bible, notes, and a cloth to constantly wipe the sweat from their brow.  (This was a day or so after the rain, so the heat was back accompanied by humidity).  They each walked gingerly into the church which has a muddy, uneven floor, no roof yet, and only a blue FEMA tarp with holes providing a bit of shade.  The ladies settled into their chairs, moving them slightly to find level ground so they could sit without tipping.  There were generations of women together, cousins, aunts, and sisters, sharing their knowledge, giving thanks to the Lord for all he had given them this week.  One elderly lady gave thanks for food this week for the 14 people who lived in her home.  Another gave thanks for her childrens' birthdays and to have had enough money to purchase propane to cook with.  I thought about how different this was from the ladies who come to our small groups back home.  We are praying for guidance on what car to buy, maybe an issue going on with our child at school, or how to find time to study the Word each day.  In the States, I probably would not have attended the study if it was too inconvenient.  Here I see women honoring the Lord in their dress - even when it is hot, in their thanks - even when it is for so little, and their faithfulness - even when it seems they should feel abandoned.  I am humbled that we all pray to the same God who knows our every need - whether it is food and shelter or cars and things.  That God has given some more and some less and it does not matter what you have...it only matters what you do with it.  Thank you God for this lesson for my soul today.  I am enriched by the beautiful poor women I am surrounded by!

Today, I will be obedient

Yesterday we hosted a follow-up training at the First Baptist Church of Piedras Negras with Pastor Terry Spinelli on church planting.  Wow, that is an understatement.  Yesterday changed my life.

If you have never heard of church planting movements, it is basically a way of thinking about what was really needed to have a "church" according to the Bible.   Not a building or hymnals or an organ, but people ready to believe, grow, and share. With billions of people who have never heard the Gospel or don't know who Jesus is, we have to use different strategies to reach the many people beyond our immediate community.  Terry Spinelli is a master at this and trains on a system used in Southeast Asia where there is the highest concentration of unreached people.  His group, many of whom are Christians for less than a few years, planted over 6000 churches (with about 25 to 30 per church) and shared the story of Jesus with over 138,000 SINCE JANUARY 1, 2010. I have not even brushed my teeth that many times since January 2.  In fact, I quickly calculated that if everyone I know on facebook brushed their teeth twice a day for the 8 months (that is about 480 times per person)  and we added all those up, we would still not have done an activity 138,000 times.  The numbers are overwhelming, but true.

What it all boils down to is that spiritual maturity is based on obedience, not knowledge.  So when Jesus left he told us to go and make disciples, not go and memorize the Bible or go and do a Bible study.  Not that those things are bad....they are important and good.  It is just that to be obedient is to follow what Jesus commands each day, every day, wherever you are.

So I am looking at my day and what puzzle pieces God has put before me.  Church planting information, a leaky kitchen sink that is backing up to the bathroom sink, a whole new world of people I can impact, friends who are praying, endless dust, a wonderful husband and family to serve, people who are hungry for food and a message of hope.  Today I will be obedient.  I will use what he has put before me in this new adventure and make disciples.....after I brush my teeth.