Today, just a quick story to share.
On Monday I was grumpy. I had just gotten back from a weekend in the States celebrating Joel's birthday, and I had to spend the day back in Eagle Pass running errands. With so much to do at our casa Mexico, the next mission trip to plan, and Payton's exams this week, I was ready to get to work at home in Mexico. I was sure God had big things for me to do there. However, I had to help one of the Pastors with some banking, I had to mail forms for another, and I had to stop and get the supplies for an oil change for a church van. Everything took longer than expected and I forced myself to smile as I waited in each line thinking it would improve my mood if I could at least get my face happy.
Joel had sent me back with several donations that had to go to different places we serve in Mexico. Several people from different churches in Georgetown had made donations and I was responsible for delivery. I had planned to go Tuesday so that I could spend some time with each Pastor or family. In Mexico, there is so such thing as a quick drop-off.
However, here I was in Eagle Pass delayed almost until I had to pick the kids up from school. I was near the old bridge, which I rarely use, and I crossed the border there only to be delayed again as the Mexico side was stopping every car. I again attempted to make my face happy as I opened my truck and stumbled though in broken Spanish an explanation of the oil and filters and boxes of chicken. I realized I reluctantly was near the soup kitchen of Miriam and Orlando and I had a $50 donations to give them. I needed to pick up the kids, but if I hurry I could get this errand done. I had not brought the sheet of paper telling me who had donated the funds, and we are very conscientious about making sure doner and donee are connected. I thought to myself, "Maybe I should not stop here today". I called Joel and was unable to get a call through. Ugh. By this time I was on their street.
I prayed for patience and crossed into the gate of the soup kitchen. Orlando and Miriam met me with a smile and outstretched hand, a multitude of kids playing on the playground behind them. I apologized for having to stop by quickly as I was delayed in picking up the kids from school. I also handed him the $50 bill and again apologized for not having the name of the person who donated it and told him I would get the name to him tomorrow. Orlando looked at me with surprise and I thought I saw his knees nearly buckle.
He swallowed hard, pulled out his warn wallet which included the total sum of one quarter, one dime and one nickle and proceeded to tell me this story. About ten minutes before I arrived, he had called out to the Lord for help. He had stacked those three coins on the hood of his small purple car and begged the Lord for wisdom. He has been planting churches and driving which had cost him all his gas. He had just gotten off a two hour phone call with someone who had accepted Christ by the end of the call, but it had cost Orlando almost all he had. He cried to the Lord, "What am I to do with only 40 cents? I do not even have enough pesos left to feed my family or the children of the soup kitchen. Lord, I am depending on you and I am crying to you for help". Not ten minutes later I had unplanned and unwillingly pulled through his gate with a mysterious $50 to put in his hand.
I thanked the Lord for each of my delays and reminded myself that my plan is not always His plan. I have smiled this week every time I think of that story.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Lessons from Mexico
It has been several months since I have blogged and I have learned much about Mexico, missions, and me. I stopped blogging for a period of time because I felt I was drawing attention to our situation instead of God's work in this process. I know for certain that everything we do here, everything we see here, and everything we experience here; even our being here is God's plan and in no way any of our doing. It is not by our means that we have this opportunity - it is by His grace and what comes with it is a great responsibility.
About Mexico I have learned that the poor have knowledge I do not. To sum it up - November we learned what it was like to be cold. It was in the 40's in the house and we had no heater. Our productivity slowed to crawl as we spent much of our energy maintaining our body temperature An acquaintance in town died of hypothermia on Sunday and it became a reality to us the severity of life without warmth. The people here do not go out when it is cold, they do not send their children to school, and they wrap warmly in scarves covering their face and head. They know how to avoid the pitfalls of getting cold. They had a wisdom we had to acquire. Payton ended up with the chicken pocks, Mitch and I with bad colds, and by the next month we were blessed with a wood-burning stove in the living room. We had learned some valuable lessons.
In December we had a wonderful mission team come from the States. Over 120 people crossed the border to serve even though many of their well-meaning friends and neighbors warned them it was not safe. Because they came, we rebuilt a soup kitchen that serves kids a hot meal every week and is in the process of serving every day. We also put up a fence so they can keep their goats from being attacked by wild dogs. The soup kitchen is run by a Pastor and his family who has a plan and the work ethic to be self -sufficient. They use the goats for milk and food and are planting a garden in their newly fenced yard. Their prayer is for fruit trees this spring. Miriam (the pastor's wife) would like to serve nutritious meals and scripture to the children in her neighborhood. What a blessing to serve a family who works so hard and serves the Lord daily.
Our mission team handed out warm blankets to families in need, distributed much needed food and gave the Gospel message over 1200 kids and adults in three days. We gave out 4200 cookies and made over 1500 Christmas crafts. One volunteer painted a mural on a church wall depicting the entire Old and New Testament. Thank you to all who served. We have truly learned that the family of believers who gather together can do so much more than any one family alone.
A virus struck the mission team and about 30 people (including our family) spent some part their Christmas vacation in bed recovering. Thank you for your gift of sacrifice. It continues to pay forward and we have seen the beautiful soup kitchen in action doubling as a Church on Sundays.
As for me, I am learning the lesson of serving others and serving well. It means more than giving; it means giving what is needed and having the wisdom to stop and let the Lord work in the gift. It means praying with a family whose child is ill, seeking the Holy Spirit with a Pastor who is planting a Church, crying with those who are mourning and rejoicing with a candle on a single slice of cake for a birthday. It means getting out of the thinking I have had for so long and appreciating the wisdom of those who have lived with so much less but loved so much more.
About Mexico I have learned that the poor have knowledge I do not. To sum it up - November we learned what it was like to be cold. It was in the 40's in the house and we had no heater. Our productivity slowed to crawl as we spent much of our energy maintaining our body temperature An acquaintance in town died of hypothermia on Sunday and it became a reality to us the severity of life without warmth. The people here do not go out when it is cold, they do not send their children to school, and they wrap warmly in scarves covering their face and head. They know how to avoid the pitfalls of getting cold. They had a wisdom we had to acquire. Payton ended up with the chicken pocks, Mitch and I with bad colds, and by the next month we were blessed with a wood-burning stove in the living room. We had learned some valuable lessons.
In December we had a wonderful mission team come from the States. Over 120 people crossed the border to serve even though many of their well-meaning friends and neighbors warned them it was not safe. Because they came, we rebuilt a soup kitchen that serves kids a hot meal every week and is in the process of serving every day. We also put up a fence so they can keep their goats from being attacked by wild dogs. The soup kitchen is run by a Pastor and his family who has a plan and the work ethic to be self -sufficient. They use the goats for milk and food and are planting a garden in their newly fenced yard. Their prayer is for fruit trees this spring. Miriam (the pastor's wife) would like to serve nutritious meals and scripture to the children in her neighborhood. What a blessing to serve a family who works so hard and serves the Lord daily.
Our mission team handed out warm blankets to families in need, distributed much needed food and gave the Gospel message over 1200 kids and adults in three days. We gave out 4200 cookies and made over 1500 Christmas crafts. One volunteer painted a mural on a church wall depicting the entire Old and New Testament. Thank you to all who served. We have truly learned that the family of believers who gather together can do so much more than any one family alone.
A virus struck the mission team and about 30 people (including our family) spent some part their Christmas vacation in bed recovering. Thank you for your gift of sacrifice. It continues to pay forward and we have seen the beautiful soup kitchen in action doubling as a Church on Sundays.
As for me, I am learning the lesson of serving others and serving well. It means more than giving; it means giving what is needed and having the wisdom to stop and let the Lord work in the gift. It means praying with a family whose child is ill, seeking the Holy Spirit with a Pastor who is planting a Church, crying with those who are mourning and rejoicing with a candle on a single slice of cake for a birthday. It means getting out of the thinking I have had for so long and appreciating the wisdom of those who have lived with so much less but loved so much more.
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