Monday, October 31, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Mission Team in Santa Rosalia - October 24, 2005
Due to technical difficulties, it’s been a while since our last blog. We are now on laptop number three as once again our computer has been sent back to the States for repairs.
Two weeks ago a team of four men (Jack Justus, Tom Fox, Gary Achey, and Steve Berg) from First Baptist Church of Bethlehem joined us for one week. David Reed and I [Mark] traveled with the team to a small city about 7 ½ hours north of La Paz called Santa Rosalia. A mission of the First Baptist Church of La Paz there, named Mahanaim, is situated along the coast of the Sea of Cortez and has been the victim of an encroaching sea, especially during hurricane season. A couple years back the church lost its kitchen as hurricane Marty ripped it from its foundation. Our mission was to help erect a sea wall large enough to protect the church from future storms. None of us quite knew what to expect.
We arrived in Santa Rosalia in the early evening hours and were greeted at the church by Pastor Ruben and a couple of the members of his congregation. Pastor Ruben showed us around their humble facility, and then took us around to the back of the church to show us exactly what we would be doing. A front end loader had already removed a swath of beach about 75 feet long and 15 feet wide. The 6 of us looked at each other rather overwhelmed recognizing the scale of the project we were recruited for. Oh, yeah…did I mention that the wall would reach about 12-15 feet high?
Our only consolation was knowing that another team of men from the First Baptist Church of La Paz were also on their way to aid in the project. I can’t speak for the whole team, but I can honestly say that I have never worked so hard in my life, mixing cement, moving sand, and harvesting over 7 dump trucks worth of rocks and boulders from a nearby mountain. The team worked like champs!! We put in four ten-hour days at the worksite working alongside our Mexican brothers on this enormous project. .
At the end of the week the wall measured 75 feet long and about 7 feet high! That is a lot of rock, cement, and pain relievers. Although we did not see the wall to completion, the mission in Santa Rosalia is committed to finishing the project. It was great having the guys from FBC here with us in Mexico. They definitely came to work! The Saturday before they left we even put in a couple of hours mixing more cement and moving more rock to add to the foundation of Mary and Raul’s new home in La Paz.
The following is an excerpt from a journal entry from Joyce Reed on how God spoke to some of our team:
Gary: I live on a farm and began to build rock walls around my property. I just kept building and building. People would ask, “Why are you building all these walls?” And I’d reply, “I have no idea.” Finally, when the boundaries were enclosed, I stopped. I said, “I’m not touching another stone or rock again!” And then the chair of our Missions Committee came to me after church one day and told me about this project in Santa Rosalia. The mission needed to build a rock wall to protect it from the ocean. And I thought, “I think I know what God has in store for me!” Coming to Mexico and meeting brothers in Christ from different areas, seeing us bond together as we built this wall--rock by rock, this is what drove me all week.
Tom: God could have sent an angel and built this wall in an instant.
But he didn’t. Instead, God wants us to build each other up in Christ. This is the way God works: he puts us together to be a family. There is no East, West, North, or South. No United States or Mexico. That’s what happened as we built this wall. We built each other up in Christ. It just swells my heart to see the power of God come together when we unite as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Mark: It’s amazing how God speaks. I’ve never seen a burning bush. I’ve never been swallowed by a whale. I’ve never met a giant like Goliath. But I have experienced God speaking to me in a small, still voice. Sometimes I focus on the task at hand at the expense of my relationships. So I was putting all my energy into building this wall, and God would whisper in my ear, “Get to know the people working beside you. Open up your heart. Can you hear me now?” God showed up in a powerful and mighty way. He renewed, strengthened and united us in Christ.
Milton: I live in La Paz and am part of the English-speaking church Crossroads. I was on my way home from a trip to San Diego and pulled into Santa Rosalia on Wednesday night, found the guys, and bunked with them at the hotel. The next morning, I had coffee with them, and then hit the road. I was several kilometers outside of town when God said to me, “Where are you going?” I countered, “You don’t need me, God. They have enough help. I want to go home.” I kept driving a bit further. Then it was like, “Oh man! I can’t do this!” So I listened to God and turned the car around. Did God need me to finish that wall? Not really. But it wasn’t about finishing the wall, was it? It was about building relationships. It was letting God use me to build up his kingdom.
The last day, as the men were gathered at the work site, a ten-year-old boy named Victor walked over to the church. Victor’s dad ran a road-side flea market across from the church. Everyday Victor would come across the street and see what was going on. This particular day he walked up to Mark and Tom. He motioned to Tom to set down his cup of coffee. He motioned the same thing to Mark. Mark and Tom looked at each other, trying to figure out what Victor wanted. After the coffee cups were out of the way, Victor grabbed each of their hands. He indicated that he wanted the other men to join them. So, in a few minutes, this little boy had all the guys joined in a circle. And then Victor began to pray for them. This wasn’t a short prayer. This wasn’t a “God bless you and have a safe trip,” kind of prayer. No, this was a passionate prayer. Full of conviction. Full of the Holy Spirit. Full of love. It went on for several minutes. It was God blessing the hearts of adults through the faith of a child.
Two weeks ago a team of four men (Jack Justus, Tom Fox, Gary Achey, and Steve Berg) from First Baptist Church of Bethlehem joined us for one week. David Reed and I [Mark] traveled with the team to a small city about 7 ½ hours north of La Paz called Santa Rosalia. A mission of the First Baptist Church of La Paz there, named Mahanaim, is situated along the coast of the Sea of Cortez and has been the victim of an encroaching sea, especially during hurricane season. A couple years back the church lost its kitchen as hurricane Marty ripped it from its foundation. Our mission was to help erect a sea wall large enough to protect the church from future storms. None of us quite knew what to expect.
We arrived in Santa Rosalia in the early evening hours and were greeted at the church by Pastor Ruben and a couple of the members of his congregation. Pastor Ruben showed us around their humble facility, and then took us around to the back of the church to show us exactly what we would be doing. A front end loader had already removed a swath of beach about 75 feet long and 15 feet wide. The 6 of us looked at each other rather overwhelmed recognizing the scale of the project we were recruited for. Oh, yeah…did I mention that the wall would reach about 12-15 feet high?
Our only consolation was knowing that another team of men from the First Baptist Church of La Paz were also on their way to aid in the project. I can’t speak for the whole team, but I can honestly say that I have never worked so hard in my life, mixing cement, moving sand, and harvesting over 7 dump trucks worth of rocks and boulders from a nearby mountain. The team worked like champs!! We put in four ten-hour days at the worksite working alongside our Mexican brothers on this enormous project. .
At the end of the week the wall measured 75 feet long and about 7 feet high! That is a lot of rock, cement, and pain relievers. Although we did not see the wall to completion, the mission in Santa Rosalia is committed to finishing the project. It was great having the guys from FBC here with us in Mexico. They definitely came to work! The Saturday before they left we even put in a couple of hours mixing more cement and moving more rock to add to the foundation of Mary and Raul’s new home in La Paz.
The following is an excerpt from a journal entry from Joyce Reed on how God spoke to some of our team:
Gary: I live on a farm and began to build rock walls around my property. I just kept building and building. People would ask, “Why are you building all these walls?” And I’d reply, “I have no idea.” Finally, when the boundaries were enclosed, I stopped. I said, “I’m not touching another stone or rock again!” And then the chair of our Missions Committee came to me after church one day and told me about this project in Santa Rosalia. The mission needed to build a rock wall to protect it from the ocean. And I thought, “I think I know what God has in store for me!” Coming to Mexico and meeting brothers in Christ from different areas, seeing us bond together as we built this wall--rock by rock, this is what drove me all week.
Tom: God could have sent an angel and built this wall in an instant.
But he didn’t. Instead, God wants us to build each other up in Christ. This is the way God works: he puts us together to be a family. There is no East, West, North, or South. No United States or Mexico. That’s what happened as we built this wall. We built each other up in Christ. It just swells my heart to see the power of God come together when we unite as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Mark: It’s amazing how God speaks. I’ve never seen a burning bush. I’ve never been swallowed by a whale. I’ve never met a giant like Goliath. But I have experienced God speaking to me in a small, still voice. Sometimes I focus on the task at hand at the expense of my relationships. So I was putting all my energy into building this wall, and God would whisper in my ear, “Get to know the people working beside you. Open up your heart. Can you hear me now?” God showed up in a powerful and mighty way. He renewed, strengthened and united us in Christ.
Milton: I live in La Paz and am part of the English-speaking church Crossroads. I was on my way home from a trip to San Diego and pulled into Santa Rosalia on Wednesday night, found the guys, and bunked with them at the hotel. The next morning, I had coffee with them, and then hit the road. I was several kilometers outside of town when God said to me, “Where are you going?” I countered, “You don’t need me, God. They have enough help. I want to go home.” I kept driving a bit further. Then it was like, “Oh man! I can’t do this!” So I listened to God and turned the car around. Did God need me to finish that wall? Not really. But it wasn’t about finishing the wall, was it? It was about building relationships. It was letting God use me to build up his kingdom.
The last day, as the men were gathered at the work site, a ten-year-old boy named Victor walked over to the church. Victor’s dad ran a road-side flea market across from the church. Everyday Victor would come across the street and see what was going on. This particular day he walked up to Mark and Tom. He motioned to Tom to set down his cup of coffee. He motioned the same thing to Mark. Mark and Tom looked at each other, trying to figure out what Victor wanted. After the coffee cups were out of the way, Victor grabbed each of their hands. He indicated that he wanted the other men to join them. So, in a few minutes, this little boy had all the guys joined in a circle. And then Victor began to pray for them. This wasn’t a short prayer. This wasn’t a “God bless you and have a safe trip,” kind of prayer. No, this was a passionate prayer. Full of conviction. Full of the Holy Spirit. Full of love. It went on for several minutes. It was God blessing the hearts of adults through the faith of a child.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
October 4th, 2005
Although summer is a down time here in La Paz due to the oppressive heat and humidity, God has been working overtime. . .
In baby news, yesterday I had my 7 month appointment. 7 months already!!! Mark and I are trying to comprehend the fact that Lord willing, in 8-10 weeks we will have a daughter! I had two ultrasounds done – a level I and a level II. The level II ultrasound showed a clearer picture of Emma as it looked at the circulation of the blood throughout her body. It reminded us of a weather map that shows patches of color corresponding to weather patterns. In Emma’s case, we saw red/orange waves throughout her major arteries including her brain, her heart, and her carotid arteries. We also saw her liver, her stomach, her pancreas, and her spinal cord. We are excited to announce that we have a very healthy little baby. We were also able to hear her heart beat for the first time! It sounded like a herd of horses galloping away as her heart beat 150 times per minute! When we got a closer look at her face, we could see her perfect little nose and her perfect little lips and her perfect little eyes. She had one arm resting on her forehead and her little chin resting on her other hand which was closed like a fist. I said to the doctor, “Ella esta pensando”, (she is thinking), and he agreed. Once again, she had her little legs crossed, but from what we could see all fingers and toes were accounted for. All of her readings indicated that she is growing and developing into a very normal and healthy baby girl. Definitely a girl. 4 hours after the level II ultrasound, we had our routine level I ultrasound. We got to say hello to Emma twice in one day. Again, everything looked great. My doctor also had the opportunity to meet my doula, Susan, at this visit, and she was able to describe her role in our lives. He responded positively to her participation in my pregnancy and delivery. Our next job within the next 2 months is to choose a pediatrician for Emma. We plan on meeting with a few recommended doctors to determine who will be the best fit for our family.
Mark and I have planned a necessary trip to the States for the 3rd week in October. We will be spending a few days in Los Angeles taking advantage of the 50% off deal Aero California Airlines was offering last week. The longest you can get a visa for another country is 180 days. After that time you must renew your visa in order to continue staying in the country. Since we arrived in June, our visas will expire in December. I will not be able to travel in December, so we have to renew early. Our other option is to drive 8 hours up the Baja to the nearest consulate and drive 8 hours back. I can barely sit comfortably in a car for 1 hour let alone 8. I have to admit, we are looking forward to some American conveniences. We also hope to do some baby shopping at this time.
Last Monday, we had an opportunity to attend a Marcos Vidal Concert here in La Paz. Marcos Vidal is a Mexican Christian singer whose music is jazz-like. We had one of his CDs from last year, and we really enjoy his music. The First Baptist Church in La Paz organized the concert on a huge faith budget. They had to sell 300 tickets to break even. The day of the concert we had terrible weather – it rained hard for over an hour flooding all of the streets. We weren’t even sure if we were going to make it at one point. Many folks from Crossroads were planning on attending, and we invited Mary and Raul to come with us. Finally, about an hour before the concert, the rain stopped. We all made it there, and not only did First Baptist Church break even, but the concert was sold out with over 1,000 people in attendance! It was a very powerful concert and the praise band from First Baptist was the opening band! It was an incredible night.
On September 16th, we celebrated the Mexican Independence Day, complete with fireworks. We celebrated with the First Baptist Church who had a party at the seminary. Men and women dressed in authentic Mexican attire for a contest, and our very own Carolina and Ruben won first and second prizes respectively. They celebrated with fellowship, skits, and of course food. The entire congregation sang the Mexican National Anthem, then shouted their support for their government, their love for their country (“Viva Mexico!”), and ended with a shout of, “Cristo Vive!” (Christ Lives!).
The construction of Mary and Raul’s house was put on hold temporarily as Raul tended to an injured knee. His doctor told him he was not allowed to work for a week to see if the pain and swelling would subside. We tried to convince Raul to allow us to continue working on their house, but he would not hear of it. If he can’t work right along side us…no one works. David, Mark, and Raul resumed work last week with the help of our friend Dave, who runs a local bed and breakfast (Flor de Cardon) with his wife Jean and daughter Crissy.
The Crossroads Christian Fellowship has been taking the past couple of weeks to talk about the mission and vision that God would have for this ministry. Every Sunday after services the core group of the fellowship has been meeting in order to discern what God is doing in our community, and how we can best join Him in what He is doing. It is awesome to watch God stretch and grow this unique ministry.
The youth group continues to grow! We have now added several other missionary kids to the mix. We average about 12 kids each week between the ages of 11 and 18. They have been working very hard at putting together a worship service for the end of November. The group is planning the entire worship service, including music, video, teaching, etc. It will be interesting to be a part of the finished product!
We hope this update finds you all well. We miss you and continue to pray for you!
In baby news, yesterday I had my 7 month appointment. 7 months already!!! Mark and I are trying to comprehend the fact that Lord willing, in 8-10 weeks we will have a daughter! I had two ultrasounds done – a level I and a level II. The level II ultrasound showed a clearer picture of Emma as it looked at the circulation of the blood throughout her body. It reminded us of a weather map that shows patches of color corresponding to weather patterns. In Emma’s case, we saw red/orange waves throughout her major arteries including her brain, her heart, and her carotid arteries. We also saw her liver, her stomach, her pancreas, and her spinal cord. We are excited to announce that we have a very healthy little baby. We were also able to hear her heart beat for the first time! It sounded like a herd of horses galloping away as her heart beat 150 times per minute! When we got a closer look at her face, we could see her perfect little nose and her perfect little lips and her perfect little eyes. She had one arm resting on her forehead and her little chin resting on her other hand which was closed like a fist. I said to the doctor, “Ella esta pensando”, (she is thinking), and he agreed. Once again, she had her little legs crossed, but from what we could see all fingers and toes were accounted for. All of her readings indicated that she is growing and developing into a very normal and healthy baby girl. Definitely a girl. 4 hours after the level II ultrasound, we had our routine level I ultrasound. We got to say hello to Emma twice in one day. Again, everything looked great. My doctor also had the opportunity to meet my doula, Susan, at this visit, and she was able to describe her role in our lives. He responded positively to her participation in my pregnancy and delivery. Our next job within the next 2 months is to choose a pediatrician for Emma. We plan on meeting with a few recommended doctors to determine who will be the best fit for our family.
Mark and I have planned a necessary trip to the States for the 3rd week in October. We will be spending a few days in Los Angeles taking advantage of the 50% off deal Aero California Airlines was offering last week. The longest you can get a visa for another country is 180 days. After that time you must renew your visa in order to continue staying in the country. Since we arrived in June, our visas will expire in December. I will not be able to travel in December, so we have to renew early. Our other option is to drive 8 hours up the Baja to the nearest consulate and drive 8 hours back. I can barely sit comfortably in a car for 1 hour let alone 8. I have to admit, we are looking forward to some American conveniences. We also hope to do some baby shopping at this time.
Last Monday, we had an opportunity to attend a Marcos Vidal Concert here in La Paz. Marcos Vidal is a Mexican Christian singer whose music is jazz-like. We had one of his CDs from last year, and we really enjoy his music. The First Baptist Church in La Paz organized the concert on a huge faith budget. They had to sell 300 tickets to break even. The day of the concert we had terrible weather – it rained hard for over an hour flooding all of the streets. We weren’t even sure if we were going to make it at one point. Many folks from Crossroads were planning on attending, and we invited Mary and Raul to come with us. Finally, about an hour before the concert, the rain stopped. We all made it there, and not only did First Baptist Church break even, but the concert was sold out with over 1,000 people in attendance! It was a very powerful concert and the praise band from First Baptist was the opening band! It was an incredible night.
On September 16th, we celebrated the Mexican Independence Day, complete with fireworks. We celebrated with the First Baptist Church who had a party at the seminary. Men and women dressed in authentic Mexican attire for a contest, and our very own Carolina and Ruben won first and second prizes respectively. They celebrated with fellowship, skits, and of course food. The entire congregation sang the Mexican National Anthem, then shouted their support for their government, their love for their country (“Viva Mexico!”), and ended with a shout of, “Cristo Vive!” (Christ Lives!).
The construction of Mary and Raul’s house was put on hold temporarily as Raul tended to an injured knee. His doctor told him he was not allowed to work for a week to see if the pain and swelling would subside. We tried to convince Raul to allow us to continue working on their house, but he would not hear of it. If he can’t work right along side us…no one works. David, Mark, and Raul resumed work last week with the help of our friend Dave, who runs a local bed and breakfast (Flor de Cardon) with his wife Jean and daughter Crissy.
The Crossroads Christian Fellowship has been taking the past couple of weeks to talk about the mission and vision that God would have for this ministry. Every Sunday after services the core group of the fellowship has been meeting in order to discern what God is doing in our community, and how we can best join Him in what He is doing. It is awesome to watch God stretch and grow this unique ministry.
The youth group continues to grow! We have now added several other missionary kids to the mix. We average about 12 kids each week between the ages of 11 and 18. They have been working very hard at putting together a worship service for the end of November. The group is planning the entire worship service, including music, video, teaching, etc. It will be interesting to be a part of the finished product!
We hope this update finds you all well. We miss you and continue to pray for you!
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