.:. The Harer's live journal

Compare And Contrast

2008-07-17T23:20:00.007-04:00

Buddhist Altar

Christian Altar

“From the millions of Hindu gods our family had chosen its favorite deities; and as a small child, even before I understood what they represented, I sensed and feared the power of the small figures standing on the altar and the pictures on the wall around which we hung the sacred beads. Those unblinking eyes of clay and wood and brass and stone and painted paper seemed to watch me when I was not watching. In some strange way these impassive figures seemed more alive than I was and possessed miraculous powers that held us all in awe. Our offerings and worship acknowledged this fearsome superiority.” Former guru Rabindranath R. Maharaj

“Fray Luis looked instinctively towards the wall where he knew Holy Mary, the Virgin of the Rosary, was hanging. In the semi-darkness of his room he could still picture to himself the fresh, rosy cheeks of her who…had been his only companion for the past seven years. How often he had felt her smile upon him, sensed her spirit speaking to his, thrilled to her presence in the long hours of his loneliness. And yet, she, too, had failed him, mocked him, deceived him.” Life of former monk Dr. Walter Manuel Montaño

“We would move the god figures on the family altar tenderly, unwrapping them from the soft cloth, then covering them again; bathing them, clothing them with great care and reverence.” Rabindranath R. Maharaj

“Worship is expressed by actions such as…affectionately touching it…dressing it in fine clothes…God not only classifies images made like animals or objects of nature as idols, but also images made in the form of a man or a woman. This includes images of Mary, the saints, angels, and even the images of Jesus.” Former priest Dr. Anthony P. Pezzotta

Mother Gauri – protects the people, enlightens the spiritual seeker and removes the fear of rebirth by granting salvation

Blessed Virgin Mary – Protectoress; Our Lady of Good Council; Co-Redemptrix

Lakshmi – Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity
St. Martin of Tours – Parton Saint of shop-keepers and of good luck
Saraswati – goddess of knowledge, music, and all creative arts
St. Michael – patron saint of artists
St. Cecilia – patron saint of musicians and singers
Krishna – embodiment of love and divine joy; protector of cows
St. Perpetua – patron saint of cows

Multi-Color Country - A Photo Journal

2008-07-11T16:49:00.007-04:00

Las Manualidades

El Restaurante

Las Bolsas

Los Flores

Las Salamandras

La Decoración

El Edificio

Los Paliacates

Los Platos Talavera

Los Manteles

Tidbits

2008-07-04T20:42:00.006-04:00

How do you celebrate Independence Day in a country that is not your own? Well you have to be creative that’s for sure. So, you look for fireworks which you can’t find, sing the National Anthem at the breakfast table, make decorations for everyone to wear including the dog, call home to be reminded of how everyone else is celebrating, roust up some bar-b-que sandwiches and watch a patriotic video on the internet.

We spent a great week with Diana’s sister Donita last week. Donita is always quick with a funny story and can keep our children entertained for hours. While we did a few touristy things, most of her time was spent just being an Aunt – hanging out, playing games, drinking frappés, watching the Euro Cup and doing a bit of shopping. Presently Donita is on the second leg of her trip visiting with Diana’s other sister in Houston and getting to know our new nephews and niece recently adopted from Ethiopia.

Christina and I had an interesting father/daughter conversation the other evening. I have to tell you I walked away very impressed with her insight and the acrostic she came up with in the moment. Life here isn’t perfect, but we are learning some profitable lessons along the way.

B – elieve the Bible
I – gnore bad thoughts
B – e not afraid
L – et yourself worship
E – ntrust your heart to Jesus

With the help of our Spanish teacher, a Mexican church leader, a missionary from Guatemala, and an MK from Chile, four study books have been completed on the book of Matthew – Spanish of course. We believe they are a nice complement to the Bibles for a number of reasons: 1) they provide culturally appropriate, life related questions to fuel thought 2) they give a good opportunity for continued follow-up – four booklets 3) they can lead into personal meaningful conversation and further study. The acid test is how the Lord uses them, but on our part they are dedicated to Him. (View the Matthew study here.)

Missionaries Of Prayer

2008-06-27T20:24:00.004-04:00

The activity of prayer is a necessary practice and meetings should always start with a quick “word or prayer”, but is prayer really that important for the missionary?

Some would say prayer is an indispensible ingredient of missions, but what about a missionary whose primary focus is prayer?

We have heard, “No prayer, no power; little prayer, little power; much prayer, much power” (Hudson Taylor), but is there room for a missionary of prayer?

Here’s something to think about:

Goa, India - An Indian mission reports that in spite of repeated attempts to plant house churches in Goa over the past 20 years, as of August 1994, they only have eight small, struggling churches in the city.

A team of Brazilian intercessors comes to Goa in the summer of 1994, rents a house and prays for 12 months. They do not engage in any witnessing, literature distribution, or church planting. They simply pray for an entire year.

In the two months after they leave, the Indian mission plants 18 new house churches in this no longer resistant city! (Pray! magazine, 1996 by John F DeVries)

Maybe there is room for a missionary whose primary focus is to prepare the soil and fight the battle. Then again maybe not, do we really think individuals, mission organizations, or churches would support such an idea?

Obviously the gospel must be preached for “how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard.” (Romans 15:14) But it should be noticed that prayer was one of two focuses for the apostles, “We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:3b-4)

I’ll leave you this from The Kneeling Christian, “The lady in India was cast down through the failure of her life and work. She was a devoted missionary, but somehow or other conversions never resulted from her ministry. The Holy Spirit seemed to say to her, ‘Pray more.’ But she resisted the promptings of the Spirit for some time. ‘At length,’ said she, ‘I set apart much of my time for prayer. I did it in fear and trembling lest my fellow-workers should complain that I was shirking my work. After a few weeks I began to see men and women accepting Christ as their Savior. Moreover, the whole district was soon awakened, and the work of all the other missionaries was blessed as never before. God did more in six months than I had succeeded in doing in six years.’ ‘And,’ she added, ‘no one ever accused me of shirking my duty.’”

The Gas Saga

2008-06-21T11:19:00.006-04:00

Getting the LP gas tank on your roof filled should not be an emotional, time consuming and gut wrenching experience, but somehow it was. It all started a few weeks ago at a neighborhood meeting when someone suggested all of the homes in our 24 home neighborhood use the same gas company. It seems there was a company ripping us all off and somehow (and I’m not sure how) using the same company would help.

That immediately set up a dilemma for us because we had gotten to know Arturo, shared some pleasantries and given him a Bible. The last time he was here he mentioned that he kept it in the truck and read it. What should we do – but a community decision was a community decision.

So, we waited. We waited to hear who this selected company was hoping against hope that it would be our driver. Meanwhile the gas was running dangerously low, dangerously low that is if you want a hot shower or cooked food. That’s when all the “fun” started.

I had procrastinated as long as possible to decide what to do when a gas truck showed up in the neighborhood. Not only did it show up, but it was at the lady’s house that had made the original suggestion. I’m on the phone praying with a friend when my wife runs up the steps to say, “They’re on the roof; we can get gas!” Just as prayer ended, I unlocked our cage and climbed the ladder like a mad man to get up there before they leave.

Putting in an order to fill our tank, I waited to make sure that everything is above board and honest. Just as they finish our neighbor’s tank and put the hose on our tank, Diana yells up to the roof, “Cancel the order. Our neighbor just came over in tears to say they had cheated her and not to get gas.” So I tell them, “I changed my mind; we don’t want gas today.” That went over like a lead balloon.

Diana then went over to our neighbor to learn the details. Then she went with that neighbor and woke up another neighbor to ask for her suggestion of which company to use, and then went to a third neighbor to finally get the needed information.

If things weren’t crazy enough, I decide to instead call and request Arturo which resulted in a “how is this going to go over with the neighbors who just helped us out” conversation. It wasn’t a very good breakfast. I ended up calling to cancel him too (my second cancelation of the day). Then still needing gas, I called the suggested driver for my third gas order of the day.

I'm leaving out details but suffice to say we now have a full tank. Sound a little crazy? As my wife said, “You can write a post about it, but no one would really understand.”

Police Report

2008-06-13T12:41:00.010-04:00

Okay, first of all I admit up front that I ran the stop sign and therefore broke the law. Having said that you must know that 1) I didn’t see the stop sign that was a good twenty feet from the corner and 2) I didn’t go through the red traffic light. So, when the bus made a wide turn on the narrow corner he almost hit us. There was room for him to get around, but the bad news was that there was a Transito (traffic policeman) on the corner watching it all unfold.

The events that followed are long and tedious but... I was then directed to pull over where my driver’s license was checked. I was told I would have to come to the office the next day to pay my fine as well as retrieve my original license. I informed him that wasn’t possible because my license is property of the U.S and I couldn’t leave it with him but that I would be willing to pay the fine today.

That brought another police officer to the scene who directed me out and to the back of the car to talk about my infraction with the instruction to follow them to the office. We drove about two blocks, got out of our vehicles, and were joined by two more officers. “This is getting a little crazy,” I’m thinking. They asked to see the title for the van. We produced a copy but were told we needed to have the original title with us (we learned later this isn’t true). At this point they gave back my license but informed us that the office was closed and we would have a long wait before it opened.

We played dumb (which wasn’t very hard) telling them that we didn’t mind waiting since we were close to some restaurants, “My family and friends could eat while I wait.” They insisted the office was closed; I insisted I didn’t mind the wait. To this point there has not been a fine given to us or even written. Someone then decides there is another office we can go to so we jump in the van to follow them – somewhere.

When we arrived we were met outside the office by a superior office who spoke English and we rehashed all the details. I admitted to running the stop sign again (but not the traffic light). They wanted my driver’s license again (which I refused to give them citing the property of the U.S. argument) and they tell us again that we need the original title. At this point a new twist comes into play. Our friend Ray has been taking pictures (which we have actually been encouraged to do) and they want him to erase them. My idea is – we erase the photos and they’ll erase the slate. I oblige by going to the van to bring everyone over to erase any incriminating evidence (which we did but leave it to Ray to have two sets of pictures). I’m thinking at this point the ordeal is over but…no.

The superior officer then directs Diana and I to step away from everyone and asks us if we can help him out by giving some money to the two original officers. Continuing to be dumb and not knowing how long this was going to go on, I told him I needed to call one of our team leaders. While I am on the phone, he told Diana we needed to give him our license or they would take our van (which is also foreign property and illegal to take) – just a little friendly pressure on the wife.
After the phone call, I asked the superior officer to please write out my fine and I would go in the office and pay it. He didn’t write the ticket but he did take us inside the office. Approaching the front desk with another whole set of officers I make the announcement, “I want to pay my fine!” That took everyone off guard with quizzical looks and one shrugging his shoulders as if to say, “What’s this about?” Obviously we weren’t playing by the rules.

Eventually we were led into a side office to meet and speak with the commanding officer. I asked for permission to bring the girls in and went out to find them. Upon my return he heard a brief explanation from the superior officer, looked at our papers, and said, “In the future you need to obey the traffic signs. Goodbye.” That was it. It was over; we were free to go.

Such is life. Some days you make a breakthrough, and others you just try to stay out of trouble.

Good News From A Distant Land

2008-06-07T23:04:00.004-04:00

Ray and Tiffany returned home today and we return to our routines here in Puebla. We will miss them as we do all of our friends who make their way down here to bring us good news from a distant land. It’s like cold water to a weary soul. Over the last two weeks we have experienced your normal cemita eating, tope bumping, sight-seeing times. They would tell you that one of the highlights was the day I got dragged down to the police station which wasn’t so much fun at the time. I’ll have to tell you about it sometime, but it deserves a post of its own.

While they were here, we visited church after church after church. I think they grew weary with it. I particularly remember the visit to the cathedral. The dark, ornate interior with its well worn stones under our feet was permeated with the smell of incense. A multitude of images looked down on us from their various perches as we made our solemn tour. What a contrast it was to the joyful Sunday morning baptism we attended when three believers made a public statement of an inward reality. The singing, the Scriptures, the fellowship, all in the context of a beautiful mountain setting, was alive and vibrant.

One of the best gifts Ray and Tiffany bought to us was the gift of laughter. We laughed while they were here – a lot. Like the evening we poked fun at ourselves or the afternoon we distorted our most recent photographs. It’s wonderful to have a home filled with laughter and I don’t just mean a chuckle but a good hard belly laugh.

But my favorite memory is our numerous hikes up Serro Chiquehuite, a hill over looking Puebla. It’s a pilgrimage of sorts for the locals that provides a 360 panoramic view. For us it provided a special atmosphere of watching the sunrise, coffee cup in hand while spending some quiet time with the Lord as Chelsea ran free exploring the area. It quickly became a place for us to mutually unite our prayers together and was eventually dubbed “Prayer Meeting Hill”. We expect some mighty powerful prayers to be answered from this spot.

Puebla Panorama - A Video Journal

2008-05-31T11:44:00.002-04:00

“…Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty.” Zechariah 4:6

“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you…Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:1,4

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corintians 5:18-19

“Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 117

“Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord; Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” Habukkah 3:2

Christina Hits Double Digits – A Photo Journal

2008-05-23T10:16:00.003-04:00

The day starts with cookie crisp

Then off to high flying rides

Ready for takeoff

Splash-down

We’ve waited on this ride for months

Mom gets in on the action

Ready for Indy

KFC for lunch

Just one more ride

Maria at the mall

The day ends with ice cream cake

Dedicated To All You “Rope-Holders”

2008-05-16T23:12:00.003-04:00

Call it what you want. I call it the hand of God. A few years ago Diana and I were on our way to Kansas City when in the middle of no- where our van “mysteriously” went out. We nursed it to the next exit and found a garage for the needed repairs. With a few hours to waste we decided to make the trek to a local shopping center where we “discovered” a Christian bookstore. There I “happened” to purchase a book by Bill Thrasher entitled A Journey to Victorious Praying. That book has since offered us much encouragement. Today we dedicate one of its stories to all of you “Rope-Holders” who pray and believe God on our behalf:

The largest and most popular course at the college that Richard Harvey attended was a first-year chemistry class. Dr. Lee, the most renowned professor in the school, taught the class, and every year before Thanksgiving he lectured against prayer. He would conclude the lecture by offering a challenge to anyone who still believed in prayer. Richard Harvey recall the occasion when he writes:

Then [Dr. Lee] would challenge, “Is there anybody here who still believes in prayer?” And he would say, “Before you answer, let me tell you what I am going to do and what I am going to ask you to do. I will turn around take a glass flask and hold it at arm’s length.” Then he would continue, “If you believe God answers prayer, I want you to stand and pray that when I drop this flask, it won’t break. I want you to know that your prayers and the prayers of your parents and Sunday school teachers and even the prayers of your own pastors cannot prevent this flask from breaking. If you wish to have them here, we will put this off until you return after the Thanksgiving recess.”

No one had ever stood up to Dr. Lee’s challenge until a Christian freshman learned about it. He sensed that God had given him the conviction to stand up to Dr. Lee. Finally the day came when the annual challenge would be made. Dr. Lee made it in the same way that he had done for the past twelve years. The only difference was that this time this courageous freshman responded when asked if there was somebody who still believed in prayer. Harvey recalls the events that followed:

“Well,” said the professor, “this is most interesting. Now we will be most reverent while this young man prays.” Then he turned to the young man, “Now you may pray.”

The young man just lifted his countenance toward heaven and prayed, “God, I know that You can hear me. Please honor the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, and honor me, Your servant. Don’t let the flask break. Amen.”

Dr. Lee stretched out his arm as far as he could, opened his hand and let the flask fall. It fell in an arc, hit the toe of Dr. Lee’s shoe rolled over and did not break.

There was no movement of air and there were no open windows. The class whistled, clapped and shouted. And Dr. Lee ceased his annual lectures against prayer.

God’s Spirit gave this young freshman the conviction to believe God…What does the Lord desire you to believe Him for today? Depend on the Spirit to strengthen you to believe Him as you seek Him.

1. Bill Thrasher, Journey to Victorious Praying (Moody Publishers, 2003)
2. Richard Harvey, Seventy Years of Miracles (Horizon House, 1998)

What's Our Part Here?

2008-05-09T14:52:00.006-04:00

We were there to help a visiting group better understand Catholicism in Mexico. They seemed to be there to weave into the fabric of their family the beliefs handed down from generation to generation. I imagined them to be grandparents tenderly and lovingly leading their young granddaughter toward a sacred site at the Basilica in Mexico City. This generational ministry, the passing of the torch makes one stop and ponder – How will the cycle be broken and what's our part here? Good question. So, what is our part here?

Loving God: Our primary opportunity, our primary focus, our primary concern is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. By keeping first things first there is a platform for His work to be done in His way, in His time, for the glory His Son. (Matthew 22:37; 1Corinthians 2:1-5)

Family: In the context of missions our high calling remains to impress God’s Word on the hearts of our children and manage them well. We continue to nurture, train and disciple them through shared life experience and homeschooling. His plan for our lives includes His plan for their lives and for future family generations. (Deuteronomy 6:4-8; 1Timothy 3:12)

Prayer: Our heart remains not only to emphasize prayer in our personal lives but as a ministry focus as well. That means not only praying for others but praying with others both individually and in groups. We turn our attention to prayer believing that all the things that we accomplish He does for us. (Acts 6:4; Isaiah 26:12)

Sowing Seeds: Whether it’s “the verse of the day”, a tract, or an act of kindness in the name of Christ, sowing these seeds provides an opportunity for many to have a personal encounter with God – some for the first time. It’s a work that shows little immediate fruit but gives others a chance to water and to harvest so that God can give the increase. (Matthew 13:1-8; 1 Corinthians 3:6-9)

Bible Distribution: God’s Word is living and active...judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Its power surpasses language, culture and religious barriers to bring new birth. It is our desire to get the Bible into the hands of as many people as possible. Whether we give them personally or provide them for fellow believers to give we try to do so out of a relationship and with some salvation verses provided. (Hebrews 4:12; 1Peter 1:23)

Writing: The weekly journal and the Rope-Holders prayer updates are ways that keep others connected to us and God’s working here. Beyond that we have been writing a Bible study in Spanish from the book of Matthew. We confidently expect that after prayer, grammatical, cultural and theological editing this study will be used by the Lord as a compliment to the Bible distribution. (1John 1:3-4; Jude 1:3)

Discipleship: Going into all the world to make disciples is a multifaceted process for us. It includes living our lives before others controlled by the Spirit, showing hospitality, teaching English, loving our neighbors as ourselves, inviting others to study the Bible, or having tea together. The goal is to be able to entrust the deep truths of the faith to those who are reliable to share it with others. (Matthew 28:19; 2Timothy 2:2; 1Timothy 3:9)

Caring for the Poor: While Mexico has an influential upper class and a growing middle class, God has put it into our hearts to also proclaim good news to the poor. We believe that when we spend ourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed our light will rise in the darkness. (Matthew 11:4-5; Isaiah 58:10-11)

Maria’s A Teenager! – A Photo Journal

2008-05-04T19:34:00.002-04:00

Enjoying a nice cool fruit drink

Reminiscing with the family photo album

Christina decorates with a balloon bouquet

Lunch at the Angel’s taqueria on the Zócolo

All the way to Mexico for ice skating

Where’s Maria – and Christina?

Christina gets in on the fun

The ice cream cake was very moist

Yep 13 – count’em up

Womanhood Tea Party

2008-04-26T22:29:00.003-04:00

On Saturday Diana put on a beautiful “Womanhood Tea Party”. This tea party and ceremony formally marked the time in Maria’s life when she begins to think about and prepare for her role as a woman. For the occasion Maria selected a blue and white knee length dress accented in black with a V-neckline. She wore dangling silver earrings with her hair fashionably done up in back twists. For the tea Diana served finger sandwiches of chicken salad, cucumber, and celery walnut on a three tied platter. Filled strawberries, cantaloupe, and scones completed the meal served on a royal blue table cloth complimented with Victorian lace. Irish Breakfast was the tea of choice for the day.

To the side of the main table was a smaller table with a spring basket arrangement of pink and white lilies. Also on the table was a framed copy of the definition that we gave to Maria of Womanhood. “A woman of God's design loves God wholeheartedly, finds her identity and security in Christ, seeks to reflect the image of God in modesty and virtue, and ministers grace to others through her biblical roles.

After this delightful tea the women in attendance shared a meaningful verse around the womanhood theme. Maria also heard from different women who have been instrumental in her life and who shared encouragement for her to fulfill God’s design. There were also letters written from family and friends. Here is a sample of the kinds of things that were said:

* “Always stay close to Him and always search the Scriptures…”
* “I just want to encourage you that, no matter what your feelings are throughout this season of your life, the more you trust God and allow yourself to fully experience where He has put you, the more your life will blossom!”
* “Fill your mind and heart with the truth of God’s Word. Surround yourself with peers and mentors who remind you of your identity in Christ.”
* “It's really easy for us to get our value wrapped up in how valuable we feel we are, how nice we look, or how important others think we are…keep focusing on who God wants you to be.”
* “A woman of sweet and pleasant speech makes a long lasting impression”.
* “The world will try to pull you in so many directions at this critical time in your life, and you'll be tempted to allow it to shape the way you view yourself, your family, your church, and your own convictions.”

Afterwards everyone enjoyed yellow marble cake with chocolate icing and another round of tea. It was indeed a wonderful celebration of womanhood. Thanks to all you who came and all who participated in our lives long range. We certainly need support, encouragement and words of wisdom in this journey.

Famine Relief

2008-04-18T20:45:00.005-04:00

While sitting in a café studying my Spanish Bible this week the waitress came by my table. After a few pleasantries I told her I read the Bible daily and she asked me if I was a Christian. Hedging a bit I answered, “I follow the Words of God.” Not to be dissuaded she asked me again if I was a Christian. “Yes…I am a Christian.” To which she replied, “I am a Christian too.” That was a pleasant surprise. Having an extra Bible at my side I asked if she had a one. The unpleasant reality of it all was that she didn’t.

It’s actually common for most people here to be without a Bible. And it isn’t uncommon for Christians to be without one either. That takes some getting used to for me. Really now, how many Christians can you name that do not have a single copy of the Bible? Probably they have more than one or maybe even a stack. I am reminded of the words of Amos, “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land – not a famine of food or a thirst for water but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.” (Amos 8:11) Brothers and sisters, we are in famine!

We also believe providing famine relief is one of the ministries God has for us here. He has led, nudged and encouraged us into this area in a number of ways. It started over a year ago with a VBS gift that was used to purchase Bibles. About that time we were reading the story of Brother Andrew and his ministry of taking Bibles into communist countries. The Lord led us to the thought that we could do the same. I wrote in a journal entry at the time, "Maybe, just maybe there is a link between our being in Mexico and getting the Scripture into the hands of those who have the religion of Christ but not the truth of Christ." Since then God has used many situations to confirm us in this path. It is as if He has been saying. "I'm in this - keep praying, keep moving forward, keep trusting."

We are confident in God's Word to penetrate the interior life that is enveloped by a religious crust. By His grace refreshing showers will come to bring famine relief to the land and break up the hardened soil.

Basilica of Guadalupe Visit - A Photo Journal

2008-04-11T15:28:00.009-04:00

While we often think of a Basilica as a description of a building, it is also an important and significant place that is given ceremonial rites by the Pope. In Mexico City this significance is derived from the apparition of Mary in the form of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This apparition in 1531 is credited for bringing the valiant roots of the Aztec and missionary Spain together at the feet of Mary – Mother and forger of the homeland of Mexico. The memorial above is titled the “The Offering”.

The old cathedral (If it looks crooked that’s because it was damaged in the 1985 earthquake. The original chapel for the Virgin can be seen on the hill in the background.)

The newer and modern cathedral

Friday morning mass for the faithful

The impression on the tilma of Juan Diego located behind the platform

The family visit (A good time to establish family bonding and traditions.)

The well kept grounds and gardens (The Basilica is visited by millions every year with over 7 million pilgrims coming on December 12th alone.)

Pictures * Pins * Prayers (These are left with the hope of a particular saint's intercession.)

Guadalupe and Pope John Paul II – two highly respected figures (John Paul II was a Marian priest inspired by the teachings of Saint Louis de Montfort. He went to every Marian shrine in the countries he visited including four visits to Mexico.)

Worship inside the chapel (This is said to be the exact spot where the temple of the Aztec goddess Tonantzin stood.)

“Verse Of The Day”

2008-04-04T20:22:00.003-04:00

I met Lola near the entrance of the Basilica in Mexico City. She was handing out invitations to visit Carolina’s Tarot Shop. It seemed like a good opportunity so I handed her the “Verse of the Day”. She started the conversation: “Are you a Christian?” “Yes, I am a Christian.” “What is the name of your church?” “The Church of the Bible…Are you Carolina?” No, my name is Lola.” “Do you have eternal life Lola?” “Yes.” “Are you sure?” “Yes…Is your telephone number on the back of this verse?” “No, I live in Puebla.” “Pray for me at your church.” “Ok.” A predestinated encounter, a Bible verse, an open heart, an eternal soul fades into the distance.

We were returning late to the hotel after visiting the zócolo, seeing the Templo Mayor, and having dinner in the House of Tiles. Drawing near to our hotel one of the three men offered an advertisement. A quick glance at the card told me it was an “adult show.” There was a moment’s hesitation, a moment’s fear, a moment’s wondering about the reaction and then the response. “No, thank you…BUT I have the ‘Verse of the Day’ for you.” His “thank you” wasn’t the biggest surprise. That came from the man standing beside of him. “Do you have one for me too?”

These examples are not the norm. The norm is summed up by a recent trip to the market to buy fruits and vegetables from Anna. Last Saturday I handed her a verse (as I try to do every week) she took it and said, “Thank You.” Than took a moment to read it. That’s the norm – words of appreciation with an occasional conversation.

I have been questioning myself about “The Verse of the Day” lately. Are these verses profitable or actually harmful? What if they are read and understood through the lenses of Catholic teachings? What if someone comes to wrong conclusions or uses them to reinforce inaccurate beliefs? Should I refrain from giving them? My conclusion in the matter is that while the verses might very well be misunderstood, Scripture is living and active. God can make His Word just as clear and useful as He wants to make it. Therefore, I will continue to sow seeds and leave the germinating up to Him.

Celebration Odyssey

2008-03-28T20:38:00.008-04:00

I don’t think we have ever had a non-stop celebration like the one we just had this past weekend. It was a 48 hour odyssey.

It started Saturday evening when we picked up our Canadian friends, Gary and Kim, from the bus station and came home to observe Passover (never mind that it actually starts April 20). Observing a Messianic Passover each year is a family tradition. Ours is an interactive reading that recounts the slavery of the Jewish people in Egypt and God’s deliverance. It is rich with symbolism and foreshadows the life, death and resurrection of Christ. One of my favorite lines is, “We dip the bitter herbs into kharoset (a brown apple mixture), to remind ourselves that even the most bitter of circumstances can be sweetened by the hope we have in God.”

Easter morning began with our missionary community meeting for a sunrise service. Pastor Chris was here from NewSong Fellowship and led us in reflection. Of course it wouldn’t be a proper “Christian” celebration if there wasn’t food, so we also enjoyed fruit, coffee and fresh cinnamon rolls served up from the back of our vans. Daniel dubbed it a “Missionary Tailgate Party” and so it was. It was a wonderful morning as we worshipped and laughed together.

A sunrise service was only the start of the day. From there we went to a combined gathering of a number of churches from the area that united for this special Sunday. It was good to see so many Christians worshiping on the Day of the Glorious Resurrection. Las Buganvillas Restaurante was next on the agenda where we enjoyed a Sunday afternoon meal fit for a king – thanks NewSong. The day wasn’t complete until Christina, Juan Carlos and Lalo stopped by at 9:00 that evening for a visit.

Monday only continued the odyssey as we celebrated Gary’s birthday. We had decorated the house the night before so we hit the ground running with a birthday breakfast of fruit, eggs and bacon. Trips to Italian Coffee Company and downtown followed. It culminated later in the evening with friends coming over for cake and to give Gary special words of encouragement.

Whew! What a memory, what a non-stop celebration, what an odyssey.

Holy Week and Opening Day

2008-03-21T20:47:00.009-04:00

It’s Holy week which means vacation time for children and adults alike. Many have left town to head for the beaches or to return to their home communities for celebrations. There were still plenty left to gather at the Cathedral to celebrate the religion of Christ…sadly, not the reality of Christ. Take a moment to look over this sea of humanity headed for a Christ-less eternity.

On a lighter note I joined the men of the church this week to attend opening day of Puebla’s baseball team. Here are a few observations from a freezing cold evening at the ball park:

1. The seats are a lot cheaper than a major league park stateside – $8 for seventh row seats on the left field line.
2. It has the atmosphere of a minor league park.
3. Sol is the beverage of choice and lots of it.
4. Opening day is an extravaganza with confetti, smoke, stilt walkers, fire, team introductions and a movie star.
5. They play a lot of U.S. music.
6. Puebla Pericos (Parrots) wear Oakland colors (green and yellow).
7. Dancing girls and cat calls are all a part of it.
8. People are a lot more laid back, even when the flag waving guy beside of you gets his flag stuck in someone’s hat.
9. For you true baseball fans the park is 408 in straight away and 325 down the lines.
10. It’s always a good sign when the home team wins the opener – Puebla 8 – visitors 4.

Amazing Street Art

2008-03-14T11:09:00.005-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we were on the streets of Mexico City and saw what can only be described as “spray paint art”. It was amazing. For a scant $3.50 a masterpiece was created using spray paint, fire and a palette knife. It was late evening after having met the Fargo team…

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to bring you a news update of our family.

With last week dedicated to English Camp, Christina jumped right into the action. While she didn’t teach English, she did develop a special relationship with Diena and Soni, watching over them with tender loving care. Also of note, Christina lost a tooth on Saturday and the tooth rat showed up with money.

Maria has been teaching English with a Canadian couple for a few weeks now and continued to help out at the camp. We can see her making friends through it all and envision wonderful things from her giving heart. The end of the camp wasn’t so much fun for as she got a huge cut on her toe while playing on the cancha. No stitches were required but it was definitely sore for awhile.

Daniel played in his first club game with a Mexican team. Yep, he suited up for the BUAP Lobos (the wolves) playing the first half in their 2-0 win. It was an exciting day and came as a result of a lot of hard work and training. Being on the team has been a good experience for Daniel in many ways. And how did he celebrate this first game and win? By coming home and washing the van and back porch.

Teotihuacan - A Photo Journal

2008-03-07T13:07:00.006-05:00

Pyramid of the Sun (Deuteronomy 4:19)

Pyramid of the Moon (Jeremiah 8:2)

Three gifts from the Lord

Teotihuacan community - a scale model

Teotihuacan community - the real thing

Blind guides (Matthew 15:14)

Happy aliens and strangers (1 Peter 2:11)

Altars and High Places (2 Chronicles 14:2-4)

Aren't they precious?

Worship of the LORD before the "gods" (Psalm 138:1)

Hanging Out With Our Team

2008-02-29T23:14:00.003-05:00

9:06 AM – We are pulling out from Italian Coffee Company on the way to Teotihuacan after Neil gives us some of its back ground history.

9:42 – Family time in the van – Diana is reading us a chapter from the life of Rachel Saint.

10:56 – Listening to Casting Crowns – “…reckless abandon wrapped in common sense – Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle – With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is..”

11:37 – Willie insists that I say that on our arrival Diana jumps out of the car to give out homemade cookie squares to everyone. Juan Carlos goes on record that they were delicious.

11:49 – The first stop upon arrival – bathrooms.

12:19 PM – Before I know what’s happening Cheryl and I encounter some new agers blindly “feeling” their way along the path to spiritual energy.

2:11 – With the sweltering heat we stop for a water break.

2:20 – The ascent to the top of the pyramid of the sun begins.

2:27 – 247 steps later and about 200 feet Daniel, Maria and I summit.

2:38 – With worshipers all around us we join together to pray a prayer of rejection of the gods and offer a prayer of worship to the Lord of lords and King of kings.

3:33 – I call “dibs” on the first shower tonight.

3:57 – Stopped at McCoy’s for dinner (sorry Hatfield’s) and were serenaded by the accordion and guitar as we eat enchiladas and tacos.

6:22 – We are embroiled in an intense game of Battleship on paper. Christina comes in the winner after sinking my battleship and Juan Carlos’s submarine on the same shot.

7:40 – We cap off the day with a family tradition, stopping for ice cream when we travel more than 3 hours.

It’s All Amy’s Fault

2008-02-22T23:46:00.005-05:00

A few evenings ago we were on the way to Wal-mart. Dusk was coming on as we pulled up to the traffic light. There he was at the door. About five years old, plastic bank in hand with no mother in sight. His eyes looked in hopeful expectation. This was difficult to swallow. Worse however are the mothers sitting on the dirty sidewalks wrapped in a blanket, no shoes with a malnourished baby in arms. They look old and worn from difficult living.

Some of you probably get tired of hearing what seems to be the ugly side of life here and would prefer a focus on the sunny side instead. Let me just go on record as saying – It’s all Amy’s fault.

In her book, Things as They Are, Amy Carmichael exposed the reality of India and impacted our perspective in writing. She said, “It is more important that you should know about the reverses than about the successes of the war. We shall have all eternity to celebrate the victories, but we have only the few hours before sunset in which to win them. We are not winning them as we should, because the fact of the reverses is so little realized, and the needed reinforcements are not forthcoming, as they would be if the position were thoroughly understood….So we have tried to tell you the truth – the uninteresting, unromantic truth.”

For that reason we are compelled to tell you the “unromantic truth” about dirty-faced malnourished children, vows to the saint of death, abused women, superstition, corruption, misplaced devotion, monuments to gods, loneliness, darkness and hopelessness…

If you are tired of it all, we understand, we are too. What you must also understand is that – It’s all Amy’s fault.

Join Us For Family Devotions

2008-02-15T19:47:00.003-05:00

We’re glad you can join us for breakfast and family devotions this Valentine’s Day. Christina has taken it upon herself to create a special atmosphere by making placemats out of Valentine napkins, hanging hearts, displaying cards, and putting a pink scarf on Chelsea. Hope you are hungry, too. Diana has prepared a delicious breakfast of grapefruit, eggs, bacon, fresh coffee cake and of course a cup of Irish breakfast tea. Sit back, eat slowly, listen to the fountain, enjoy the sun streaming into the room and relax.

While you finish your second cup, I’m going to read from 1 Corinthians 13. Let this description of pure love sink into your mind and heart as I read. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

It occurs to me that the only way to love in this way is as the Spirit transforms our hearts in humility. The Anonymous Prayer For Grace brings this into focus for us.

Deliver me Jesus
from the desire of being loved;
from the desire of being praised;
from the desire of being preferred to others;
from the desire of being consulted;
from the desire of being approved;

from the fear of being humiliated;
from the fear of being despised;
from the fear of being suffering rebuke;
from the fear of being forgotten;
from the fear of being wrong;
from the fear of being suspected.

And Jesus, grant me the grace to desire
that others might be loved more than I;
that others might be esteemed more than I;
that in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I decrease;
that others may be chosen and I set aside;
that others may be praised and I unnoticed;
that others may be preferred to me in everything;
that others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should.

African Safari – A Photo Journal

2008-02-08T20:55:00.000-05:00

It’s a little bit crazy, but in a city of five million we live within a thirty minute drive of an African safari. We visited recently and wanted to share a few photos. Hope you enjoy them half as much as we enjoyed the actual visit. As an added bonus the names are in Spanish. (Jerafa pictured above)

León

Cebra

Avestruz

Flamencos

Cristina y el safari

Llamas

Rinoceront

Antílope

Mono Arañas

Maria y Hipopótamo

Have You Ever…?

2008-02-01T19:12:00.000-05:00

Have you ever appreciated the artistry of archways and tile work in an old city?
Have you ever watched the sun rise over a volcano?
Have you ever known a kindness from one who does not speak your native language?
Have you ever enjoyed the tranquil atmosphere of an outdoor restaurant?

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,

Have you ever felt the sting of being stared at because you were the minority?
Have you ever listened to your children crying because they were homesick – and you were too?
Have you ever been on a bus that was so packed the driver was begging people to take the next bus?
Have you ever had to deal with someone urinating on a busy street in broad day light?

‘Whom shall I send?

Have you ever taken your children to feed the poor and destitute?
Have you ever been repulsed because the church grounds were a preferred place for couples to make out?
Have you ever seen adults carrying a baby doll Jesus in the streets and in the market?
Have you ever watched someone crawl on their knees to the church?

And who will go for us?’

Have you ever seen the gleam in the eye of someone who was just given a new Bible?
Have you ever helped out an elderly lady looking through the trash can and been given a kiss?
Have you ever crossed cultural boundaries to worship with brothers and sisters in the Lord?
Have you ever explored with excitement over one lost sheep that has come into the fold?

And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me’.”

(Jesus Christ for Lord of Mexico: So that things change)