Borderlines

Lessons learned on the Border

2010-09-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Listening is Key to Relationships

We are so thankful to our friends and companions on the border. One of the most important things I learned from Manuel Padilla is the importance of listening to people in the community. Relationships are the foundation of ministry. And one of the most important component of forming relationships is listening in order to understand the people and network of relationships around you. This is especially important when working across cultures.

Although only 100 people attend Las Tierras functions on a weekly basis, the relational foundation built by Pastor Manuel and our congregation goes much deeper. He has formed relationships with the mayor, city council, state representatives, community leaders, business owners, principals, teachers, and countless others in the community. When I started working with Manuel, I was frustrated at his community development approach. Why is a missionary organizing the community to petition for street lights or raising money for a public park. For goodness sake, even our sports camp didn't have overt Bible lessons or evangelism. But over time I see the effectiveness of Manuel's strategy. Over time people see Manuel's love and concern for the community. His service to the community gives him credibility and lays a foundation of trust. God is at work in people's lives and when they go through hard times they often go to Manuel. When people in the community come they are ready to hear what God's Word says. This is much more effective than a publicity campaign or a flashy tract. God's Word is powerful and effective. People that would never darken the door of the church come to Manuel, because he has demonstrated that he is trustworthy and has others interests at heart.

As I look back at my experiences as a pastor, I often had all the answers that I wanted to dump onto the youth or congregation. In evangelism this is often our tactic as well. We have a set outline of information we try to get through regardless of the person's situation and what God happens to be doing in their life at that moment in time. This was not either Jesus or Paul's approach. They both tailored their teaching to the needs of the people around them. Jesus' teaching to Nicodemus in John 3 is much different than the teaching he gave the Samaritan woman in the next chapter. Jesus asked a lot of questions and tailored his teaching to that specific person. Paul used different language and illustrations depending on his audience. In Acts 13 he is addressing the Jews and reasons from the Old Testament Scriptures. In Athens, he quotes Greek poetry and illustrations from their own culture.

Manuel has given me some tools to help me listen and understand the cultural context I hope to serve.

Focus on the Good

As a youth pastor at Heartland, I wore myself out trying to get the youth to invite friends to evangelistic activities. I was frustrated that a couple of kids didn't prioritize youth group. They were always doing extra curricular activities at school or focusing on sports. I had a paradigm shift when I started viewing my job as equipping these kids to shine in the arenas God had given them rather than create a program to fix what I saw as a deficiency. Several of these kids went on to star in musicals and plays, play on all-star sports teams, and one gal swam in the Olympics. They ended up with platforms far beyond what I could have ever imagined.

Both Manuel Padilla and Jose Rayas reinforced this lesson by challenging me to focus on the assets of a community and not simply gravitating to the things that are broken. Each person and community has been given gifts and resources and is called to be a good steward of those resources. This paradigm has a profound effect on our short term projects.

Often North Americans come to fix what is wrong in these poor communities. We see the lack of resources and we jump in to make things right. It makes us feel good to help. But is it what is best for the community? Sometimes our help of one person or group causes jealousy or tension in the community. Sometimes our help can undermine local attempts to do the same thing. For example, our flashy VBS may cause the children to become discontent with the local Sunday school teacher.

Often this goes back to the first principle. Listen and understand what is going on in the community. Connect to the dreams and aspirations of the local church or ministry. Figure out ways to support them in their ongoing work. Make sure they come out looking like the good guy.

I think that two key principles are: 1) Don't do anything for the national church/ministry that they can do for themselves. 2) Connect to the passion and vision that the church/ministry has for the community and support them in reaching the goals they have set.

A corollary principle is that the relationship is more important than the task. As North Americans we want to get things done. But the relationship you develop with church members/leaders and the relationships you help foster between the church and community are the biggest benefit of the trip.

Our Biggest Asset

I spent years in school to become an expert in sharing my faith. I have read hundreds of books, acquired useful skills, and have loads of resources to help share my faith. But I had a lot to learn from the believers at Promesa de Vida in Juarez. In October I shared how the church would go out and simply ask for prayer. Then they would follow up these visits and see how God worked. It was amazing to see how God answered prayer and many joined evangelistic Bible studies. Last December a ton of people came to the evangelistic Christmas dinner and a number of people have come to Christ through the faithful witness of his people. The biggest asset we have is the power of God at work in the lives of his people and unleashed through the simple proclamation of his Word.

Promesa Christmas Dinner

Working with Promesa de Vida has also helped me understand different types of leadership style. The ways that our churches function look different. This will be important as we head to Costa Rica and work under national leadership. We will have to listen and adapt ourselves to a whole new set of cultural norms. But thankfully the same power of God is at work in Costa Rica as it is on the border.

Please continue to pray for the leadership and church members of our churches in Juarez. Pray for peace and stability. Pray that God will provide their physical needs. According to the El Paso Times 40% of the businesses have closed down in Juarez due to the violence. Many church members are looking for work. Above all pray that they would fix their eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of their faith. May he receive the glory due his name.

For Las Tierras, pray for a greater integration between the Anglo and Hispanic members. Praise God for growth of small groups. Pray for the development of leaders for the church.

When Helping Hurts

2010-05-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert has helped us evaluate what we’re doing to help the poor.

• Poverty is not just a lack of material goods; it stems from broken relationships with God, self, others, and creation. The Gospel redeems these broken relationships.

• As image-bearers of the God, the poor are given the responsibility to steward the resources God has given them in order to reflect his glory. Our task is to empower the poor by focusing on their assets and enabling them to cultivate and care for their family and community.

• It is important to differentiate between Relief, Rehabilitation, and Development in determining an approach to needs in the community. A pan handler may want relief, but he may need rehabilitation from addiction to drugs and development of job skills.

• God uses the church to reconcile all things under the lordship of Christ.

• We must guard against helping the poor to fulfill our need to be needed

This book has implications for missions, short term mission trips, and even local mercy ministry. I strongly recommend that you get a copy. http://www.whenhelpinghurts.org

Changes in Ministry

2010-05-03T16:19:00.001-07:00

We had a great time visiting Tijuana in January. God is using the missionaries there to do amazing things. Gary Nantt has faithfully taught God's Word for over ten years Mexican Presbytery just south of San Diego. Morgan Roe and his family have been putting the Gospel to work in deeds of mercy. We especially enjoyed visiting the orphanage where the Roe family ministers. It reminded us of the street kids in the Philippines.

We appreciate the time we spent with these fellow missionaries and the work that they are doing, but differences in philosophy of ministry and family ministry style have led both of us to conclude that we shouldn't work there.

For the past several months I have taking two classes on community development from the Chalmers Center. I highly recommend the book When Helping Hurts.

The Harvest

2009-11-09T06:33:00.000-08:00

Despite the warm sunny day, a chill went down my spine as I looked out over one of the biggest cemeteries in Juarez. We passed a funeral at the Catholic church across the park from Promesa de Vida. It is the fourth one I've seen in the six weeks I've been here. I was walking with three youth from Promesa de Vida and one of them commented on the recent violence at a corner market.

Perched on the side of a hill overlooking the graveyard we stopped at a humble dwelling and tapped on the wrought iron gate. The door opened and every wrinkle of the woman's sun worn face melted into the most incredible smile. A small middle aged man appeared, and he too broke into a huge smile revealing two rows of crooked teeth. A boy of 12 peeked out revealing striking green eyes.

The man apologized for his humble accommodations as he turned over some buckets in the yard and sent the boy for some cardboard to protect our church clothes. Jorge, Guadalupe, and Cristiano expressed a desire to study the Bible as a result of our evangelism in the neighborhood. The boy pulled out the Bible and study materials we had left them. He read the passages to his caretakers and we discussed the importance that Jesus had to be fully God and fully man.

Jorge is a remarkable guy. Between the age of 6-10 he tended cattle that grazed along the Rio Grand not far from Juarez. We joked that now the River is neither big (grand) nor fierce (The Mexicans call it the Rio Bravo or "Fierce River"). He used catch big fish in the River. And one time the cattle strayed into the US. He said that the "migra" (immigration) came and helped him get the cows back to the other side.

At age 10 he left home and lived on the streets of Juarez. He was one of the kids that would stand under the bridge trying to catch coins that the tourists would drop down by the river. Now he sells corn on the streets and corn husks for tamales. The corn boils in the outdoor kitchen, and we sit in front of the grinder to make the masa for tortillas or tamales.

This family is one of five who have responded to our recent evangelistic campaign. Today we are studying the new relationship we have as sons and heirs because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I am amazed how Eder, an engineering student, takes this profound doctrine and explains it in terms that connect with this uneducated family.

After the study I asked why Jorge has corn tied over the top of the door. He said that it is an old custom to offer the spirits some corn to ensure a good crop. Despite centuries of Catholicism,
I am surprised how many traditions like this persist in the Mexican culture. The renewed interest in Santa Muerte and the brutal mutilations in Juarez demonstrate the diabolical origin of this fascination with spirits. But the light of Christ is shining even brighter in this dark time, and people are coming to the light.

Luis is also involved in one of our evangelistic Bible studies. His scars and tattoos are reminders of his life as a gang member and drug addict. He says, “I can’t take credit for getting off drugs. It was the power of God. I pray that that same power will help me be a good father to my four boys, so they don’t have to go through the stuff I have.” Luis’ enthusiasm for the Gospel is contagious. He asked me for the notes of the Sunday school I taught, so he can go share it with his friends that are still in drugs and gangs. Pray that God’s Word will continue to pierce the
darkness. Pray for these young believers to grow in their faith.

First month in Juarez

2009-10-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

For one month now I have been working with Promesa de Vida Church in Juarez. I have enjoyed getting to know pastor Juan Antonio Garcia and the members at Promesa. There have been 5 murders within two blocks of the church in October, and 100 murders in the colonia this year. These tragedies have caused the community to consider what happens to them when they die. Just as a jewler often uses a black backdrop to highlight the brilliance of his diamonds. The darkness in Juarez highlights the splendor of Jesus Christ, the True Light of the World. The church is in the middle of an evangelistic campaign to share Christ with their neighbors. We have had a great response. In October four people from the community have joined Bible studies introducing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and two weeks ago a lady professed faith in Christ.

I have learned so much from my brothers and sisters in Juarez. In the United States we often make sharing the Gospel too complicated. We have glitzy programs and media blitzes. But this church is simply using the access we have as children of God to bring the community before his throne.

They go out in groups of two or three to knock on doors and ask people how the church can pray for them. Then after praying for those people at the Tuesday night prayer meeting, we make a follow up visit to see what God has been doing in their lives. I shouldn't be so surprised, but it has been amazing to see God answer those prayers. The first Sunday in October I went with a group and we met Patricia. Two men were murdered that Friday in her brother in law's store around the corner. She has asthma and was experiencing difficulty breathing because of fear. We prayed for her and followed up with a visit two weeks later. She was moved by our prayers and said that she hadn't had to use her inhaler in two weeks. Now she is interested in what we believe and wants to visit our church with her husband. Pray for Patricia and many others like her living in fear and looking for hope.

There is a young man who Pastor Juan has been working with. He is in a drug rehab center down the street. Nicolas is the director of the center. He showed us around and explained that he was a drug addict 8 years ago. But God got a hold of him through a 12 step program. He came to faith and now is pointing others to Jesus as their only hope for coming clean from drugs. He lamented the fact that the church doesn't have the same vulnerability and honesty that many guys find in a 12 step program, because all of us are addicts to different forms of sin and need the support and accountability of Christian brothers and sisters.

I was a bit apprehensive visiting the rehab center because the drug cartels have been targeting these centers in the past couple of months. For more information check out this El Paso Times article. Nicolas asked for prayer for these guys trying to leave a life of drugs, crime, and violence.

Please pray for safety for me and the church members. Pray for peace for the Los Alcaldes neighborhood. And pray for me as I grow in my ability to share the Gospel in Spanish.

Sports Camp

2009-06-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

Last week Las Tierras Community Church hosted a sports camp for 100 kids in our community. A team from Village Seven PCA in Colorado Springs came down to help. It was helpful in deepening budding relationships and cultivating new ones. The other day I went into Walmart and a young boy ran up waving excitedly. "I know you, you're one of my teachers from sports camp!" This opened an opportunity to meet his father. Heather has eaten lunch with another lady who has children our kid's ages. Please pray that God would continue to use us to demonstrate his love to those in our community.

More Pictures of the Rodriguez house

2009-03-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Heartland guys, We appreciate the work you did last week. It was a great encouragement to us and I got to meet several people in the community because of your presence.

Thanks

The Vaughns

New Project in Montana Vista

2009-03-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Jesus and Maria Rodriguez are expecting their fifth child any day now. They currently live in a 20ft. delapidated trailer. There were two other trailers on the property housing other relatives. But last week, an county inspector forced Jesus' brother Eduardo to move his trailer. The new site is a thorn infested plot of desert with no water or electricity. So now they are all crammed into two trailers.

Jesus' father had begun a brick home on the property, but he didn't have proper paperwork and was deported. A social worker familiar with our work on the Peña home alerted us to their need and asked if we could help. In February, my cousin Mike Bacon and a crew from Chattanooga Christian came and helped us lay block. Then we had a team from Shelterwood in Missouri who helped finish the walls. It was neat to meet some folk that knew Nate Humphries and JD Willis from this crew. March 14th -20th a team from Hearltand Community Church, our home church in Wichita, came and helped build trusses for the roof. In April or May we are trying to get a crew of people from the community here in El Paso to help put up the roof. Then in June we have a team coming from Covenant Pres in Chattanooga to put on flashing and shingle the roof.

Projects like this help build trust and form relationships in the community. They are also a practical demonstration of grace, because these folk did nothing to deserve the help. Please pray that God would use this tangible demonstration of love to transform people's hearts and build a spiritual dwelling here in Montana Vista.

Violence in Juarez

2009-02-24T14:07:00.001-08:00

The City of Juarez, just across the border from us, has become a war zone. There have been over 200 murders in Juarez in February. Most of these fall into two categories, either the bodies are riddled with hundreds of rounds from an automatic machine gun or they are bound and decapitated.

The violence has caused us divert our short term teams ministering in Juarez this summer to Laredo. There is not only danger for the teams, but it can make the churches we work with targets for extortion. God is sovereign over the violence. I talked with a missionary yesterday who was pulled over by two men with guns, then for no apparent reason, the gunmen turned around and left. A similar situation occurred with one of our pastors. God is using the violence to awaken a spiritual hunger. I am convinced more than ever of the need for prayer to combat the spiritual struggle at work among us. Please pray that God would bring people to faith and repentance, and that the Prince of Peace would reign in Juarez.

Our local NBC affiliate carried the following broadcast connecting the violence in Juarez to the pre-Catholic worship of Santa Muerte. This has become the patron saint of the drug dealers and reminds us that our struggle is not "against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against teh cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. So please pray against the darkness. Pray that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, would reign in this city and region.

http://www.ktsm.com/news/only-9-the-dark-religion-santa-muerte

http://www.ktsm.com/news/shes-here-santa-muerte-icons-believers-el-paso

Frank and Alicia

2009-02-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

Frank and Alicia are some of our best friends here. Frank helps me study Spanish, and our families get together often. Two years ago Franks mother died of complications from diabetes. This struggle caused him to question what he believed. Although he grew up in a Catholic home, he had left the faith during high school. Frank met Christ through a pastor in the hospital waiting room. As a courier he spends a lot of time driving and listening to Christian radio. This was his major source of spiritual nourishment until he joined our church last year. It is exciting to see his enthusiasm for the faith. Through his testimony his neighbors and some extended family members have started attending our church. Frank is one of 7 brothers and I believe Alicia has 9 siblings. So through this family we've gotten to know a lot of people.

About a month ago, Heather hosted a baby shower for Alicia. Many of her sisters and some of Frank's family came. And about a week later Caleb was born. Please pray for this family as they grow in an understanding of God and his Word. Pray especially for Alicia. Although she is spiritually searching herself, she has been hesitant to embrace Frank's new found faith. She has been studying with the Jehovah's Witness. Pray that Alicia would recognize that Jesus Christ is God and the only hope for her salvation.

Peña Profession

2009-02-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

Our last post highlighted the construction project we did on the Peña house in Montana Vista. Hector and Alma were culturally Catholic, but didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Both of them gave testimony to the change God has done in their hearts as they have repented of sinful patterns and their lives have been transformed by the power of the Spirit.

The first week of February, they made a profession of faith. The Spanish Bible study we have in their home has grown as well. A couple of weeks ago we had three more ladies come. We just started a Spanish version of Walk thru the Bible.

The Peña Family

2009-02-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

As the wind swept fire through their mobile home in September of 2006, the Peña family didn’t have time to save any belongings. Alma Peña said, "The most important thing was getting the kids out. The boys didn't even have their shoes on." They watched as what little they had burned to the ground including the dress for their daughter’s quinceañera, or 15th birthday party, which was just three days away.

They had no homeowners insurance. Assistance from local agencies was limited, in part due to the family’s inability to speak English and navigate the bureaucracy. The property on which the trailer was set, a car salvage yard, belonged to Mr. Peña’s employer. After the fire, the family moved into the salvage yard’s office, a one-room space with a bathroom (no shower or tub) and no running water. They lived in that space for almost two years.
Hector Peña works as a car mechanic and only earns about $300 per week. While trying to supply the needs of a family of five on this meager salary, Hector used as much money as possible to buy materials to build a new home, one 2X4 at a time. He started building on a lot paid for by donations from the community.

Las Tierras Community Church, a BEAMM church plant led by Manuel Padilla, had been praying for God’s direction in starting mercy outreach and community development ministry in the “colonia” of Montana Vista just outside the Eastern limits of the City of El Paso. A “colonia” is an unincor-porated community that springs up with little or no public services.
Las Tierras Church and BEAMM pulled together resources and volunteers from the community and PCA churches throughout the country to do an Extreme Makeover type project to finish the Peña’s home last summer.

Our family’s focus is to lay the ground work for a Spanish speaking church in Montana Vista. Jeff has been forming relationships and scouting out the opportunities for service. He and Manuel Padilla lead a Spanish Bible study in the Peña home on Sunday nights. It is a joy to see the Peña’s grow in their knowledge of God and his Word and begin to help others know him as well.

Please pray for the Peña family

2009-02-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

Please pray for the Peña family as they mourn the loss of their cousin, who was shot five times in Juarez this weekend. The violence subsided after the Mexican government sent 7,000 troops into Juarez. But now the violence is rising once again. Last weekend their were 30 assasinations pushing the number of murders in May to 120. Pray for peace in Juarez. The believers of Promesa de Vida continue to go door to door sharing the love of Christ in the midst of the violence.

Montana Vista

2009-01-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Our family is working with Las Tierras Community Church in far east El Paso. Las Tierras is a multi-cultural church in an area that is 90% Hispanic. Jeff is leading worship and teaching Sunday school. He also preaches once a month. Both Jeff and Heather are helping organize youth activities. We couldn’t ask for a better mentor than Pastor Manuel Padilla, who served with Mission to the World for 15 years in Spain before coming to the border.

While Las Tierras Community Church serves a primarily 2nd and 3rd generation Hispanic area, the bulk of our family's ministry is in Montana Vista, a "colonia" or an unicorporated area in the desert outside of El Paso.

The thing that surprises me the most is that almost all the houses are works in progress. Almost everyone is working on their house. Many of the buildings were started and never finished. Others are pieced together over time with the materials available. Some of them have faded and ripped black tar paper around them, but no siding. Other homes are made of concrete block using the construction methods common in Chihuahua and other parts of Mexico. But of these few are finished. There are a few beautiful homes, with stucco and painted with clean bold colors. Some of the houses are painted with bright colors. But the majority of the homes are still trailers.

Each house tells a story of hope, ingenuity, hardship, toil, and sometimes tragedy. There are not a small number of charred remains of trailers and homes burnt down or badly damaged by fire. I am told that these fires are caused by people using unsafe methods of heating their home in the cold winter months.

It seems like the community of Montana Vista is much like one of these pieced together homes. People staked out a future on the edge of the desert. It was rough and barren, but people worked hard to build a better life. Over time the community took shape. People came and people left. Various churches and community organizations came in to help cultivate the community. Through hard work bit by bit, family by family, the community grew. New schools were built. More services were added. You can still see the tar paper blowing in the wind, but a beautiful home is taking shape. Will it ever be a finished product?

We're in Wichita!

2008-09-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

We had a great time learning Spanish in Costa Rica. Now we are headed to the US/Mexico border. We have rented a house in east El Paso, TX. This week we are in Wichita, KS. Tomorrow we will move our stuff from storage into a 26 ft. truck. Sunday we will share about our time in Costa Rica and our future plans on the border during Sunday School at Heartland Community Church, the north west corner of Woodlawn and Kellogg. If you're in Wichita we would love to have you come. It starts at 9:15 in the fellowship hall. We will also have an open house at the Shelden's house from 3-5 at 304o W. River Park Ct. Wichita, KS 67203.

Please pray for us as we drive from Wichita to El Paso on Monday.

Betsy's Talent Show

2008-04-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

Betsy and two friends won 2nd place in her school talent show. They did an interpretive dance to the music of "Shout to the Lord." Heather had a lot of fun coaching them.

La Carpio

2008-01-20T15:13:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we visited the home of our friend Adela in La Carpio. La Carpio is an abandoned landfill where approximately 20,000 immigrants from Nicaraugua call home. On our last post we showed a video of La Carpio. On Thursday afternoons, Jeff goes to La Carpio with students from the language school to play with kids and share the Gospel.

Heather has been getting to know Adela and we did some activities with her family over the Christmas break. Here is a picture of Adela's grandaughter making Christmas cookies for the first time.

Adela lives in a tiny tin shack with three other adults and nine kids. We attended her church and then went to her house for lunch. It was really humbling to see the poverty and helped us realize how much we have recieved. The kids said that they couldn't believe how happy the kids were even though they didn't have much. And what was even more incredible is that they gave our kids some of their handful of toys when we left. We truly have a lot to be thankful for.

Spanish Love Songs

2008-01-20T13:47:00.000-08:00

Here is a cute video based on first semester Spanish.

San Carlos Mission Trip

2007-11-19T15:01:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago Gracey and Jeff went on a mission trip with some folks from our language school. Gracey and I helped with kids programs at a local school and orphanage, while others did door to door evangelism and some repairs at the orphanage.

We met up with John Stuart from Christ the King (PCA) in Norman, Oklahoma. He is doing some photojournalism in a slum where students from our school volunteer on Thursdays. I have included his video of our trip as well as a video from the slum.

Worship

2007-11-10T16:27:00.000-08:00

We have really enjoyed worshipping with our brothers and sisters here in Costa Rica. In the morning we attend a church called "Amistad." Many people in this church are students or teachers from a seminary that trains Spanish speaking missionaries to go to unreached and less reached peoples. In the evenings we go to a church plant starting about a block away from our house. It is exciting to be a part of the global church. Check out this great video they showed in church a couple weeks ago

http://sitioscristianos.blogcindario.com/2007/06/02936-videos-cristianos-gratis-varios-ahora-es-el-tiempo.html

Our house

2007-10-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a map of our neighborhood in San Jose. Our house is marked in red if you scroll to the east (right). We pass the sports track on the way to school. The school is near a big park west of the sports track.

View Larger Map

Update from Heather

2007-09-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

We’ve finally arrived! It feels so good to finally get settled and we love it here! Although we learned a lot of things during our time of preparation through the required training, fundraising, selling our possessions, and saying goodbye, we are so glad to be in this next phase of culture and language learning. I can’t express how good it is for our family to feel settled and to begin our missionary adventures here in Costa Rica.

We live in a small 3 bedroom one bathroom house with a beautiful view of the mountains in every direction. I love the palm trees and tropical plants. Most people here have no yard or a very small yard, but the Lord has blessed us with a nice little backyard where the kids can play. We even have a mango and papaya tree! The weather here is very nice. I’m guessing around 80 degrees in the morning and then the temperature drops as the rain comes in the afternoon. It rains every day anywhere from 2 to 10 hours. We feel very blessed to be here.

The language school is perfect for our family. There is a school for the girls and a preschool for the boys. Praise the Lord the kids have adjusted very well and all 4 really like their classes. The school used to be limited to missionary kids but is now open to Costa Ricans. This is a blessing as it allows our children to know the culture even more and it opens a door for our whole family to know Costa Rican families. It also gives us the opportunity to share the gospel to with some who have not heard the good news. About half of the students are Costa Rican. The girls learn their subjects in English and take Spanish class every day. The boys are cared for by very sweet Costa Rican women who speak to them in Spanish all day.

Jeff and I are divided into small classes of 5-10 people who are at the same level of learning. Being back in school has been fun yet demanding. It is quit a different experience going to school and having the responsibilities of four children. One of my favorite parts of the school experience is being with so many other missionaries. We have student led chapel twice a week. It is such a privilege to worship with and learn from other student’s testimonies and insights into Scripture. It is neat to hear their stories of how God has brought them to this place and is bringing them to countries all over Latin America!

We live about a mile from the school and walk everyday. We walk on bumpy roads and sidewalks (and often in the rain) which takes about 15-20 minutes. Pray for safety during these walks as there is danger from traffic, stray dogs, and muggers. Cars zoom by and pedestrians here don’t have the right of way, but have the right to get out of the way. Also a few weeks ago Jeff was bit by a dog and had to go to the hospital. Thankfully there has only been one case of rabies in San Jose in the last 10 years.

We do love it here and feel so thankful to all of our partners for being a part of expanding the Kingdom by sending us. Costa Rica is a very needy place. I thought some of you would be interested in some details of adjustments we are getting used to. We don’t have hot water but we do have a widow-maker for the shower, which allows some warm water on very low pressure. We don’t have a bath tub but use a big Tupperware type bowl and boiled water for bathing the boys. We do not flush our toilet paper but throw it in the trash (which is very hard to remember!) The kids must have shoes on to play outside due to parasites and a certain slug that will make one sick. We don’t have a dishwasher or garbage disposal, but do have a good size refrigerator, washer, and dryer. There is an incredible farmer’s market 5 min walk from our house each Saturday. We load up on inexpensive beautiful fruits and veggies for the week and wash everything in bleach water.

We´re back online!

2007-09-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

Our new puppy Canela, which means cinnamon.

Hey everybody, we´re finally connected to cyberspace. We arrived in Costa Rica on August 15th. We are attending The Spanish Language Institute. The girls are enrolled in a Christian school, and the boys attend day care while we are in classes. Although the separation was initially hard for the boys, they have grown to enjoy their classes. Last Saturday Sammy said, "But I want to go to school today." That is a huge praise. Both Heather and I did well on our first exams.

Getting an internet connection has given us an interesting glimpse into Costa Rican culture. All the "t"s must be crossed and the "i"s dotted on any paper work. I was tempted to get angry and frustrated, but the people were just so nice. The employee who helped us with the paper work gave me his personal cell number and had me talk to his wife in English at home. It took three weeks to get the paperwork in order. Then we had to wait for almost two weeks for someone to come to the house and wire in a connection. Now we have internet service as long as it´s not raining, which it does everyday. We are beginning to learn how to slow down and be patient.

The rain is another tool teaching us to slow down. We don´t have a car, so we either walk or take public transportion everywhere. Every afternoon it rains hard. Traffic slows down and pedestrians often stop where they are and wait out the rain. One of the good things about this slower pace of life is that the people spend more time talking with one another. We had some Tico (Costa Rican) friends over, the rain started and they stayed all afternoon. This friendly/relational lifestyle is great for language learning.

Yesterday, the girls had two Tica friends over from school. Their parents own a local bakery we pass on the way to school everyday. Their bread rivals anything we had in Europe last January. It´s a good thing we are doing a lot of walking.

I´ve got to pick up the girls from school and study for a test tomorrow. But we´ll get some pictures posted soon.

New Name

2007-06-02T13:34:00.001-07:00

We need your help. The title "Borderlines" is being used by one of our team members (oops). Do you have an idea for a catchy title for our blog and newsletter?

Growing up in the desert, I know the importance of water. God uses this metaphor throughout the Scriptures. I humorously thought of the play on words "Water Writes." But I'm seriously thinking about water or rain being the theme. When our family visited El Paso to interview with the team, it had just rained. I opened the window and told the kids to smell. The creosote and sage brush give off a delicious aroma. There is no more refreshing scent than desert rain. So I thought of "The Rain Report." Just as the parched desert blooms after the rain, we are waiting for the Spirit to shower us with his grace and bring this wasteland into spiritual bloom.

Let us know your thoughts. Thanks.

Introduction

2007-05-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

I was doing some research on immigration and came across a discontinued periodical called "Borderlines." I thought it was a catchy title and so I called our new blog Borderlines. But if you are interested in immigration and immigration reform there is a lot out there to digest.

Check out Mission to North America's Hispanic church planting resource page. It has some great tips for reaching out to your Hispanic neighbors.

A New Beginning

2007-05-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that will be serving with Mission to the World (MTW) on the US/Mexico border. This ministry capitalizes on our gifts in mercy and evangelism and our passion to see Christ glorified through the planting of local churches. It also dovetails with our vision for identifying and equipping leaders to start churches and reach out to the poor.

The border is a strategic place for ministry. Millions of Mexicans are drawn to the border looking for a better way of life. For many, moving to the border is like a young adult heading off to college. Many immigrants fall into vice because they are not bound by traditional social constraints. But this spiritual and social vacuum is an incredible opportunity. Many are open to seeing things in a new light and hungry for community. This provides a window of opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and connect them into a community of believers.

Ministry on the border has a huge impact in the United States. No wall will stem the tide of immigrants, but we are putting up a wall of churches along the border to reach these immigrants for Jesus Christ. As churches on the border grow, we would like to send bilingual church planters to immigrants throughout the United States. Our country has focused on the 12 million illegal immigrants of today, but what are we going to do with their 24 million children tomorrow.

Not only does the border ministry have the potential of training leaders for Hispanic churches in the US, but it is also strategic for bringing the Gospel back into Mexico. For several years, I have been teaching English as a Second Language to Hispanics in Wichita. Many of these immigrants are from states with only 1-2% Protestant believers. I encouraged two young believers from our ESL to return home and provide spiritual leadership for their families. As immigrants respond to the Gospel, they can carry the Gospel back to these less-reached parts of Mexico.

The story of Miguel Gonzales demonstrates the power of the Gospel to transform someone moving to the border for economic prosperity into a missionary. Miguel moved from Durango, Mexico to the border in 1988. He met his wife Myrna in a factory where they both worked. In 1995, both came to Christ through the testimony of Josué and Martha Mayo who were just beginning the Vida Nueva Church. Miguel attended the San Pablo Seminary, and then served as the pastor of Vida Nueva. Now Miguel and his family are bringing the Gospel to a remote village in Mexico.

God has called Heather and me to facilitate church planting movements in strategic border cities through evangelism, theological education, and community development. We desire to see a movement of God’s Spirit along the border that will spread throughout Mexico and the United States and bring revival to all of North America.

Our team is located in three regions along the border. Following language school, we will spend two years in the central region. We will be part of a team of both Americans and Mexicans who work on either side of the border in El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico. I will apprentice under Manuel Padilla, a church planter in East El Paso—a community that is 90% Hispanic. Manuel had 15 years experience church planting in Spain before relocating to the border, and he will be a great mentor. I will also have the opportunity to teach at the San Pablo seminary in Juarez. Heather has a heart for the poor and for broken families. The border is teaming with opportunity in both these areas.

We thank you for your partnership with us in our plans to go to the Philippines and invite you to join us in this new endeavor. There are many ways for you to get involved. We need your continued prayer and financial support, and we would love for you to come and join us for a short term mission trip. There are opportunities to build buildings, lead vacation Bible schools, and teach English camps. But we also need people to train Sunday school teachers, worship leaders, lay counselors, and elders and deacons. Sports ministry is another exciting opportunity to get the whole family involved.

Please visit http://www.beamm.org/ for more details on our vision and work.