Genesis 11:9"Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."
And still we live with the ramifications of those "Tower builders" who were trying to make a name for themselves. We're not much different, I suppose, hoping to make a name for ourselves so others will know, love and respect us... but that's another sermon for another day- for this letter-- I'm concerned about the languages thing!
We spent 1 month in Chihuahua, Chihuahua in the Chihuahuan desert in a house with, you guessed it, a Chihuahua. While there we took classes in Spanish 4 days a week 6 hours a day (for Shar and I and 4 hours a day for the boys). We all enjoyed our time there and our Spanish knowledge increased over the time we were there. The classes were intense, the heat was stifling (35C almost every day!! 24C in the morning when you woke up and 38+ in our bedrooms at night when we tried to get to sleep!!), the people were wonderful and the experience was a huge blessing.On our weekends we usually took a day to rest our weary minds either at a park or walking through some caves or touring the downtown of the city. We also took at least 1 day every weekend and helped out at an orphanage we worked at with Loon Lake Baptist Church 3 1/2 years ago- but that almost didn't happen.
We spent 4+ hours over 2 days driving around after classes till dark trying to find Susanna's orphanage. I had an idea which part of the city it was in-- but still the area was several square Kilometers big with several thousand houses in it! We drove up and down streets looking for something familiar. We asked Ice Cream men if they knew of it-- but no one had heard of this orphanage! On our second day of searching-- after driving for more than 2 hours into the dark of night, we realized we were incredibly lost. I looked to see the close mountains on one side and deduced that the road home was in the other direction so we turned up a street incredulous, really, that God had not lead us to the children's home. We drove and drove for a couple kilometers wondering aloud why God would not have shown us the place and also debating whether we should return the next day ( a non-school day) to search again, but had pretty much given up. Suddenly, Shar calls out "There it is!! PRAISE GOD!!" and sure enough- it's bright Orange paint had been changed to a pink colour (not that we could tell much in the dark), but there were 3 vehicles on the side of the street- one of them the same SUV she had 3 1/2 year ago-- we had found it!! Or, more accurately, God had brought us here an showed it to us! After 5 minutes or so of bumbling through reintroductions of who we were, Suzanna came up and hugged us tightly! We then heard about her horrible year- how she had lost both her mom and dad within a few weeks of each other after a long time of illnesses. 6 weeks later her brother died suddenly and 4 months after that her son, 33 years old, died in Los Angeles, CA. She was a broken lady in need of love and encouragement. Shar prayed for her as she cried on her shoulders and we renewed acquaintances.
Over the next 3 weekends, we spent countless hours with Susanna and her 37 kids- some of whom were new, some of whom remembered us- playing, making meals and visiting. One day we took all of them to a taco place with a huge playplace and then out to the fair. 40 kids (including ours) and 3 adults- Suzanna and us!! It was a great day with memories that will last a lifetime! We spent so much time just visiting and talking (because we could communicate much better than we could 3 1/2 years ago) that leaving was VERY difficult. At the end Suzanna gave Sharlene a Tarahumara (Indian) dress for her to take home- This is a huge deal! They are unable to sell these dresses, culturally. Every one is handmade and if given away to a non-Tarahumara, it is a sign of love and closeness. Our kids also had a great time and we left very reluctantly.
Our Spanish improved a lot over the month there. We are still needing to review the things we learned so we can put them into practice in our regular lives, but we are thankful for the improvement! We praise God that more than enough came in for Language school and so we were able to share those blessings with the Children's home as well! Thanks to so many of you who gave for us to go-- and thank you for praying for us as well. While we are not yet fluent, we are improving. The "confusion" is being remedied!!!As for this summer we are planning on being busy! I am still teaching my classes to pastors and leaders 2 nights a week. I'll be doing more and more in Spanish, so that means more prep time as I first strive to understand the lessons in English and then move it into Spanish. Also we have 2 Medical Missionary Interns this summer that I will be teaching as well. We will be working on the Perspective on World Mission Course (lite version) that I took this winter. We will also be involved in going out to communities learning first hand the life of a medical missionary. In July and August we have a new Missionary family arriving. They will be working at the Babies home affiliated with Grace Children's Home. A part of my job with them is teaching classes in cross cultural ministry, family life in ministry and other stuff too. We'll also be helping them get settled and acculturated before they get into ministry-life full speed.
There are 4 other projects I'm assisting with or looking at starting or leading-- and I'm hoping you'll pray about a way to be a part of them!
1. School Sponsorship Program
- Last year 20 Canadians participated in the School Sponsorship program. Public school in Mexico comes with a cost and for most of the people we work with, it is beyond their means to send their kids to school. Some compensate by alternating years they send their kids, sending one or 2 every other year or so- others just cannot send their kids at all. We help by purchasing backpacks, new black shoes, books and other school materials, uniforms and tuition. The total cost depends on the age/ grade. What I'm asking is if you sponsored a kid last year and would like to again this year, or if you would like to sponsor a child for the first time, the costs are as follows:
High School - $550 Jr High - $300 Elementary - $150 Kindergarten - $120
2nd Micro-financing.
-It is a relatively new missions concept where we lend money to potential entrepreneurs at a low interest rate with the hope of helping to lift people out of poverty. In some of our Squatter communities there are many single moms (men have basically abandoned the family). Currently the welfare system pays them $25.00/ week. Housing in the squatter communities is "free" with stolen power and no running water or plumbing. So the money goes towards food and transportation. It is awfully difficult to feed 3 or 4 or more kids on $100.00/ month and send them to school. Many times moms will give up their kids to orphanages so they can work. A micro-loan could provide a group of mothers in an neighbourhood several sewing machines and material so they can make things to sell at local markets. This may provide income to a few families. I am talking next week to a group who are interested in hearing more about it. If this is God's will for these communities, we're praying that He lead us to the people int he States and Canada who can finance this and who have business knowledge adequate enough to put something like this together. At this point in time I don't know how I would be involved except maybe as the eyes in the field to look for opportunity and ensure things are going well on this end.
3. Project Joy Christmas Boxes
- Once again Shar and I will be helping to organize the collecting of Christmas boxes for kids here in Tijuana. We are hoping to connect with as many folks as possible to be a blessing to as many as possible here in Mexico!4. Church building project.
- I have a building project I am working on. Almost a year ago Pastor Ramiro and his wife Katy
began to pant a church among the squatter families along the railway lines in Tijuana's far east side. Pastor Ramiro and Katy are students in my class along with two of their church members, Lamberto and Gustavo. They started off with 3 walls and no roof last fall and have progressed to an enclosed building made from scrap wood and garage oors on a dirt floor. Ramiro has a vision for a 2 story building to accommodate the 70 adults and 30 kids they have coming out. He also has a vision for a building to be used for a kids feeding program ( some kids only eat once a day---) and medical clinic as well as a sewing shop for local ladies to use to supplement their income and, Lord willing, run the feeding program. At this point in time we have enough money raised to put a concrete floor and 2 story shell up- and a team to come do it! We are looking for about an additional $12-15000 to complete the interior (wiring, gyproc, etc.) and 2nd floor with rooms. We also need teams to come for a week or so to help with the work. The second building (kitchen and clinic) has not been costed out yet, but if God supplies the needed finances and teams to complete it, we'll get that done as soon as possible~~!Well, that's what we'll be up to this summer/ fall and into the winter! If you would like to partner with us in ministry, there are several ways to do it...
1. Pray! We need regular prayer for language acquisition, for family relationships, for Spiritual protection and power in ministry, for safety and to keep our eyes on Glorifying God as the reason for our ministry!
2. Give! You can give to several areas:
a. Our salary and ministry expenses.
b. The School Sponsorship Program.
c. Christmas Box Outreach Program
d. The Church building project (Pastor Ramiro's Church)
If you'd like to partner with us financially, Please look at the left hand side of this blog for YUGO Canada's address. Click Here For YUGO USA . Please indicate on a separate sheet of paper which area you would like to support. Call the phone numbers listed there for more info!!
3. Go! We need teams to help hand out or collect goods for Christmas boxes (or both!). We need people with a heart for construction and kids ministry to work at building the church while some do kids ministry at the same time. We can use teams as well for almost anything you'd want to do- from blessing an orphanage, to evangelism in churches, to Medical missions in poverty stricken communities. If you have a desire to serve in a life-changing manner for a week or more, let us know and we will do our best to make your time here a God-honouring blessing!
Thanks for keeping with me this long! God bless you for being a part of this ministry- thank you for your Spiritual Investments in our lives and the lives of folks here in Mexico!
2 Corinthians 9
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever."[a]
10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
Your generosity is resulting in thanksgiving to God as we recognize that it is HE who works through you to be a blessing here in Mexico! PRAISE GOD FOR YOU!!
