When Helping Hurts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.