One last posting as we're getting packed up to leave...
Elijah's ministry was one of prayer (James 5:17-18). He prayed powerfully, and God acted powerfully on his behalf. Please remember to pray for us as the Lord brings us to your mind. For unhindered travels, for the people in El Pachon, that they would be open to seeing God as He is: master, source of life, and giver all good things.
May the God of peace be with you all.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Happy Birthday, Leslie!! =)
It's so good to be back in Hualahuises. It feels so comfortable here, and the air is filled with the buzz of conversation. Mr. Alfredo is talking and laughing as we swap the latest stories around the dining room table. Mom is making cocoa mix in the kitchen with Zelina. Dany and the boys are relaxing on the couch, engaged in an animated discussion about...muscles and superheroes I think. ;) Cristina is looking well, having just returned from a grocery shopping trip. Zelina laughs, "She never goes grocery shopping, and has been gone for two hours!!"
Whew! It's been a long day! After a leisurely morning enjoying the San Antonio sunshine as we waited for Capps rentals to open at 10, we loaded our luggage (thank goodness it fit!!) into the rental van and headed South towards the border.
Devotions for this trip center around the life of Elijah. Not much is known about his early history, and there are only a few chapters about this man of faith in proportion to the scope of his influence in Israelite history. He first appears in 1 Kings 17 where he confronts wicked King Ahab, predicts drought until further notice, and runs off to the wilderness to drink from a brook and eat food delivered by ravens.
It's interesting to look at his life from the context of a ministry and mission mindset. When sent to find a widow at Zerephath, he tested her openness by asking her to give him a drink. Often, the best approach to take when making a contact for a "touch-and-go" type of evangelism is the "Can you help me?" attitude. Most people will stop to give help, when they wouldn't stop to take something from someone. When the widow responded positively to Elijah's initial request, he probed a little further until he discovered her area of need.
We had an opportunity to observe this principle in action as we stopped a the border. While waiting in line to obtain visas from the official, we struck up a conversation with the two ladies in line behind us. From Ohio, the pair drove through the night, and were on their way to Mexico for vacation. When it was our turn, we struggled to communicate with the immigration officer, sharing the load between the 3 of us who knew Spanish the best. When we hit a roadblock in trying to explain why we were all coming down together, but two were leaving early, she poked her head in and spoke to the official with flawless pronunciation. A translator! What a relief!
Later, after the moment of opportunity had passed, (of course!) we talked about how it would have been easy to respond with sharing the Gospel with the attitude of gratefulness. For example: "Thank you so much for helping us! Can we share a story that has been instrumental in our lives and would be a benefit to you as well?" Always on the lookout for new ways to share the Gospel. =)
We take off for the tiny town of El Pachon in the morning. Not sure about the wi-fi situation, but I'll keep everyone as updated as I can!
Leslie with our luggage cart. See our fancy new patient chairs for the clinic?
Happy Copilot 
At the border. Green lights all the way!
It's so good to be back in Hualahuises. It feels so comfortable here, and the air is filled with the buzz of conversation. Mr. Alfredo is talking and laughing as we swap the latest stories around the dining room table. Mom is making cocoa mix in the kitchen with Zelina. Dany and the boys are relaxing on the couch, engaged in an animated discussion about...muscles and superheroes I think. ;) Cristina is looking well, having just returned from a grocery shopping trip. Zelina laughs, "She never goes grocery shopping, and has been gone for two hours!!"
Whew! It's been a long day! After a leisurely morning enjoying the San Antonio sunshine as we waited for Capps rentals to open at 10, we loaded our luggage (thank goodness it fit!!) into the rental van and headed South towards the border.
Devotions for this trip center around the life of Elijah. Not much is known about his early history, and there are only a few chapters about this man of faith in proportion to the scope of his influence in Israelite history. He first appears in 1 Kings 17 where he confronts wicked King Ahab, predicts drought until further notice, and runs off to the wilderness to drink from a brook and eat food delivered by ravens.
It's interesting to look at his life from the context of a ministry and mission mindset. When sent to find a widow at Zerephath, he tested her openness by asking her to give him a drink. Often, the best approach to take when making a contact for a "touch-and-go" type of evangelism is the "Can you help me?" attitude. Most people will stop to give help, when they wouldn't stop to take something from someone. When the widow responded positively to Elijah's initial request, he probed a little further until he discovered her area of need.
We had an opportunity to observe this principle in action as we stopped a the border. While waiting in line to obtain visas from the official, we struck up a conversation with the two ladies in line behind us. From Ohio, the pair drove through the night, and were on their way to Mexico for vacation. When it was our turn, we struggled to communicate with the immigration officer, sharing the load between the 3 of us who knew Spanish the best. When we hit a roadblock in trying to explain why we were all coming down together, but two were leaving early, she poked her head in and spoke to the official with flawless pronunciation. A translator! What a relief!
Later, after the moment of opportunity had passed, (of course!) we talked about how it would have been easy to respond with sharing the Gospel with the attitude of gratefulness. For example: "Thank you so much for helping us! Can we share a story that has been instrumental in our lives and would be a benefit to you as well?" Always on the lookout for new ways to share the Gospel. =)
We take off for the tiny town of El Pachon in the morning. Not sure about the wi-fi situation, but I'll keep everyone as updated as I can!
Leslie with our luggage cart. See our fancy new patient chairs for the clinic?
Happy Copilot 
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Mexico Fall '09 -- Day One
Saturday, October 17th, 2009
First day of travel down, two more to go…
Both groups made it safely here to San Antonio with out undue complications. Paula and Joby had a bit rougher time of it, being delayed out of Seattle with crazy storms and electrical trouble with the plane. A tight connection in Denver, but they were able to get through just before takeoff.
The friendly assistant behind the Southwest counter helped us check in our 14 bags. We had a bunch of dental supplies, plus 3 lawn chairs to replace our broken patient chairs. She came from a family of seven too, and sympathized with the quirks of traveling with large groups. Quandaries such as where to stand when dad checks in and everyone is pulling two bags and the space behind the counter is limited, and, who stays with the carryon luggage and who needs id checked and who takes the bags to the x-ray man...things that are simple when traveling alone become slightly more of a challenge when multiplied 8 times.
We had our mission team meeting while soaking our tired feet the hot tub, listening as Dad filled us in on “the plan.” Excited for the trip, I know we’re all feeling the anticipation of watching for how and where God will use us this week. Thanks for praying everyone!
First day of travel down, two more to go…
Both groups made it safely here to San Antonio with out undue complications. Paula and Joby had a bit rougher time of it, being delayed out of Seattle with crazy storms and electrical trouble with the plane. A tight connection in Denver, but they were able to get through just before takeoff.
The friendly assistant behind the Southwest counter helped us check in our 14 bags. We had a bunch of dental supplies, plus 3 lawn chairs to replace our broken patient chairs. She came from a family of seven too, and sympathized with the quirks of traveling with large groups. Quandaries such as where to stand when dad checks in and everyone is pulling two bags and the space behind the counter is limited, and, who stays with the carryon luggage and who needs id checked and who takes the bags to the x-ray man...things that are simple when traveling alone become slightly more of a challenge when multiplied 8 times.
We had our mission team meeting while soaking our tired feet the hot tub, listening as Dad filled us in on “the plan.” Excited for the trip, I know we’re all feeling the anticipation of watching for how and where God will use us this week. Thanks for praying everyone!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Waking up in China . . .
China…
In the pictographs of the Chinese language, the symbol for China is a combination of two characters, the one for “center” or “central” and the one for “country.” This symbolized the ancient cultural thought that China is the center of the universe. =) Scientific reality aside, I have respect for this country from the mere perspective of age. Vast cities were being founded and ornate architecture was being created in China before Christopher Columbus was out of diapers. The industrial spirit of the Chinese is indisputable.
There’s not much to tell about the first two days of the trip. We crossed the international dateline somewhere during the first loooong flight, and arrived in Beijing at 11pm of Tuesday when we had left on Monday. Our tour guide, Lee, met us at the terminal. He is a friendly, wiry man who speaks English very well. He’s been teaching us everything, from Chinese history, to the language, to discussing current events. It’s been so great!
Wednesday dawned, and we prepared for our first day of touring. The sun was bright, and it was forecasted to be 98, though it only ended up being about 93 degrees. I knew that I would be learning a lot during this trip, but I absolutely wasn’t prepared to be won over so quickly! Our first stop was the “Heavenly Peace Gate” more commonly known to us in the west as Tian’an Men. There were many walls constructed around the city of Beijing at one time. Chinese culture is more a defensive culture than an aggressive, conquering culture. Walls need gates, so many ornate buildings were built to allow passage in and out, and stop unwanted intruders.
Our little band moved through the square as we stopped to admire the many buildings and monuments. Mr. Forman went closer to get a picture, and was stopped by a green-suited policeman and asked for his passport. I guess the guard thought he looked like a journalist! Lee explained that his tour guide flag showed that he had a permit to be inside the square, and that it was best to stick close with him.
By the time we got to the entrance to the Forbidden City, we were excited, sweltering, and thirsty. Mr. Forman bought us bottles of water that had a solid core of ice. The forbidden city was amazing. Building after building, it seemed like the city kept on going and going. Lots of stairs, lots of temple-looking buildings.
Friday, March 13, 2009
never. .. . .
tonight i was shocked.
i really shouldn't have been. i have heard it a thousand times.
after a rousing game of "chicken foot" here in mexico i pulled open my computer. immediately some pictures came up. alejandro was looking over my shoulder. he started talking in spanish. quickly he called for the others to gather around. "look there are pictures of us!" (or at least, thats what i understood him to say :)). after showing the ones from this past week, i dug through folders on my computer and pulled up an album marked "mexico spring 2008", exactly a year ago.
over the years i have taken off photos of things, knowing i could put them on my external hard-drive and never look at them again. however, mexico pictures have a special place in my heart. and the ones from spring of last year even more so. that was the trip i met for the first time the guys from sandia. a little village high in the mountains. master adobe builders. the poorest people i know. the hardest workers i know. that week, i learned a TON working alongside alejandro, sammy, and victor. spanish phrases i still remember and how to put the adobe on just right. getting in the car to go home after that week i remember telling my dad that next time we came, in october, i wanted to go to sandia and do a dental clinic there.
october came and went. we worked in hualahuises all that week. i was disappointed. what about going to the mountains? i realized my spirit of discontentment. God wanted us at the DIF that week. joe shared the gospel as danny translated and about 30 people heard a clear concise message given by my 15-year-old brother. God knew what He was doing.
i started flipping through those pictures in that old album. immediately, the guys started calling out names, "scott! he es my friend" . . . "mira! sammy y pablo esta en lodo!" . . . . "jesse, kelsey, scott, ryan" . . . . "reece, nathan" . . . .
i was shocked. they remembered. it has been a whole year. they still remember names, conversations, and . . . they heard the gospel for the first time that week. during lunch one day a testimony was given and a question was asked. all three men responded. yes, they wanted Jesus in their life. a few weeks later they returned and brought 5 more men with them. they too received Jesus as their Savior.
i have been to mexico more times than i can count. i was in argentina last summer. sometimes i find my self wondering if its worth it. i look at my bank account when i get back and its always quite a bit lower. i missed out on fresh powder on the mountain or finished projects still at home. does it even make i difference if i go on a missions trip? aren't there people that live in my city i could minister too?
they remember. they know. when a life reaches out and touches a life, it makes a difference.
i don't know where you are at right now. maybe God has turned your life in a different direction. thats great. where God wants you is the BEST place to be. i know i have resisted many times going and talking to someone or complained about the cost of a missions trip. but would it be worth it if even 1 person were saved from eternity in hell?
if you had a hose and every time you turned it on it cost you $700 would you turn it on to put out a fire on a person right in front of you? or would you hold onto the hose and keep it off, letting that person burn to death in front of you.
"he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - jim elliot
think about going on a missions trip this year. if you let God work you have the power to change at least 1 life (your own) and you are sensitive to God's spirit maybe 2.
is that worth it?
i really shouldn't have been. i have heard it a thousand times.
after a rousing game of "chicken foot" here in mexico i pulled open my computer. immediately some pictures came up. alejandro was looking over my shoulder. he started talking in spanish. quickly he called for the others to gather around. "look there are pictures of us!" (or at least, thats what i understood him to say :)). after showing the ones from this past week, i dug through folders on my computer and pulled up an album marked "mexico spring 2008", exactly a year ago.
over the years i have taken off photos of things, knowing i could put them on my external hard-drive and never look at them again. however, mexico pictures have a special place in my heart. and the ones from spring of last year even more so. that was the trip i met for the first time the guys from sandia. a little village high in the mountains. master adobe builders. the poorest people i know. the hardest workers i know. that week, i learned a TON working alongside alejandro, sammy, and victor. spanish phrases i still remember and how to put the adobe on just right. getting in the car to go home after that week i remember telling my dad that next time we came, in october, i wanted to go to sandia and do a dental clinic there.
october came and went. we worked in hualahuises all that week. i was disappointed. what about going to the mountains? i realized my spirit of discontentment. God wanted us at the DIF that week. joe shared the gospel as danny translated and about 30 people heard a clear concise message given by my 15-year-old brother. God knew what He was doing.
i started flipping through those pictures in that old album. immediately, the guys started calling out names, "scott! he es my friend" . . . "mira! sammy y pablo esta en lodo!" . . . . "jesse, kelsey, scott, ryan" . . . . "reece, nathan" . . . .
i was shocked. they remembered. it has been a whole year. they still remember names, conversations, and . . . they heard the gospel for the first time that week. during lunch one day a testimony was given and a question was asked. all three men responded. yes, they wanted Jesus in their life. a few weeks later they returned and brought 5 more men with them. they too received Jesus as their Savior.
i have been to mexico more times than i can count. i was in argentina last summer. sometimes i find my self wondering if its worth it. i look at my bank account when i get back and its always quite a bit lower. i missed out on fresh powder on the mountain or finished projects still at home. does it even make i difference if i go on a missions trip? aren't there people that live in my city i could minister too?
they remember. they know. when a life reaches out and touches a life, it makes a difference.
i don't know where you are at right now. maybe God has turned your life in a different direction. thats great. where God wants you is the BEST place to be. i know i have resisted many times going and talking to someone or complained about the cost of a missions trip. but would it be worth it if even 1 person were saved from eternity in hell?
if you had a hose and every time you turned it on it cost you $700 would you turn it on to put out a fire on a person right in front of you? or would you hold onto the hose and keep it off, letting that person burn to death in front of you.
"he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - jim elliot
think about going on a missions trip this year. if you let God work you have the power to change at least 1 life (your own) and you are sensitive to God's spirit maybe 2.
is that worth it?
It's still raining
It rained a little more on Thursday. We had Spanish class again in the morning...and Mona got really sick. Mona is Kriss' puppy. The vet came and took her away, and it is not looking very good. Please pray for Kriss. She is feeling pretty sad at having to say goodbye to her pet.
Brrr! The weather has turned cold. The guys from Sandia are bundled up, and we are all in sweaters and wrapping up in blankets here at the house. Jamie made us all hot chai to drink...although it is definitely NOT as cold as Washington, it is definitely not as warm as I remember Mexico to be. Still, our hearts are warmed by the fellowship and we are anticipating the team coming tomorrow, and the work to begin next week.
Nos Vemos!!
Brrr! The weather has turned cold. The guys from Sandia are bundled up, and we are all in sweaters and wrapping up in blankets here at the house. Jamie made us all hot chai to drink...although it is definitely NOT as cold as Washington, it is definitely not as warm as I remember Mexico to be. Still, our hearts are warmed by the fellowship and we are anticipating the team coming tomorrow, and the work to begin next week.
Nos Vemos!!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Vista Hermosa
Wednesday...
The air was kind of heavy, the weather clouding up. Mr. De Hoyos had some meetings in the morning, so Jamie and I sat out on the porch and read to each other, in Spanish, out of a book of sermon illustrations by D. L. Moody. We also practiced our Spanish vocabulary words…this time things around the house, kitchen, clothing, and more verbs.
In the afternoon, Kriss asked us to take more pictures of her house.
Alejandro, Samy (Samuel), Pancho "Franky" (Francisco), Victor, y Guero (Magdaleno)
The evening we went to church in Vista Hermosa. It was a beautiful time. The spirit there is wonderful, and it was neat to see all the participation from the church members.
All of the members of the church were learning the order of the books of the Bible. Here is little "Mago" (that's his nickname) reciting all of them from Genesis to Apocolypses.
Zelina and Marcela taught the children. Zelina is explaining the craft: a little necklace with nails.
Little Mago putting the curtain rod back up. Every time the De Hoyos come for church, he races them down the street with the key. He usually wins. =)
It started to rain as we drove home from Vista Hermosa. It has cooled everything and the air is fresh and clean. The Lord sends his blessing like rain, and we are so grateful for His eternal and immense love for us.
The air was kind of heavy, the weather clouding up. Mr. De Hoyos had some meetings in the morning, so Jamie and I sat out on the porch and read to each other, in Spanish, out of a book of sermon illustrations by D. L. Moody. We also practiced our Spanish vocabulary words…this time things around the house, kitchen, clothing, and more verbs.
In the afternoon, Kriss asked us to take more pictures of her house.
Alejandro, Samy (Samuel), Pancho "Franky" (Francisco), Victor, y Guero (Magdaleno)The evening we went to church in Vista Hermosa. It was a beautiful time. The spirit there is wonderful, and it was neat to see all the participation from the church members.
All of the members of the church were learning the order of the books of the Bible. Here is little "Mago" (that's his nickname) reciting all of them from Genesis to Apocolypses.
Zelina and Marcela taught the children. Zelina is explaining the craft: a little necklace with nails.
Little Mago putting the curtain rod back up. Every time the De Hoyos come for church, he races them down the street with the key. He usually wins. =)
It started to rain as we drove home from Vista Hermosa. It has cooled everything and the air is fresh and clean. The Lord sends his blessing like rain, and we are so grateful for His eternal and immense love for us.
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