CAMex

Prayer Update - May 2012

Wed, 30 May 2012 10:44 GMT

You can see our latest prayer update here:

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=dda64d1288d51a6819e6796ab&id=6adc0ca81f&e=8392b97008

Ready, Set, Go!

Wed, 30 May 2012 09:20 GMT

Today marks the beginning of six weeks of pretty much non-stop ministry, with our annual formal summer internship program beginning. Although security concerns have damped enthusiasm for spending a summer in Mexico (even though Mexico is the safest country in all of Central America), we still have 6 interns this summer, plus another 2 or 3 people along for the ride.

We will be missing David Gómez this year during our internship orientation time! David has always helped guide our visitors, navigating them through the subway system and generally supporting with anything that needs to be done. Check out David's blog HERE. Our family sometimes listens to David online as he hosts an Internet radio station called RadioAmor. Check the station out here: http://radioamoruruguay.org/.

Tina and Tiffany have already been a great help in the organization and details of this coming summer. Check out Tina's blog entry HERE.

One of the new songs that we've been singing in church is entitled Amor sin Condición (Unconditional Love). You can sing along by clicking the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9STpt2BR1bE. We'll be including some Spanish songs in our internship worship times.

Below, a picture of Ismael teaching at the men's retreat last weekend.

Quote of the Day: Practicing openness in the new culture will require that we change. Miroslav Volf uses the term embrace when speaking of welcoming others into our presence. Then he says, "The will to give ourselves to others and `welcome' them, to readjust our identities to make space for them, is prior to any judgment about others, except that of identifying with them in their humanity.
Duane Elmer. Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility

And so it begins....

Tue, 29 May 2012 17:19 GMT

Tomorrow kicks off the first official day of our internship program here. Even though we already have a few people here for the summer... we pick up some more tomorrow!

It is my first intern year in Mexico... and I am super excited about the craziness it will bring!

Community Center Classes

English Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 4-5 and 6-7

Guitar Wednesday 5-6
Drawing Thursday 5-6
Basketball Wednesday and Friday 5-6:30

Soccer Friday 5-6

Coffee Shop Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday4-7, One free cup of Coffee (regular) for the month of June.

Monday- youth english class at the coffee shop 5-6

Thursday 5-6 is english coffee hour

Maybe a friday movie night at the locales, or on the water tower.

Baking Class with Shari Thursday the 7th

Random things.

Trip to Paso de Cortez, June 8

Group from OH, June 12-19
Break Dancing Outreach—Friday, June 15
Praise Music Jam-Fest, Sunday, June 17
Installation of park benches and tree planting June 13-18
Distribution of Wheelchairs, TBD
Baptisms, all day at swimming area, June 24
Orphanage Work—exact dates TBD, last week in June
English Song competition at nearby Jr. Hi, Friday, June 29
Kids’ Club JM, July 2-6

In other news... we are doing the whole "be born again" thing this summer with our church. Read about it at Rod's blog
Here is the t-shirt... recognize the person?

Internship Orientation Manuals

Tue, 29 May 2012 13:07 GMT

Just picked up 12 internship orientation manuals and copies of song sheets of songs in English in Spanish. Six additional people arrive tomorrow, and our orientation time begins.

Gearing up for some wild weeks ahead. Here's a sampling of activities:

Trip to Paso de Cortez, June 8

Group from OH, June 12-19

Break Dancing Outreach—Friday, June 15

Praise Music Jam-Fest, Sunday, June 17

Installation of park benches and tree planting June 13-18

Distribution of Wheelchairs, TBD

Baptisms, all day at swimming area, June 24

Orphanage Work—exact dates TBD, last week in June

English Song competition at nearby Jr. Hi, Friday, June 29

Kids’ Club JM, July 2-6

Check out Daniel's blog HERE. He does his blog as part of his home school assignments.

Quote of the Day: In the words of my favorite author, C. S. Lewis, “In Christianity God is not a static thing ... but a dynamic, pulsating activity, a life, almost a kind of drama. Almost, if you will not think me irreverent, a kind of dance.”
Keller, Timothy. King's Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus (p. 4).

A Querétaro Date

Mon, 28 May 2012 21:19 GMT

My lovely bride and I had an impromptu date today in the city of Querétaro. Neither of us could remember the last time we “went on a date” so we figured it was about time!

I needed to take the van in for a radiator and A/C check before we drive it through the desert and the hot northern frontier of Mexico and Texas, and all other summer destinations north of the border and back south of the border once again. Glad to report that there were no issues found.

Since it was going to take awhile, we took to the streets and walked, and walked, and walked some more. I think we walked over 3 miles. It sure feels like it! We enjoyed some traditional foods for lunch downtown in the tourist zone. I snapped a few photos along the way. The repair shop was a little slow in getting to our van so we ended up needing some supper before we left for home. We ate some more yummy foods before leaving the “big city.” I should have taken a photo of the food! We sure do love the flavor of Mexico!

Here are some non-food photos I took.

Football, Church and Decisions

Mon, 28 May 2012 10:50 GMT

Daniel has been searching for "his" sport for quite some time. So after forays into karate, soccer and basketball, we were a bit skeptical if his passion for football would continue. But happily, it has, and his little brother David has gotten quite excited about it also.

The small team that we found practices three times a week in a dusty, grass-less soccer field in San Buenaventura, a huge neighborhood (and target area for a future church plant) about 15 minutes from where we live. For the last few months, the kids have been playing in an 8-man arena league, but yesterday we attended the inaugural ceremony for the ONEFA league, a much more formal grouping of teams, many of which are affiliated with some pretty ritzy schools. Although the total cost for our team is relatively inexpensive ($192 per person for 7 months), I'm sure the costs for most of the teams we'll be playing are much higher.

Up to this point, most of the kids' games have been played on Saturdays. When Daniel and David joined the team, we told them they could miss one Sunday, if necessary, a month. Obviously church attendance is a priority for us! We are usually either teaching, preaching, directing the service or directing the music. But occasionally we are able to escape, dedicate a day to our family, and go together. Yesterday was one of those days.

We traveled up to northern Mexico City, to a really nice football field, and rooted for our team, the Broncos. Here's a bit of video. David is in the front, left side, #26, and Daniel is at the back, right side.

Quote of the Day: As we explore what it means to be radically abandoned to Christ, I invite you simply to let your heart be gripped, maybe for the first time, by the biblical prospect that God has designed a radically global purpose for your life. I invite you to throw aside gospel-less reasoning that might prevent you from accomplishing that purpose. I invite you to consider with me what it would mean for all of us— pastors and church members, businessmen and businesswomen, lawyers and doctors, consultants and construction workers, teachers and students, on-the-go professionals and stay-at-home moms— to spend all of our lives for the sake of all of God’s glory in all of the world.
Platt, David. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream (pp. 82-83).

Remembering

Sun, 27 May 2012 18:15 GMT

I took these photos a few years ago on Memorial Day weekend near Grafton, WV.

Sope's, hot days and laughing!

Sun, 27 May 2012 07:47 GMT

All of us were invited over to make sopes for breakfast yesterday. (Sopes are a thicker corn tortolla that you raise the edges a litte so you can put yummy stuff in it). It was a first for me! I've had sopes, but never had the experience in learning how to make them! Good food. good friends!

Since we ended up spending much ofthe morning at Chela's house for breakfast we didn't make it to the gym... so tiff and I thought it would be a good idea for us to do our running workout outside.... running around Jesus Maria. If you are ever interested 2 times around is a 5k! It is alot harder running outside then on a treadmill.... but 3.5 of run walk DONE!

And finally, Tiff, Fabian, and I went to sorianna to finish getting food for tomorrow.... we ended up lauging harder then I have in a very long time. Im talking streams of tears coming down my face, spitting out the liquid in my mouth, face hurting laughing. Good times!

Men's Retreat

Sun, 27 May 2012 06:32 GMT

On Friday, four of us from Jesús María, and another 6 men from the first church here went to a men's retreat to Camp Koinonia, a Bible Church camp about three hours northwest. We arrived after 10 p.m. on Friday, after getting a bit lost. Ismael gave the teaching time both days.

The camp is situated on 35 acres of beautiful wooded hillside, with a fair amount of water available. We found a chameleon, and I wanted to bring it home and add to our pet collection, but it is a protected animal...cool looking!

Why we leave early to pick up Hannah from school…

Sat, 26 May 2012 06:19 GMT

Here in the city, often as we drive over to the neighbourhood of Jesús María, or more often when we take Hannah to school, we see something like this.

Yes, on the main city streets, a herd of sheep or goats (in this case both), with a shepherd or shepherdess (or goatherd) and a dog or some dogs.

They'll quite often take up the whole street (often a very busy main street, you understand), in which case you just have to wait. Or you can try to worm your way around them if you can. Or they might just stream around you.

Yesterday, Shari happened to have a camera with her. If we had a camera mounted on the front of our van, oh the things you would see.

This past week’s Tweets…

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:49 GMT

From a co-worker's blog – check out Miguel and Tania http://t.co/u6m8gbc7 #
Now that's pretty useful – the Rulers of Israel and Judah Infographic ⌛ http://t.co/CTEyzfMq #
Who knew? Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre theorized that a warp drive (a la Star Trek) may be possible… http://t.co/yKUvbEme #
Going to Bible study. Tonight's theme – Jesus' Mission! Me voy al estudio de la Biblia. Tema de esta noche – ¡la misión de Jesús! #
Important: In the USA, CAM International is now Camino Global. (CAM International of Canada is still CAM International of Canada.) #
Important Reminder: CAM International of Canada is still CAM International of Canada. (Name change expected this summer) #
The Gospel is NOT – "God really needs your love to be fulfilled. Poor guy." #
Home sweet home #
⌲ Homeward Bound! ⌲ ¡Volviendo a casa! ⌲ #
Interesting thoughts from a fellow missionary (in Thailand) – "Four Reasons Missionaries Fail to Learn the Language" http://t.co/eJkCfr5l #
Met a man near Edmonton with a Chihuahua MX license plate. He's a farmer from Mexico. How cool is that? #
The not-so-long-awaited part 3 from coworker Tina – Part Three: Quirkiness of living in Mexico http://t.co/WiPPkFwL #

Car Repairs and a Men's Retreat

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:37 GMT

Yesterday while taking 9 boys (our two included) to football practice in the van, we went over a speed bump (boy, are there a lot of them!) and heard something break underneath the van. Never a good sound. We had one more clickity-clack.

The thing is, I'm about to leave on a 3 hour trip with several big guys, on the way to a men's retreat. I took the van initially to a suspension and brake place. The jacked up the van on a nice hydraulic lift and proceeded to find one section of leaf of the van's springs on the driver's side was broken. Ok. How much would that be to fix?

Well, they tried to call an expert to come and check it, but he wasn't answering their phone calls. But their estimate was about $140 for parts and labor. Not sure how that would compare to the U.S. But they couldn't fix it today. Not enough time. I asked them to lower the van, that I'd perhaps come back next week.

But that still wouldn't get the van fixed for today, and the long trip with a bunch of guys in the car, the last two miles being harsh, dirt roads with a lot of ditches and potholes. So I did what I like to do in Mexico...improvise! I started asking around, and found a guy just a bit off the beaten path. He looked at my problem and quoted me a price...a whopping $45 for parts and labor. How long do you need, I asked him. Oh, about an hour and a half. Mayra and I returned after two hours, and there was the van, ready to go.

In other news...we accomplished a big step for the final release of our other van today, obtaining a paper that states that the vehicle theft report is officially canceled. Now, all that has to be done is to present the document in Toluca (!), the state capital, and we're ready to roll. The man in charge of the MP said he would do this for us. Should be ready to drive, we hope, on Monday. Just in time for our wave of visitors. We'll still need to get new electronic keys, however, before we use it a whole lot.

Coffee Shop Outreach

Fri, 25 May 2012 06:40 GMT

Tina had a great post yesterday on what went on at her coffee shop. The relational element permeates pretty much all we do here, and the hopefully not-very-hidden agenda is that we desire that everyone we come in contact with hears the gospel and responds to it. Check out Tina's post HERE.

Yesterday was the fourth straight day we did a prayer walk around our neighborhood. Initially the plan was to just do it this week, but there's talk about extended it, making it a regular (if not daily) part of what the church does here. Good idea.

Daniel and David are loving football. Yesterday I was able to watch one of their practices for a while. I took a total of nine kids, counting our two boys, to football practice yesterday, all of them neighbor kids. It all started with our kids. Yes, they are quite social! I told the coach that he should give us a discount. Cheaper by the dozen.

Quote of the Day: Every saved person this side of heaven owes the gospel to every lost person this side of hell. We owe Christ to the world--to the least person and the greatest person, to the richest person and to the poorest person, to the best person and to the worst person. We are in debt to the nations. Encompassed with this debt, though, in our contemporary approach to missions, we have subtly taken ourselves out from under the weight of a lost and dying world, wrung our hands in pious concern, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm just not called to that." David Platt, Radical

This is why we have the coffee shop!

Thu, 24 May 2012 18:33 GMT

I get asked, by nearly everyone who knows about the coffee shop, if we make money. Well.... the answer is not even close! But, we don't do it to make money.

This shocks people. How do you pay for it? Why don't you raise the prices? etc etc.
The reality is this is a ministry to our community. It is an place to hang out, a place to talk, learn english (or more spanish in my case).... a place to build relationships!

Thats why today seemed so great! It pretty much started normal... but with in the three hours we were open....

2 girls showed up (they came to basketball yesterday) and wanted to practice english. That ended with a presentation of the Gospel.

One other girl (Elizabeth) who has been coming the past couple weeks to study for her english exam to get into the college she wants to go to. The first day she came (last week sometime) her and I talked about what is different with Christians. Then on Monday we talked about it a little more. Today, Sophia presented the Gospel to her.

Then we had two friends from Sendero de Vido 1 come visit us and have a little bible study and stayed to chat, it was a definete pleasure to hang out with them!

Then to close down for the day we all prayed we got to pray for Elizabeth before she left.

Of course we all indulged in cake, frappes and mochas (gave most of them away!) while this was all happening!

0 – The RETURN (again)

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:34 GMT

Ah, the memories. My first 0 sticker. I wondered if I would get one. It took a lot of work and conversation, but eventually I did.

You may or may not remember what a 0 sticker is. Here in Mexico City, there are restrictions on who can drive when. For example, a foreign vehicle (like ours) can't drive between 5:30am-11am weekdays, one Saturday a month, and one day a week. Yes, that's a lot of restrictions!

But there is a way out. If your vehicle is less that 8 years old, you can have it emissions tested for a small fee (for me around $23 Canadian), and you have the chance to get a zero sticker. That means you can drive whenever you like for 6 months, at which time you go back and try again.

I've done this many times now, and we got our 0 sticker when we came back to Mexico in November.

Here we are 6 months later.

The van went through the line quickly … then I waited, and waited, and waited. I spent a couple hours at the place, and was finally told that for some reason the "system" would not give me a zero.

So they were very helpful (they know me by now) and gave me my money back and suggested I try another Verificentro (where the test takes place).

So today I did.

Spending hours on something like this may remind you of the complexities of life here – there's always something!

Anyway, I went to another place (a place that, as I recall, told me years ago that I simply couldn't get a 0 because I was a foreigner).

Once again, they told me I couldn't get a sticker because I didn't have such-and-such, so I talked and explained and chatted and so on and so on….

Eventually, they felt they had enough paperwork to give it a try.

So I went into the prayer room (I'll bet you didn't know that Verificentros had prayer rooms! Well, ok, they call it a waiting room, but that's the same thing, isn't it?), and reminded myself that God is more powerful than any computer system. And that I would accept what He decided to do.

In no time, the tests were done – and I have a 0 sticker!

Praise the Lord!

So we can actually drive the van for another 6 months… then… we'll see!

Our van being tested – can you find it?

Our other zero posts:

If You Want to Change Your World...

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:05 GMT

Samuel is a committed Christian, and for years has desired to use his art in a ministry context. God brought us together one day, about 6 years ago, and he has taught me so much about how God can use graphic arts in powerful ways to advance his kingdom. And ever since we met, my vision of what ministry can and should be has been taken to a whole nother (sic) level.

Right now, Samuel is working on a t-shirt design, another design for some canvas signs that we plan to give to every church member to hang on their houses, and also the formal summer internship logo. But he's also working on an extra-special project--some ideas of what to paint on a wall at my home church, Word of Life Chapel, this summer.

Our current project here is to use the words "Be Born Again" on t-shirts, signs and flyers. Now, those words may be well known in English, and even a bit worn out, bringing images of a circa 70s religious movement to mind, but those words do not have any baggage in Spanish. Vuelve a Nacer. What does that mean?

Salt preserves, it also creates thirst. It is our hope that as we begin a campaign that will extend over the next several months, people will begin to wonder why they need to be born a second time--and ask us. We are also in the middle of elections here (Presidential elections, July 1). Our campaign is in direct contrast to all the old, trite slogans of the various political parties here. If you want to change Mexico....vuelve a nacer!

Quote of the Day: Movements are like this. They are grassroots, often underground, and they start with crazy people who are willing to believe in the impossible. Movements never start in corporate offices with executives drawing up a master plan. Looking for the best and brightest and recruiting them to the work is not how world-changing movements start. If we truly want to see the world changed, we must begin as a band of madmen, welcoming other crazy people who want to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Neil Cole. Organic Leadership: Leading Naturally Right Where You Are (p. 130).

Miguel and Tania

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:38 GMT

Please pray for our co-workers Miguel and Tania. Miguel is deacon at the first church, Sendero de Vida Santa Bárbara. For the last two years now, Tania has experienced hemorrhaging, and lately this condition has gotten worse. Socialized medicine here is deficient many times at best. What Tania really needs is a hysterectomy.

Miguel was going to try to get off work yesterday and explore private clinics and hospital, seeking a solution to a medical problem that has gone on for quite a while now. Several of you have already donated to assist this couple with their health care costs. We thank you for that.

Quote of the Day: When people develop resources untested by life experience and sell them to the church, the results are pathetically weak. A good idea in your office does not always translate to a good idea in real life. Believe me, I have shelves of these ideas gathering dust. It is the reality of experience that sharpens us. Experience on the fields of battle refines us and our strategies. There is no substitute for this.
Neil Cole. Organic Leadership: Leading Naturally Right Where You Are (pp. 118-119).

Handing out food!

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:01 GMT

Yesterday the Kubick family came over to Jesus Maria (they are spending the week in Puebla with the Prusia's). This family is a great family from my chuch that decided to spend the first week of their summer serving here in Mexico!

When they got here we did a little tour of the community center and an abbrivated neighborhood tour.

Then we hung out and ate with the other missionaries here in Ixtapaluca.

And finally, we went and bought a bunch of food, split it up, took it to four different houses in the neighborhood.

As always, taking a thing of food to someones house ends in a 2 hour visit! It was a great time of laughing, praying and drinking coke!

Sometimes it is the small acts of kindness that can impact a persons life.... actually it will impact the person recieving and the person giving.

Praying and Frappe's

Tue, 22 May 2012 10:07 GMT

Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work. --Oswald Chambers

Our neighborhood is in some serious need of prayer. There has been some colorful activity happening lately. So this week, every morning at 8am we are walking around Jesus Maria praying. Praying for God to transform this community, for safety, for doors and hearts to be open etc etc.

I have gone on several group prayer walks and never have I done them in silence. I liked it (even though the random dog or person would sometimes distract me!).

Then we end with a time of prayer in our little rented house we store all of our church stuff! Today, by the end of it, I think we had about 15 people =)

Here is a really bad picture of the little prayer time atthe end of the walk...

And, on a fun note... the coffee shop got a new drink!

Prayer Walking

Tue, 22 May 2012 09:50 GMT

All this week those we are doing a prayer walk around the church's neighborhood, Jesús María. I wasn't about to go yesterday, but today I did. About 10 of us started out, and 5 more people joined us at some point during our circular walk. We walked in silence, praying for our neighborhood. It needs prayer...there have been some pretty wild things going on there recently! We also are praying for a plot of land, that God would be gracious to us in that regard. I ended up carrying Romi, Mariana's daughter, for the last half of our walk. That girl gets heavy! Prayer walks are a cool idea, something we haven't done before, but something I'm sure we'll do more in the future.

Yesterday our mission, CAM Int'l, ceased to exist. Well, sort of. We have a new name, Camino Global. You can check out some color commentary at Jim's blog, or on Tina's blog.

We are looking at installing concrete benches in front of our community center instead of metal ones. The concern is that people will hacksaw them off at the legs and sell the metal as scrap metal for $. Happens quite a bit here with manhole covers. We'll see.

Once again, a personal motto, recently solidified in my mind, that sort of goes along with the quote below. I want my life to have elements in it that cannot be explained by human reasons, and I want to be part of a church that cannot be ignored by its community.

Quote of the Day: The church was once a catalyst for artistic expression, social change, and the founding of hospitals, schools, and missionary enterprise, but today she has settled for providing a one-hour-a-week worship concert, an offering plate, and a sermon.
Neil Cole. Organic Leadership: Leading Naturally Right Where You Are (p. 116)