Love Led Her: A Tribute to My Mom

Love led her to be a wife who shared her husband’s vision
- To marry a skinny young lawyer from Boone, despite fears that kidney disease might leave her a young widow;
- to push past her utter terror and attend her first precinct meeting with that skinny young lawyer who wanted to make a difference;
- to be one of the first candidate’s wives to have her own campaign trail, speaking around NC to encourage voters to elect her long-shot husband as their next governor;

Love led her to Dream the Impossible Dream

Love led her to be an impeccable hostess
- To apply her home economics training to her role as First Lady at the ripe old age of 33;
- to oversee the renovation of the Governor’s Mansion,
- making and hanging draperies
- and redesigning architectural plans to help make the Mansion feel more like a home for future Governor’s families;

Love led her to be an incredible nurse
- To return to nursing school while still living in the Governor’s Mansion--- can’t you just IMAGINE the looks on the faces of the Highway Patrol when informed that her next nursing internship would be at Dorothea Dix?
- to learn how to provide dialysis in our home for Daddy in the years before his transplant 20 years ago;
- to pursue a masters degree in nursing so she could know more and help more;
- to lovingly nurse hospice patients and their families through the last days;
- to fight for patients and families as vigorously and as lovingly as she nursed them.

Love led her to bless our family and
- To love Daddy’s family as deeply as she loved her own;
- to host countless family gatherings;
- to host a New Year’s Eve wedding celebration of a lifetime
- to join with sisters, Nancy and Linda, in caring for their father and mother in the last years of their lives;
- to share her values, knowledge and family traditions with Holly & Maggie;
- to support John, Holly, Maggie and me as we answered God’s calling to serve in Mexico
- and to cheer her beloved Demon Deacons almost all the way to the Orange Bowl;

Love led her to care for and support other cancer patients and ailing friends and family while fighting her own battle with cancer

And love led her to apply what she knew about cancer to her own life --- to be her own last patient --- and to teach us how to care for her by sharing how she had cared for countless others.

It’s not that Mom did all these things easily, but that love led her to do them. Love led her to push through her reservations, to look past the immediate concerns, and to see the big picture. Some came as naturally as breathing…especially the nursing part. From the moment when she was 16 years old and saw a baby delivered, she knew that God was calling her to be a nurse. When life created detours, she managed to find a way to get back on track and to stay true to that calling. But other challenges revealed her courage, her toughness, and her determination. No matter where she was along that journey, she honored her God, her family and her beloved North Carolina with grace, dignity, intelligence and beauty.

While Mom could be just as comfortable taking care of a patient in a Scotland County trailer as hosting a State dinner, she had a kind of beauty that I can only equate with a diamond. It would be easy to get captivated with any one facet of her … beloved family member, hospice nurse, First Lady, long-shot candidate’s campaign partner, hostess, or teacher…. but to do so could allow us to miss the many other facets. Together those facets made up a beautiful, brilliant, extraordinary woman. We will miss her, but we know that her love led her and taught us all.

for Memorial Service, December 10, 2006

Tzeltal Bible

Today the Tzeltal Bible arrived…all 35 tons of them! A tractor-trailer packed with 1670 boxes, which contain 20,000 copies of the first Bible available in the local language of the Tzeltal people arrived at the Alpha and Omega Bible School. On a beautiful Chiapas morning, 35 Pastors, students, teachers, missionaries, paramedics, both men and women spent over 4 hours unloading the truck. The truck was not able to enter the bible school campus because of a low power line and there was not a forklift in sight, so we formed a human chain and carried the boxes 100 yards to the storage area.

The Bible will be dedicated on November 25 at a ceremony to be held at the bible school. We are expecting over 3,000 people to attend the celebration. It will be an historic occasion that I feel fortunate to have a small role in.

You can see some pictures of the unloading process at our picture site.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/millsfamilymission

Peace,
John

The Fall US Tour

For the last six week, Pablo, his wife Jan and I have been in the US visiting churches and telling the story of the ministry in Chiapas. Pablo and I drove 1,000 from Ocosingo up to the Texas border in late September, then flew to Chicago where Jan met us. This began our eight state tour of 25 churches.

Along the way we experienced the warm hospitality of 13 families who opened their homes to us for lodging, prepared our meals and ministered to our needs. One family even bought a used car for us to drive while we were visiting! It was truly a blessing to reconnect with previous travelers and make new friends along the way. It was also a blessing for me to be able to see Ginny, Holly and Maggie when they arrived for their unscheduled visit to help with Ginny’s mom. Since I will be in Chiapas on Thanksgiving, we enjoyed some time with Jim and Pat and my sisters while in NC.

We jokingly called our itinerary the “rock star mission tour” because it seemed like we were on the go all the time visiting churches and eating way too many “pot luck” meals and buffets. More than once I said how good it was to be visiting this church and said the wrong name. But the fellowship was wonderful and we helped people better understand the breadth of Pablo’s ministry in Chiapas. We encouraged new churches to send mission teams and those that have experienced cross-cultural missions to adopt Pablo and Jan as their churches missionaries. We now have 13 groups scheduled to come to Chiapas in 2007 and three new supporters for Pablo’s ministry.

As the weeks went by we were able to share new pictures of the progress made on the construction of the medical clinic. Our 7 member work crew has been putting up the exterior walls and preparing to complete the floor. Each Saturday we downloaded pictures from our email account and huddled around the computer to see what the guys had been able to accomplish back in Ocosingo.

We wrapped up our tour on Nov. 7. Jan and I flew back to Chiapas and Pablo left on another adventure. He will join over 100 others from Mexico and attend the COMIBON Latin American Mission Conference in Granada, Spain.

A Common Missionary Struggle

Early in our discernment process, one of the biggest questions was related to whether or not we could leave my family during my mother's ongoing struggle with cancer. She had been diagnosed a couple of years before, but she was living a full and happy life while getting treatment. Her doctors assured me that I could reasonably gauge her health by her physical appearance, activity level and other observable cues. So, we headed off to Ocosingo. Last week, when we received news that she was declining rapidly. The girls and I hopped a plane bound for NC. We returned with the knowledge that we could end up being here for months as caregivers in NC instead of missionaries in Mexico. This was gut wrenching in so many ways.

Somehow I think I believed that, since God was calling us to Mexico, that must mean that she would be okay. She had to be. She had to be okay so that we could answer the call, serve God in Mexico and be faithful servants. It was as if I believed that God wouldn't simultaneously send us and not save her.

Nearly every missionary we've talked to has their own story about this dilemma. In most cases, their missionary sending organizations restricted travel home until absolute emergency situations. Many did not make it home before their loved one's death, and in some cases, they weren't even able to make it home even for the funeral.

In Luke 9:56-62, a man expressed a desire to follow Jesus but was rebuked by Jesus when he said, "but first, let me go bury my father." There are many interpretations about this story. Some believe the father was already dead. Some believe he was just old and would die someday. Others believe that it wasn't really about the dead/dying/old father, but rather about Jesus being able to know the man's heart and to know that he wasn't fully committed anyway. Another interpretation is that, because the men began their answer with "...but first..." they revealed that they were willing to put something else before Jesus.

I cannot believe that I'm supposed to be anywhere else but here, caring for and loving my mother and father. Yet I wonder what God thinks. By going earlier this year did we show God that we were willing to put Him first? What does God think that we came home to care for her? Does He think that we're no longer willing to put God first? Or is this exactly where God wants me to be too?

Meanwhile, John is continuing in missions with Pablo & Jan Feliciano, and 2007 promises to be filled with glorious blessings. Mission trips are being scheduled almost daily, the clinic construction is well under way, and the completion of the Tzeltal bible will allow for more meaningful evangelism.

One sermon I've read about this scripture says that God is always doing many things at the same time...all towards the fulfillment of his purposes. I guess that just means that we need to be faithful in the knowledge that God doing something in all of these situations. God is definitely at work in John and Pablo's ministry. God is definitely at work here as we care for my mother. Holly and Maggie are learning about caregiving, learning about cancer, and having time with their grandparents that is oh so precious. My parents seem to feel better having us here and seem to really value the help. I am grateful to have a "boss" who will allow me to leave my post and come to be with my parents as long as I need to be. Had we been doing ANYTHING else, I doubt that doing so would have been possible. God must truly be at work in all these situations and others that we don't even know about.

Perhaps the Matthew scripture can be the answer here - that as we comfort the sick it is as if we are comforting Jesus himself. May our love and care for my mother and father in this time be to God's glory and in keeping with his purposes, and may their love and care for us be also. Amen.

A counselor struggles

Even though we moved our family and essentially changed the focus of our "work" from non-profit jobs in NC to full-time volunteer missionary service in Mexico, the part of me that is a licensed professional counselor did not stay in NC. It came with me to Mexico because it is so much a part of who I am as a person. My extraversion is another part of who I am, and that part of me has really struggled while trying to learn the language. And an extraverted counselor, even in a land where she's not fluent in the native language, will always find people in need of a counselor somehow beckoning at her/his door!

The bible school students here come from all over the southeastern part of Mexico. Most are indigenous and come from poor families, many of whom are not Christian. They are here to study Christian theology or music, and sometimes they do so against the wishes of their families. Family members sometimes threaten to undermine their education because they want them home to work and help support their families or because some members of the family are afraid of others because of physical, sexual or emotional abuse within the family. We have a 26 y/o student who was "married off" by his family at 15 y/o and has a wife and 4 daughters to support --- all while trying to be a full-time student. Because family ties are incredibly strong in this culture, these pleas by family members are almost impossible for these young people to tolerate. They feel torn between honoring their earthly parents and/or family responsibilites and living out their sense of call to ministry by their heavenly father. I know that feeling myself!

So there I was, dictionary in hand, trying to have my first counseling session in Spanish with a young woman trying to cope with a severe trauma history, family members' pulling her home, crises of faith issues and feelings of isolation from her fellow students --- believing, of course, that they have it all together and that she's the only one suffering! Together we bumbled along, as I encouraged her to seek out the support and counsel from someone with a better command of the language, and her resisting out of fear of being misunderstood, judged, etc. So what's a counselor to do?! Counsel anyway despite the risk of misunderstanding or being misunderstood because of language barriers? Run the risk of making a cultural faux pas out of ignorance? Turn her away? Betray her confidentiality by telling someone? UGH! Just so you'll know, I've asked her to consider allowing me to share parts of her story with an English/Spanish/Tzeltal speaking teacher who could possibly help, but thus far she has not given me the green light. So until she does, I just pray.

Please pray with me for this young student that she may find comfort, relief, insight and wisdom to help her through this struggle and to help her know God's will for her life and for healing of her wounded heart. And pray for me that I am blessed with the gift of language so that I can be my true counselor self with these students when the need presents itself in the future.

Soy una consejera...siempre...dondequiera que vaya a lo que lo hago...soy una consejera. (I am a counselor...always....wherever I go....whatever I do...I am a counselor.)

A Soccer Ministry?

It’s hard to explain the importance of soccer/futbol in the Latin American world. Everywhere we go, we see kids playing their own variation on the game regardless of their circumstances. You see one child kicking something, trying to get around another child, in pursuit of a perceived “goal.” It may be a plastic bottle or tin can that they are kicking around a 25 square foot plot of dirt, aiming for a chair placed at one end. On the bible school campus, there is little that resembling “social activities,” but the futbol hours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons are sacred! Pablo tells us that having a futbol field is one absolute necessity on the campus! The field may be full of mud puddles or piles of excrement left by the numerous animals that randomly graze there, and it may be pouring down rain, but the futbol must go on! Allowing young men from the community to use the field from time to time is considered a form of community outreach. In short, soccer is sacred.

So it is that we find ourselves with a futbol field for our front yard. So it is that we find ourselves trying to play soccer with Mexicans who have been playing since they began learning how to walk --- building relationships with them, learning from them, playing with them. It’s great exercise for us all, and for Holly and Maggie, it counts as PE time. But perhaps more importantly, it’s teaching us another key language here .... the language of futbol. We are learning new skills that will help us speak THAT new language too!

My new friend and fellow missionary, Sharon Hennefelt, talks about her first few years as a missionary here. She said that she spent most of her time teaching Tzeltal women about community health. She wasn’t sharing the gospel or saving souls, she was teaching women about outhouses....how to build them, how to use them, and how to clean them. Not exactly what she had in mind when she came to be a missionary! And playing soccer was not exactly what we had in mind either! But you see, the language of futbol is universal, just like smiles and music, and it’s through these universal languages that new relationships begin. And through those relationships, trust can build and more opportunities to learn from each other and to work together can emerge.

So, perhaps this is one of those lessons about being open to recognize opportunities for ministry that are presented in disguise! A soccer ministry, huh? Who would’ve thunk it?!

Birthday Traditions in Mexico

Our family celebrated my (Ginny) birthday this week, complete with a surprise party! One of the Mexican traditions with cuplianos is the expected "face in the cake" deal. They call it the "mordita," which loosely translated means "the bite." So the deal is that the Birthday Girl/Boy is obliged to take the first bite of cake without using utensils or their hands --- just leaning down to take a bite out of the cake. Well, strategically positioned behind said Birthday Girl/Boy is someone else ready to slam their face into the cake when they lean down. Well, I am happy to say that I didn't get TOO much cake & icing up my nose, and I'm happy to say that there were no cameras present to share the visual image of this momentous occasion with you!

But perhaps the neatest thing of all wasn't the cake or the meal or the gifts, but the surprise itself. I was busy sweeping out the kitchen and as I neared the front door, heard the singing parade of well-wishers as they approached. They sang Felize Cuplianos to me, then John escorted me across the campus to the party with the parade following along behind. It was a delightful surprise and an act of love from our newest friends here in Mexico. A great day!

Beginning to understand more about the Zapatistas

The language school offered a number of documentary movies, and our teacher encouraged us to go see at least one to practice our Spanish listening skills. We saw the film, Chronicles of a Revolution, which included lots of live footage from several of the Zapatista events of the last 15 years. While I must confess that we were so compelled by the story that we read English subtitles instead of trying to use our Spanish skills. This "bird's eye view" of rebellion in the same streets that we had walked earlier in the day (in San Cristobal) and in the community in which we live (Ocosingo) was more than a little disconcerting. Nevertheless, the story of the Zapatistas and their advocacy for the indigenous & forgotten people of Chiapas was moving. It's ironic that one of the more popular books about the Zapatistas is entitled Basta! (which loosely translated means "ENOUGH!!").

It was clear that there are no winners in the struggle between the Zapatistas and the Mexican Government. To us, it seemed that both the Zapatistas and the Mexican Government showed both poor judgment and incredible restraint throughout the conflicts. There were times that both groups seemed to demonstrate respect for the other and a desire to find common ground, yet their history with each other prevented both groups from trusting the other. The Zapatistas used weapons and attacked in the early years, but this documentary suggested that they shifted strategy and seemed to adopt a philosophy that said, "We have the right to bear arms, but we don't want to use them." The Mexican government would say they were ready on adopt the terms of the Peace Accord of San Andres (which included moving troops out of indigenous communities) then not follow through. There was footage of Mexican indigenous people verbally (and at times, physically) assaulting the Mexican military for their refusal to honor agreements made by their own government to withdraw their troops from indigenous villages. That the young macho soldiers stood their ground without fighting back was impressive, yet it really did symbolize the overall state of affairs.

There they were...indigenous men, women and children shouting for their basic human rights to be honored...outraged that their own government would simultaneously forget them (and their extreme poverty) while camping out with their tanks and guns in their back yards...screaming at the soldiers and beating on them with their fists....while the government (soldiers) does nothing and the indigenous people's actions provoke no meaningful reaction of any kind.

We tried to think about what it would be like if the US government and its military decided that an entire American ethnic group should be considered "the enemy." The very idea was truly mindboggling and impossible to imagine. Now remember, we aren't talking about small group of people here! There are over 10 million indigenous people in Mexico!

That both sides seem to have alienated each other so extremely seemed sad and hopeless. In our mission service here, we see the poverty of the indigenous people. We see the ways in which the government structure and a disguised caste system keep the indigenous people stuck and forgotten. They had been powerless for so long...decided to fight back ...only to discover that they were powerless still.

Please join us in our prayer that the indigenous people of Chiapas and Oaxaca find ways to be heard without violence and that the newly-elected president, Calderon, and his administration can both listen and deliver much needed help to descendents of Mexico's original inhabitants. Somebody's gotta start trusting somebody or things will never change. Calderon might do well to follow the teachings of Proverbs 29:14 “If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure.”

The Value of Language School

If there is one thing that I, Ginny, would do over again in answering God's call for our family into missions, it would be to have insisted that we all learn Spanish very well before moving to Mexico. While I know that learning in Chiapas is far more desirable (because we are learning the same Spanish that is spoken in this part of Latin America) the absence of a strong command of the language is a hindrance.

If you have seen The End of the Spear, you know that the missionaries might not have been killed had they been able to speak the native language. Now, I have no reason to believe that our lives are in danger here, but still, that aspect of their story was not lost on me. The ability to communicate effectively can make all the difference in showing God's love through our words in addition to the living out of our faith in other observable ways.

Language school in San Cristobal is challenging, long and fun. We are in a class with one instructor just for our family ---- with 3 hours of direct instruction and then as much as 3 hours of additional homework! Needless to say, there's not a whole lot of studying other subjects! We are living with the family of Isidro Entzin, a Tzeltal attorney. Because they speak no English at all, we are truly immersed and practicing our new skills day and night.

I have wondered....when God responded to the Tower of Babel by causing the people to no longer understand each other's language, did he know how hard it would make it to spread the Good News later? I envy the missionaries we have met who so comfortably converse in Spanish or Tzeltal or Tsotsil. They are able to give all of their attention to the person, to concentrate on the deeper meaning in their communication with each other, and to be themselves completely. We ask for your prayers as we strive to learn Spanish, improve our understanding of the Spanish and Indigenous Mexican cultures, and follow God's leading in our service.

Homeschool Fits & Starts

The transition to a homeschool family has begun, albeit complicated by schedules, slow internet connections, and the lack of access to quality public libraries and mail delivery of materials. Thanks to our recent time in the US, we´ve built up a fairly adequate supply of materials and began our journey back to Ocosingo ready to begin.

One of the more interesting aspects has been the eagerness with which the girls approached this new endeavor. All of their friends had already begun school for this year, and their internal clock began to sound alarms in their heads saying "It´s time to get busy here...we need to be in school too!" So, as soon as we got back, we were off and running....well....I wouldn´t necessarily say "running," but we were off and moving anyway!

Maggie did great as long as there was 1:1 instruction, and Holly did great as long as the internet connection to Keystone National High School was live and fast. However, as the internet got slow then went down altogether, Holly needed attention, which left Maggie waiting for me to return. Our first homeschool day began promptly at 9AM and ended at nearly 5PM! Not exactly what any of us had in mind! By mid-day, my mantra became, "Just remember, we´re all learning as we go here. It´s gonna take us some time to get into a rhythm, so just try to be patient and not get discouraged." I guess I was telling them that as a way to remind myself!

Well, since then, we had Saturday school in anticipation of being in language school for the next 2 weeks. The 2nd day went better, and we´re hoping that we can get in a little time for other subjects in-between the 6 hours of Spanish every day.

I suppose that most new homeschool parents (and their kids too, probably) have a fantasy idea of how it´ll all work, and then, like most fantasies, are modified by the reality that things almost never work like we fantasize. For now, just keep praying that we can all be patient with each other and find ways around the little stuff --- allowing us to stay on-task enough, be free enough to explore and benefit from the experience, and keep loving each other along the way!

The Amazing Race (AKA Youth Mission Trips!)

After all these years of involvement with mission trips, we finally had an opportunity to join with a youth group last week. It felt like participating in THE AMAZING RACE! Now, while I confess that I am a fan of some reality TV, I've never seen that particular show, BUT I have tuned in long enough to see people running as if their life depended on it.

The youth from River Glen Presbyterian from Naperville, Illinois seemed intent to take advantage of every moment in Mexico in as many ways as possible! These young people and their leaders joined us at the breakfast table at 6:30AM, hit the construction worksite by 7, reveled in waterfall bathing after lunch, played organized sports with the village children all afternoon, and then participated in 3-5 hours of evangelism services in the evenings. And before, during and after every structured activity, they were embracing, laughing and playing with village children at every opportunity! It's no wonder I was exhausted by the week's activities --- shoot, I'm exhausted just writing about it!

Youth groups definitely bring a level of energy that differs from all the mostly-adult trips that we've experienced, and yet it's important to remember that these kids need time to rest and reflect too. We are especially grateful for the ways in which the youth from River Glen embraced Holly & Maggie as one of their own, and in that way, our family was especially blessed. As facilitators of mission trips, we've learned some important lessons that we hope will guide us in the future and help us be more effective in our new roles with the Hebron Foundation.

We learned some great things from this group and others over this summer. These groups did some really cool things that we hope others consider doing with their groups! As a result, we've developed a list of pre-travel, during travel and post-travel recommendations specifically for youth mission trips and posted it on our website. If you have an interest in youth mission trips, you can check it out at: http://www.millsfamilymission.org/16.html

Drop-in American Visitors?

A couple of weeks ago, during a bit of downtime between groups, we were surprised to look up and notice a group of caucasians unloading from a van with Texas license plates. Now lots of cars down here have Texas plates, but the white faces and English-speaking voices that arrived out of nowhere were a big surprise! We quickly assumed our role as greeters for visitors to the campus and learned that they were a group of Baptists from Indiana and Texas who were on an exploratory trip considering different models for bible schools. Their collective churches want to build a bible school in the area and wanted to see what had been accomplished at Alfa y Omega.

During our discussions, I shared about our plans for building the medical clinic to serve indigenous people here and the medical mission trips that we've been having for the past few years.

One gentleman mentioned, "Well, we've got a lady dentist in our church who could help, but she said 'to really make a difference, I'd really need some sort of mobile dental unit to take into the community." We discussed the experiences of other dentists who have participated in medical missions and the services that they are able to provide. Primarily, because of time, numbers of dental patients and available resources, dentists on medical mission trips end up pulling 2-5 teeth for most patients. No mobile dental unit required.

Now, before you squalk to yourself about pulling versus repairing, consider this: most patients come in hoping to find someone who can pull their teeth and grant them the pain relief they crave! That is their culture, and it's what they come wanting. The patients leave satisfied, and 3 times as many patients have been served than if we "drilled & filled," simply because of the time it takes to complete those procedures. And if we used a mobile dental unit, we would not be able to reach those with the most pressing needs since the roads to Tzeltal villages are a challenge to regular vehicles and would NEVER accommodate an RV or similar vehicle.

This temptation to want to provide our best to those who need it the most is very common. In fact, it is part of what drives the changes in mental health services across NC and many other states in the country. In both cases, we have somehow ended up letting the desire for the perfect to be the enemy of the good. I heard that mantra from my friend and mentor, Bert Wood, for the past 2 years, and it's true! Here in Mexico, the needs are great, and yet, even if we can't provide the ideal, we can provide what people are asking for in many cases without having all the perfect resources. So, mobile dental units are not required in order to make a HUGE difference!

As basic human needs are met, trust begins to develop. As trust develops, relationships are formed. As relationships are formed, doors of opportunity to share God's word and the Good News are opened. Thanks be to God that we don't have to have the perfect to do good works in the Lord's name. And if any other gringos want to drop by unexpectedly, we'll welcome you with open arms too!

All Creatures Great & Small

Living in a rural setting brings with it all sorts of new experiences, and one of those has been through all the varieties creatures that God created. It’s much easier to delight in God’s creation when viewing baby ducks, kittens, puppies, azaleas & rhododendron in full bloom and the incredible colors of the sun as it rises and sets. Easier, I suppose, than finding delight in flying ants, centipedes that are 3 inches long, hoards of turkey vultures, and hundreds of tiny ants carrying their load off to some unseen nest….or….yesterday’s discovery of a tarantula on the wall by the stairs leading up to Holly & Maggie’s room!!!! Needless to say, the tarantula generated great alarm from Maggie (who refused to go down the stairs) and great surprise from the group of mission travelers as they arrived for our 6:30 AM breakfast. The misison travelers were quite happy to view it AFTER John had captured it in a small trashcan!

We’ve also enjoyed waking to find assorted animals in our front yard (which doubles as a soccer field and entryway to the Bible School). We may awake to find horses grazing just feet from our front porch, 20-30 turkey vultures resting along the soccer goalposts, or mist hanging across the mountain view like a luxurious canopy. Our travels include getting to see lots of varieties of pigs (some with hair as long as a dog), chickens, turkeys, cows, donkeys, peacocks, tucans and more. We’re grateful for the ubiquitous geckos that eat bugs and never bother us, and we continue to marvel at all of God’s creatures great and small.

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small;
All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all. *

How God prepared us at Road's End!

Several months ago I shared with the Mt. Airy Rotary Club how living in Mt. Airy helped prepare us for living in Ocosingo. I shared how both communities have worked to allow the benefits of advancement to come in while holding fast to the culture and heritage of the mountain people who "moved to town." Similarly, I realized after arriving in Ocosingo another amazing way in which our family has been prepared to live in this new environment.

Since early childhood, I (Ginny) have loved spending summers at my grandparents' summer cabin which was aptly dubbed "Road's End." There I learned that, because of the joy of experiencing God's creation and fellowship with family & friends, I could overlook problems with water that stops flowing, screen doors that don't close, small creatures than invade without invitation, and the absence of modern conveniences like dishwashers & TVs. Fortunately for me, John, Holly & Maggie love Road's End as much as I, and they too have come to appreciate these joys. I have fondly reflected on wonderful memories of Road's End as I've prepared pancake breakfasts and tomato sandwich and cantelope lunches, and shopped the open air markets for locally grown and harvested fruits and vegetables just like those on roadside stands near Boone. That we wash & dry dishes by hand and hang pots and kitchen utensils on nails on the walls seems perfectly normal to me....because my grandmother, Mama Gin, and our summers at Road's End prepared me!

When Mama Gin would lead my cousins and me "to the Top of the Mountain," we would frequently cross over someone's cow pasture, complete with the visual and aromatic ambiance of cows. As adults, John and I have led caravans across those same pastures with Holly, Maggie and friends over the years. Those were wonderful adventures enjoyed with some of my favorite people in the world, so the smell of cows, oddly enough, produces positive emotions for me, Holly & Maggie. That's good too, because the slaughter house next door to our home sends familiar breezes our way with great regularity! While we never bathed in the creek at Road's End, I'm sure that my love for the cold waters of the creek and diligence about wearing "creek shoes" is part of the reason I'm perfectly delighted to bathe and wash my hair in Mexico's beautiful "swimming holes."

Never did I expect that Road's End would prepare us for a small town in Southern Mexico, but it just goes to show that you just never know how God is at work all the time molding, shaping and preparing us for God's purposes!

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Seeing the Wind

As our family engaged in the discernment process of trying to determine if God really was/is calling our family into missionary service, there were several experiences that really helped us. One was meeting with career missionaries, Rodolph & May Dixon, and another was reading John Ortberg's book, If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat!

The Dixons really encouraged us to take steps forward, trusting that God would open doors or close them, depending on God's calling for our lives. The "boat book" reminded us that we, like Paul, could anticipate that taking major leaps of faith isn't without fear and moments of great anxiety. You may recall from the story in which Peter gets out of the boat to walk out to Jesus, he's doing pretty well --- until he "sees the wind." When Peter saw the wind and the storm swells around him, he got afraid and took his eyes off Jesus ---- and promptly begin to sink!

This week, we have experienced some obstacles and reasons to be afraid. It's so incredibly hard to know if these are God's sent obstacles and door-closings OR if they are the predictable challenges that are certain with any major leap of faith that simply MUST be overcome by keeping our eyes on Jesus.

We could fall back on our belief in the character of God...that God wouldn't ask more of us that we can bear and that God is working together for good (Romans 8:28). John has found comfort in 1 Peter 5:6-7, reminding us that God knows all about our worries and that we need to humble ourselves before God who will, in God's own time, lift us up. I keep saying to myself over and over again, "I know God is in control and knows the bigger picture," but I confess that I really want God to give us some signs now to reassure us that He hasn't redefined our calling or that we didn't read it wrong to begin with!

I received an inspirational email today that quotes Julie Ackerman Link and her reminder that:

"Instead of waiting in doubt and disappointment for God to do the one thing we demand of Him, let’s take the time to look at everything God has already done."

Clearly God has opened so many doors for us and has paved the way for us to serve him in Southern Mexico, so I guess we're just "seeing the wind." We ask that you pray some extra prayers for us as we continue to seek God's will and calling in our lives, and pray that we can keep our eyes on Jesus, trusting in him as we continue stepping forward.

Mother's Day

Mother’s Day in Mexico was on Wednesday May 10. It began early when family and friends serenade their mothers. So from 1am until 5:30 am, I heard singing and music all over the neighborhood. Good thing I have heavy duty earplugs! At 5:30 am students from the Bible School and Jan’s family came in to serenade her. She really enjoyed it, but then she served them cake and coffee, so there was some work involved for her too. Later in the day we all went to a restaurant for Mother's Day lunch. Jan was given a pink cowboy hat by the restaurant which she proudly wore the rest of the day.

I will miss Mother’s Day this year for the first time. Ginny will probably go to Southern Pines to spend the day with her mother, while I will be in the jungles of Chiapas helping to conduct a spiritual retreat for pastors. I pray this will be the last Mother’s Day that I will be separated from Ginny and the girls.

Back in the Saddle

I returned to Mexico on May 3 after spending the month of April in NC. It was wonderful to reconnect with my family, friends and church. I made several presentations to groups about our mission and the clinic project. Hopefully the seeds I planted will bear fruit this summer in financial support for the project.

I arrived in Villahermosa to stifling heat and was really looking forward to the mountains of Chiapas, but returned to find not only heat, but smoke. May is the month that farmers burn their fields, which here means the side of the mountain! They burn away vegetation before late May planting of corn. The smoke obscured the beautiful views on the drive up from Villahermosa, and ashes routinely blew in the windows of the house. Rain is the only cure, but there has been little of it here recently. At night it looks like the entire mountain is on fire with its orange glow creeping ever closer to town.

On Monday morning, my first day back at the Bible School offices of Hebron Foundation, we were surprised when seven trucks loaded with over 80 people arrived without advanced warning. The folks in the trucks were representatives from a large Presbyterian church 3 hours NW of Ocosingo. This church has 46 congregations under its wing. Each congregation was represented and most of the 37 Elders from the “Mother church” came also. They were at the school to talk with Pablo about an issue they had with their Presbytery, or governing church body.

I quickly left to go get Kool-aid, 5 gallons of bottled water and cookies for 80 people because in this culture, when 2 or more (much less 80) are together, there must be food. I returned, and Sara and I made the Kool-aid and she served the men as they talked about their problem. The talking continued almost all day and around 4 pm I was called to join the meeting and immediately handed a 16 oz bottle of hot Coca-Cola. The group had reached a decision and were ready to “seal the deal” with a coke. 80 people drank coke and I didn’t hear one belch. Their mothers must have trained them well. Where did all that gas go?

I am continually amazed by the dedication of the Tzeltal people. This church got 80 lay leaders to agree to ride standing up in the back of pick-ups for 3 hours to attend a meeting. Churches back home struggle to get an Elder to agree to attend a Presbytery meeting!

The Foot Washing

We are grateful to have John home in NC for awhile, especially during this Holy Week. Last night, our family participated in our first foot washing experience in our Maundy Thursday service at our church in Mount Airy. It really resonated with me as we are preparing our family to be a new missionary family. Our savior, Jesus Christ, set a wonderful example of us in so many ways, but perhaps one of the most poignant was in his washing of the disciples' feet.

As a precursor to the Last Supper, Jesus surprised his disciples by humbling himself as a servant to wash their feet. It was hard for the disciples, especially for Peter, to allow the Messiah to assume this role and allow themselves to be cared for by Jesus in this way. Yet Jesus taught them, "You call me Teacher and Lord ~ and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I say to you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."

Jesus was specific. He's TEACHING the disciples by SHOWING them to allow themselves to both serve and be served, love and to love, and to follow Jesus example by serving and loving one another. When we hear mission group travelers share with others their own stories of missions, these themes are very, very common. Forever afterwards, when we sing "Here I am, Lord," the tears of joy and humility stream down our faces as we sing "Finest bread I will provide," as we remember the people in Mexico who have served us their finest bread, made special preparations for us, and served us in so many ways. And like Peter, it is often really hard to receive those generous meals, to eat as a group while our hosts stand back and allow us to eat it all. We feel uncomfortable being served by them --- because we came to serve them. But we have served them too. We have come to their villages, lived life as they live it, worked with them with the tools and resources they have to build or teach or care for their sick neighbors, and have shown the love of Christ in our serving. Together, we all grow and become stronger in our readiness to serve and love each other like Jesus served and loved his disciples.

Our 14 y/o daughter, Holly, participated in the foot washing service by sharing of her experience on mission trips, then later she assumed the role of one of the foot washers. By chance, she washed her daddy's feet. I'm sure that the experience was even more special for each of them --- to serve and to be served by the other.

We can each be grateful for Jesus for the specific examples he provided for us to know how God wants us to live. We pray that each of you finds ways to serve and love both those you know and those you don't know AND that you can allow yourselves to be served and loved by those who know you and those who do not. This is what Jesus showed us by his example, and by making it part of that last night with his disciples, we know that Jesus must have known that it was one of the most important lessons he would teach us.

As we become a new missionary family, we can be grateful for this beautiful example set by Jesus. Although we have goals and specifics that we hope to accomplish while we're in Mexico, we go with servant hearts --- being ready and willing to assume whatever role is needed --- being willing to do menial tasks at the same time that we share specific knowledge and skills when they're needed --- being willing to listen to hear what is needed --- living in partnership and communion with our brothers and sisters in Christ and seeking out ways to further God's work there --- and to allow others to serve us as well.

Now we move forward in the days between the crucifixion and Easter with the assurance that our Lord Jesus Christ is RISEN INDEED! Thanks be to God.

Going Home

As I pack to return for a family visit to North Carolina after 12 weeks in Ocosingo, I am filled with a sense of accomplishment, but aware of opportunities lost too. I came to Chiapas as a servant to Hebron Foundation with three roles: communications coordinator, work group assistant and facilitator for the construction of the new medical clinic.

I feel very good about the progress made in all three areas. I have particularly enjoyed serving the four groups that have visited this spring, and I feel I have taken a burden off of Pablo both with the groups and with the communications with friends of Hebron. I am glad that we have broken ground on the medical clinic after working with church and government officials to create the new nonprofit organization that is responsible for it.

I leave Mexico knowing scarcely more Spanish than when I arrived. I am frustrated by my difficulty learning the language and seeming inability to remember simple words that I “learned” in January. Before leaving for Mexico, I resisted the idea of attending a language school because I did not think we could afford it. I now understand how wrong I was, and that Ginny was right as usual.

Spiritually, these 12 weeks have been like a roller coaster ride with amazing highs where I knew I was in the presence of the Holy Spirit, to agonizing lows filled with doubt and worry. Seminarian Keith Kaufold encouraged me to turn to Ephesians 6 and read of Paul’s description of putting on the full armor of God. I have found that comforting and encouraging too.

I anxiously await the reunion with my family on Sunday night. The thought of being in their arms has sustained me during my moments of loneliness. We have lots of conversations ahead of us as re reconnect after 3 months apart.

Thank you all for your prayers and support during my time in Mexico. I have felt your presence even though we were separated by thousands of miles.

Beware the Giant Chicken-Eating Spiders!

Some of the travelers from the week at Yax were real arachnophobes. And wouldn’t you know it, we saw lots of spiders that week! We found a tarantula, one person had a big spider in her suitcase one night, and it seemed every day produced another spider to test the nerves of some group members.

The funniest encounter occurred behind the kitchen worksite in a banana grove where we were picking up rocks to use as filling for the foundation of the kitchen. Nancy picked up a rock that was lying beside a pile of chicken feathers and out scampered a rather large spider with a big egg sack on its back. Another similar spider scrambled to find darkness under the chicken feathers. That’s all it took for stories to start about the spider having eaten the chicken --- leaving behind only its feathers as evidence!

We laughed and kept up the humor as a way to calm to nerves of those that were really afraid of the spiders. So if you find yourself face to face on a dark night in the jungles of Chiapas with a giant chicken eating spider, just remember not to cluck.

The Magic of Jungle Camp

Yaxoquintela, Chiapas is the site of the former jungle training camp for Wycliffe Bible Translators. The camp operated from the early 1940s until it closed in 1979. Wycliffe trained people there to work with unreached people groups, mostly in remote village locations where they learned the native language, then translated the Bible into that language. This camp was where all Wycliffe trainees got their first taste of what it would be like to live and work in primitive conditions. The camp closed and was turned over to the Tzeltal people that have helped to maintain it. We have returned with a group of former Wycliffe staff members, their family members, and friends to rekindle relationships and to assist in the construction of a new kitchen.

Yax is now a beautiful Tzeltal village located in a high valley between two mountain ranges with a large river running nearby. There are approximately 32 family compounds in the village with most houses constructed from local wood slats with a tin roof. Most of Pablo’s family live here. His father was employed by the camp from the age of 17 until it closed, so Pablo and most of his 7 brothers and sisters grew up around Americans, attended the camp school, learned English and made lasting friendships with Wycliffe staff members.

Yax was once described to us as "a magical place," and as work groups from the US join with local Tzeltal, we are confident that God has new plans for the people of Yax as they seek to develop a new camping ministry there ~ reaching out in Christian love to young people. Camping ministries in the US have a long and wonderful history of helping non-believers feel ready to make a decision to trust in Jesus Christ and helping believers learn important Biblical precepts that will help them develop their spiritual potential throughout their whole lives.

Yax offers the perfect setting for such transformative experiences to occur, and it offers a great location for youth mission trips to come and contribute. Let us know if you'd like to arrange a youth mission from your area to come down to experience "The Magic of Jungle Camp!"

Gas Station?

Out in the remote village areas, there are no convenient stores or gas stations. If you need to fill up your vehicle, you look for hand painted signs that read “se vende gasoline.” I found one of these last week while we were working in the Lacandon reservation. It was a wooden shack filled with plastic drums containing gasoline. I requested a fillup, and the helpful owner hoisted a 50 litre container of gasoline onto his shoulder then blew into the end of a plastic hose that snaked inside the opening of the container. Almost immediately, a stream of gasoline spurted out of the hose so he inserted that end into my gas tank. Gas stations - just another interesting way our cultures are different.

Sun's up!

Village life begins early each day. Before the sun rises, taxis drive through blowing their horns to alert those that must travel to work of their availability. Community messages are often broadcast over load speakers at 5:30 am, and by dawn, the village is humming with activity….and noise. The sounds are varied, some natural, some man made. The sound of an ax splitting the morning fire wood necessary for cooking breakfast, the chatter of ladies in the kitchen, and the incessant barking of dogs all make it difficult to sleep past dawn.

As I struggled to go back to sleep one last time before my 5:30 am internal alarm went off, I recalled a special morning several years ago. Our friends and fellow church members David and Dawn Bradley were both in Mexico on a mission trip, and us to look after their three daughters Brooke, Cameron and Kate.

Kate was just 3 or so, but she was a real morning person. One morning towards the end of our week together, I was awaken by two small fingers prying my eyelids open. I awoke to little Kate sitting on our bed saying “sun's up!” I laughed, and wrapped my arms around her, and we snuggled down to go back to sleep in the quiet of my suburban Winston-Salem neighborhood.

As I recalled that one moment out of one morning in a life of many mornings, I smiled and said a prayer for Kate, Cameron, Brooke, David and Dawn. God has blessed me with friends that enrich my life, both here and in North Carolina. Thanks be to God.

Roosters!

According to the latest Mexican census, Plan de Ayutla has more roosters per capita than any village in Chiapas, and someone forgot to tell them that they are only to crow at daybreak. Because I grew up "in town," not on a farm, I naturally assumed that roosters knew this and acted accordingly. Being in a rural area such as Chiapas has been a real learning experience. The roosters here crow all the darn time…all day and all night! Debbie Freeman, a Presbyterian pastor from Little Rock Ark, had a revelation about roosters and the story of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus.

We read the account in the Gospel of Luke where Jesus tells Peter that before the cock crows Peter will deny him three times. Peter is confronted by a servant girl who recognized him as a follower of Jesus. Peter says "Woman, I do not know him." Then he is recognized by another, and Peter says again “I am not one of them.” Finally, he denies Jesus a third time, and a rooster crows.

After spending a couple days in Plan de Ayutla, Debbie realized that roosters crow all the time, and she began to consider how Peter must have felt every time he heard a rooster crow after that fateful morning when he betrayed his friend, teacher and Lord. He must have relived the feelings of shame and guilt many times over the hours and days after Jesus was crucified. I imagine him cringing each time he hears a rooster crow.

But, the rest of the story is that Jesus was raised from the dead after 3 days and stood before Peter. I am sure forgave him and released him from his guilt. So my revelation about roosters is that they should remind me that Christ lives! I’ll be reminded of that many times each day as we spend time in the villages of Chiapas.

Ingenuity

I am always impressed by the creativity and ingenuity of my Tzeltal friends. This week gave me several examples. We were working in San Javier, a remote Lacandon Indian village 80 miles from the nearest city, so we could not just drive to Lowes when we needed something at the worksite.

We needed a generator to operate our power tools because the site has not been connected to the electrical grid. We brought the generator from Ocosingo, but somehow left the key required to start it. One of the group members offered to attempt to “hot wire” it, but Pablo’s brother Santiago mumbled something in Spanish (even though he id fluent in English, he rarely uses that language) and went in search of the tool box. He came back with a flat blade screw driver, a sledge hammer and a file. He proceeded to make a key for the generator by pounding the screw driver blade flat, then filing notches into it until it fit the ignition and started the generator.

Then we learned the table saw motor required 220 volts of power, but the generator only produced 110 volts. No problem! San rewired the motor to accept 110 volts. It did not work quite as well that way, but we used it all week.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Here, ingenuity is a requirement if you live and work without access to services and vendors we take for granted back home.

Dangerous Work

In all my visits to Mexico for work/mission trips, I have never seen anyone injured on the worksite. That in itself is pretty amazing because OSHA does not exist here and travelers are routinely surprised by the perilous position that some native workers take to accomplish a task.

That all changed last week when Pablo’s brother Pasqual was struck by a piece of wood thrown off by the blade of a table saw he was using to “rip” board. The wood scrap flew off the saw blade and hit him just below his lip, creating a nice diagonal gash from lip to chin and fair amount of blood.

We were able to close the womb using steri-strips and gauze and get him to the local clinic for stitches. He refused to leave the worksite for the rest of the day and was back the next morning working as if nothing had happened.

Breaking New Ground

March 20 was a big day us at Hebron Foundation! We officially broke ground on the clinic project. We were joined by the leaders of the Maya Synod, leaders from three Presbyteries, pastors, elders, barefoot doctors (local health care providers), local government officials and the leading candidate for Governor of Chiapas. Everyone laughed when I brought a new shovel painted gold for the ceremonial turning of the first dirt, but we had people lined up to be photographed throwing soil from the worksite with that gold shovel.

A group of pastors and barefoot doctors worked for five days digging the footings, tying rebar and preparing for the first concrete pour. It will be essential for us to get financial support to be able to pay skilled and unskilled laborers to keep the project construction moving between volunteer work crews if we want to start serving patients in this decade!

The clinic will be built in 3 phases: outpatient clinic, surgical/OB clinic and overnight beds, and a second floor with dormitory and teaching space for visiting physicians and interning barefoot doctors. It is our hope to get the first phase of the clinic built, equipped, staffed and operational before the end of our mission in August, 2008. On Mexico Time, which means only building when there's money in hand (no one goes into debt to build there, even something like a medical clinic), it will take a very concentrated effort to accomplish this goal.

If you church, Rotary Club or other organization is not actively involved in an international project and would be open to learning more about the need for a medical clinic in Chiapas please let us know!

The excitement of the ground breaking must not lose its steam! We need to keep the energy, enthusiasm and resources (human, financial, prayer and practical) coming in order for the Hebron Foundation Board and supporters to keep the vision! Please let us know how you can help!

The River

One of the real treats of working in a village setting is the ability to find hidden gems, experiences that are unusual or different that makes the trip particularly memorable. Our hidden gem this week was a beautiful waterfall near the village of Plan de Ayutla. The group members could walk to the cascadas every day after working in the hot sun and soak in the cool mountain water and shower in the falls, always accompanied by a gaggle of children eager to play and watch the funny looking white people.

As the work day grew hotter and longer, group members would begin to talk about the falls and look forward to relaxing and cooling off. This gem really made living in Plan de Ayutla really enjoyable!

What a week!

The week of March 12 we hosted six members of River Glen Presbyterian Church in Chicago. We traveled to a remote part of Chiapas just 20 miles from the border with Guatemala to build a kitchen in the Lacandon Indian village San Javier. The Lacandon are considered to be the most direct descendants of the ancient Mayan people, yet there are less than 800 living members of their tribe. They only recently have welcomed Christian missionaries in their villages, and only one of five Lacandon communities has allowed a church to be built. I was fortunate to be one of the Salem Presbytery mission travelers that build the first church for this unreached people.

Just like that trip, this one combined four cultures in mission work-American, Spanish, Tzeltal and Lacandon, and this one accomplish a similar feat of completing a building in just 5 days!

The building will have a variety of uses initially. It will provide temporary housing for the missionary family serving in that community, and its kitchen will also be used by the Ladies' Society of the church. In addition to preparing food there for church gatherings, the Ladies' Society will use the kitchen to prepare food for sale at a nearby tourist center. Sales of empanadas (a delicious turnover often filled with meat or sweet filling) will help generate income for their families and raise funds for the church.

The River Glen group was joined in Villahermosa by 3 members of a large Presbyterian Church in Comocalco, plus the son and daughter-in-law of the Hebron Foundation President. We were hosted by the members of the Tzeltal village of Plan de Ayutla, and they continued the tradition of offering incredible hospitality to the group.

The church in Plan de Ayutla (in conjunction with the Lacandon Presbytery, Hebron Foundation and PCUSA) sponsors the missionary to the Lacandon. Manuel and his wife and children moved from Plan de Ayutla to San Javier two years ago. The church in Plan de Ayutla sent 15 to 20 men each day to work on the kitchen project and their contribution made completing the project in 5 days possible.

Through good planning before the build and long days of hard work, we were able to finish the building in 5 days. We ended the week with a community celebration with over 150 people from San Javier and Plan de Ayutla. Pastor Doug Bradshaw gave an inspiring message at the celebration that was translated into the native Indian language.

Another great week! Lives were changed, a building was constructed that will serve the people for many years, and cross cultural relationships were forged that will transcend this lifetime. I love this work!!

Mission Groups

Before I moved to Mexico, coming here each summer on the Salem Presbytery mission trip had become the highlight of my year. It recharged me, helped keep my life in perspective, and let me re-connect with the folks here that I had come to know and love. Now, as a full-time volunteer with Hebron Foundation, I get to go on all the mission trips! So, one of the really fun things I get to do is to work with groups that come from the US.

This week we have had a group of 8 seminary students from Pittsburg Theological Seminary. They came to visit indigenous churches in Chiapas and to be matched with seminarians from the Presbyterian Seminary of the South for a weekend at that student’s home church. Several of the students from both schools will graduate in May and begin their ministry this summer.

My role with groups is a combination of camp counselor, tour guide, business manager, driver, translator (don’t laugh), project co-worker, cook and host. Hebron has eleven groups scheduled for this year with room for more in the fall.

I believe a universal truth with groups that go on mission trips, either domestic or international, is that they intend to serve the people of the community, village or country they visit. Many times individuals say they are going “to help those poor people in…(insert destination).” At some point during the group’s time with their hosts, they usually realize that they are being served much more than serving. The individuals are receiving more than they are giving.

If they realize that, then I believe the experience has been a success. They have come to realize that “it’s not about the project.” While it is important to help a community build a church, school, water system, or provide health care with a medical team, I believe the project is secondary to a larger purpose. I believe these trips are about humbling yourself, getting out of your comfort zone, being served by fellow Christians whose standard of living is much lower than your own and opening yourself up to the presence of God in all situations.

This group has been true to that model. They have been humbled by the faith of Christians persecuted for their beliefs. They have been served the wonderful meals prepared with the best a small impoverished village had to offer. They have felt the presence of God as they ministered to each other, ministered to two orphaned children, and as they have been lovingly received by total strangers at each church they visited.

This group returns to Pittsburg tomorrow as converts to foreign mission - eager to involve their new churches in this life changing experience. One student has felt a call to return and minister here when he graduates. I’d say this trip was a success!

Below you'll see a "reprint" of an email sent home by a member of this group to family and friends describing their experiences as mission travelers. Pleaseread on to get their perspective!

This note is shared with permission by one of the students from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary who participated in last week’s group. It is an email home to friends and family to share about their experiences as participants on their mission trip to Chiapas and Tabasco.

Hello all!!!

Sorry it has been so long since our last e-mail. After lunch at the Bible school we left for San Juan Chamula - outside of San Cristobol. When we arrived we discovered that there was a festival going on. San Juan Chamula is known as a hot bed for Christian persecution. The "church" in San Juan Chamula is no church like we know it. It is a blend of the Spanish imposed Catholicism and the indigenous Mayan religion. It was a most bizarre and powerful sight!

Thousands of candles, people kneeling and bowing before them, offering the candles to the gods (?) along with - get this - bottles of Pepsi and liquor!!!?!? There were three or four families in their "praying" for their sick babies - chanting. It did not feel good for any of us in there. The Chamulas are very intolerant of anything other than "their" religion. They have persecuted, expelled, burned out, and killed many Christians. Our time in San Juan Chamula was an eye opener for all of us.

From San Juan Chamula we went to the attorney's house - a beautiful house that us was the closest thing to home we've seen in days. Hot water!!!!! There we met and heard the story of an incredible woman - a Chamula Christian who, when she was 14, was almost killed by the Chumula for being a Christian. We were all touched DEEPLY by this woman's story and the story of the persecuted Christians in Chamula.

Needless to say, this was an overwhelming day.

The next day we spent the morning and part of the afternoon in the beautiful marketplace of San Cristobol - buying all of you presents! From San Cristobol we left for Tanejape - a village like Estella de Belen but not as primitive.

We had a wonderful time worshipping with our brothers and sisters in Tanejape - and Janet preached a marvelous sermon in a very male dominated culture. After she was finished the pastor praised her sermon - even used some of it in the sermon he preached the following morning. We were all so proud of her!

As is their custom, they spread fresh pine needles out on the floor of our sleeping quarters. We slept on top of the pine needles and stayed very warm even though it was cold outside.

From Tanejape, we went to Chiapa de Corso and took an unbelievable boat ride through the Canyon de Sumidero. The river was flanked on both sides by the highest cliff walls any of us have ever seen. At the highest point the canyon wall was 1,000 meters high (approx.
3,000 ft.) and the water was 100 meters deep (approx. 300 ft. deep) We passed some incredible sights along with a lazy alligator sunning him/herself on the shore. To prove that it wasn't a fake the guide had Michael throw a rock at it to see it move. IT did!

We had a nice lunch in Chiapa de Corso and left to return to Villahermosa - approx. 4 hours on some of the steepest and most windy roads.

Tommorrow we go to the seminary in Villahermosa - across the street from where we are staying tonight - and being paired up with a seminary student with whom we will spend the next 2 and a half days (back here Sunday evening) We will go with that seminary student to their home and to the church where they work, helping them in any way we can. We are all hoping we get the students who can speak English!!!

Well, its bed time. Than you again for your love, your support, and your prayers. We are praying for you. We will write again as soon as possible.

Yours in Christ,

the Gang

The Tree

I recently had an emotional homecoming to the village of Lacanja, the place where a group from Salem Presbytery stayed for a week as we build the first Christian church in the Lacandon Indian village of San Javier. Our group was joined on that trip by 7 brothers from the Spanish Presbyterian church in Cardenes, Tabasco on their first mission trip, plus Tzeltal brothers from Lacanja.

The experience of working with and worshiping with Presbyterians from three cultures to raise a church in one week was absolutely the best mission experience of my life! That one trip had a profound effect on my faith and provided the spark that eventually led to our decision to move to Chiapas.

The two villages are 40 km apart. Our group would travel to San Javier each day to work on the church and return each evening to Lacanja for a relaxing bath in the Lacanja River, our evening meal and worship. But the trip between the two villages included 7 km of dirt road that bumped and jarred us around so much that we began to dread the trip each way.

Just outside of the village of Lacanja, in a lush pasture with a beautiful view of the mountains in the distance is a 200 foot tall banyan tree with massive fins rising 20 or 30 feet up its trunk. Each day as we were returning to the village after an exhausting day of construction on the church, and bumping along that road, we would come around a curve and see that beautiful tree up ahead. We would know then that we were almost home…almost to the place where we could rest, play with the children, be welcomed and fed and treated as if we were family.

That tree became the symbol of love for us that one week in Chiapas in 2002. It remains that symbol for me. I relived those emotions today as we drove past on the newly paved road to Lancanja and passed the majestic tree that still stands guard over a village that provided refuge and rest for a group of strangers. That same group left that village calling its inhabitants brothers and sisters in Christ.

"We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord."

Breaking New Ground

Our first group arrived on Friday February 17. This was an unusually small group but important nonetheless. Susie Wiggins and Reverend Debbie Freeman from Little Rock Arkansas came to celebrate the first anniversary of the forming of a Ladies Society in 12 churches of the Lacandon Presbytery. The Presbyterian Women of Arkansas have a covenant relationship with this new group of indiginous Tzeltal ladies, and Susie and Debbie came to visit and affirm that relationship.

We traveled to the jungle village of Plan de Ayutala where the celebration was being held. We also traveled with the treasurer of the General Assembly of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico, who was invited to participate in the celebration. As usual, we were greeted with much warmth, fellowship and a meal.

Over 300 ladies from the 12 churches were in attendance for the Saturday and Sunday event. Interestingly though, one society would not allow their ladies to attend, so they sent the two male advisors to the society as representatives.

At the Sunday morning worship, Debbie became the first female to preach the Gospel in the Presbyterian Church in that village and possibly in the entire region. She delivered a wonderful message, speaking directly to the ladies in attendance, something that native pastors rarely do.

After her sermon, Debbie and Susie presented the Ladies Society with two communion trays which were donated by their church. They also presented a communion plate and chalice handmade by Debbie’s brother. The communion set and trays were given with the sure knowledge that the sacraments would be administered when the ladies societies meet. The marvelous thing is they will be used by a new group of believers speaking a different language than those that gave it.

Once again, God opens doors for the advancement of His kingdom. Slowly this male-dominated society is getting glimpses of female elders, pastors and leaders from the US Church. By allowing the formation of the ladies societies, the Tzeltal men have taken a small step toward more active participation by ladies in the church. They have a long way to go, but progress is measured in small steps here. Come on down ladies and help open more doors.

Laundry Day

I’ve always been pretty self reliant. I am the primary cook at home, and I routinely do my own laundry. I’m not much for ironing, unlike my friend and fraternity brother, Milton, who was nicknamed “iron pants” because he left that note to himself on the door to his dorm room. Besides, if you take your clothes out of the dryer while they are warm, who needs to iron?

I’ve also been spoiled by the modern conveniences that we all take for granted in the US like hot water on demand, washing machines and clothes dryers. Well, I’ve also been spoiled in Ocosingo because Jan or Daria routinely do my laundry, albeit by hand.

For the last several days, I have been staying at the Hebron Foundation house in Villahermosa with Esdres, the caretaker, as we transition from our first work group to the second. I have enjoyed the time to catch up on my writing and email, change the oil in the beast (my 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser) after I finally located the right oil filter, and generally rest after a very hectic 6 weeks.

It is very hot in Villahermosa, even during February, so my clothes required washing frequently. So for 20 to 30 minutes every other day I handwash my clothes, scrubbing them with a soapy brush, rinsing and hanging them up to dry on the clothes line.

No big deal really, just another way our two cultures differ and possibly the reason that the work days seem to last longer here than back home. Without the time saving tools that we consider requirements, we must revert to the time testing way of working…with our hands. Washing everything by hand, collecting fire wood, cutting the grass with a machete, mixing concrete with a shovel on the ground are all examples of labor that is accepted as part of the daily life here.

But so are afternoon naps, leisurely meals filled with lively conversation, daily devotional time and frequent group prayers. I am stuck between two cultures as I communicate and work with my family and US partners and live with my Mexican brothers. I always did like to have my cake and eat it too.

Zapatistas

Since arriving in Chiapas, I have traveled around the state visiting all of the major cities and many outlying villages. I frequently see homemade signs along the road declaring this area to be “Zapatista Territory.” The whole state of Chiapas is technically ruled by this band of paramilitary rebels, but in all my years of traveling here, I have never once encountered any of them…..until this week. Twice this week during our travels we encountered road blocks manned by men claiming to be struggling for social justice. Pablo said they were the Z’s, but I saw no masks or outward representation of that, just men dressed like all the other men we see daily.

The first road block was on the way to San Cristobal. These men had a 4x4 board with spikes in it that they threw across the road in front of the car that was stopped. This kept you honest I supposed while they made their pitch for support. They handed each driver a photocopy of a declaration demanding justice for a man that they claimed had been hacked up with a machete by the military. They “requested” $20 pesos from each car before they allowed them to pass. Traffic was backed up for a long way as each driver got the pitch and negotiated their way through. I can imagine they made a tidy sum on that busy road.

We passed a convoy of military vehicles going toward the road block several miles after we were through. We questioned Pablo to see if they were going to intervene. He says that the military and local police are powerless to stop these kinds of things because the Zapatista have an amnesty from the Mexican Government that declares they have self rule in Chiapas. So the military would have to pay to get through too!

The second road block was on the road to Palenque. This time there was no board with spikes, just a rope across the road at a tope. These men claimed to be seeking $50 pesos (about 5 USD) in support of a man that was a victim of a hit and run. Jan negotiated them down to $10 pesos (or about 1 USD) for both cars, and we were on our way fairly quickly.
We got the brilliant idea to bring the Bible School students up to this section of the highway and block traffic, asking for a donation to get through and use the money to fund the operation of the bible school! The next week we could go back and hold up traffic for the clinic construction. We just claim we are with the Z’s and nobody can stop us! I even bought a Zapatista mask at the market in San Cristobal. I can see the headline now “NC Missionary results to paramilitary tactics to fund clinic, film at 11.”

Just kidding, folks!

Calling all mechanics!

Last Friday I made my first trip to Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital city of Chiapas with Pablo and two other pastors from the executive committee of the new organization that will “own” the clinic. We had to get the corporation set up so we can open a local bank account to handle the funds for construction and operations.

During the 3 ½ hour drive to Tuxtla there was a lot of conversation in both Spanish and Tzeltal that I tried to keep up with. The language is coming slowly to me because there are just so many words. I have not gotten to point that I think in Spanish, so I try to convert to English and just get left behind.

Tuxtla is a big bustling city with too many cars and not enough enforcement of normal driving rules, so I was happy to be a passenger, but not happy about being “out of control” if you know what I mean. Our meeting with the government folks who handle corporations only took about 45 minutes, which was a pleasant surprise.

I then learned that this new corporation had applied for and received a gift of 16 vehicles from the state of Chiapas. These are either government vehicles that have been wrecked or civilian vehicles confiscated and not claimed. We were allowed to walk around the fairground size storage lot whose perimeter was lined 3 deep with vehicles of all types and in all conditions.

We started with the pick-up trucks, because the Hebron Foundation must borrow or rent a truck to haul baggage and supplies when work groups visits. Most of the trucks were Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 police trucks. Some had major damage from wrecks, others looked pretty good except for minor body damage. We chose five of these with the hopes that we could combine the parts and get one or two working trucks.

Next we looked at the VM minibuses called combies down here. We picked two of those, one that had just been brought into the lot as we were arriving. The hope is that these could be used for transporting youth groups.

Then I saw a section with motorcycles, and I started to salivate. I have always wanted a bike to play on and ride around town. I picked out two Yamaha’s that looked pretty good and were only missing a turn signal or brake light. I hope to get one of these running by summer time.

So we picked out 9 vehicles total that will be given to the new corporation. The government does not care what is done with them once they leave the lot, so we may be able to sell pieces and parts to help cover the transportation costs, which will be the cost of diesel fuel for a round trip from Ocosingo to Tuxtla. One of members of the Rotary Club I just joined has an auto hauler and has agreed to help for the cost of fuel.

So here is the pitch; How about a Mechanics Mission Trip? If you are or know an auto mechanic that would like to have an experience of a lifetime, come visit us in Ocosingo and help us get these pick-ups and combies operational. We will work with local mechanics and worship in local Presbyterian churches, just like our construction trips. But instead of a finished building or concrete slab, at the end of your trip you’ll leave behind working vehicles that can be used for years of service to Hebron Foundation and the Presbyterian Church.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12:6

Bible Translation

The Tzeltal people are one of the largest people groups in Chiapas with more than 279,000 living in the region. (2000 census) But they don’t all speak the same version of Tzeltal. There is a low land version and a highland version of Tzeltal, plus 4 more dialects and several sub-dialects that differ to the point of almost being separate languages.

The Christian Church has been working with these kind and gracious people for more than 100 years, but they still do not have a complete and accurate translation of the Bible in Tzeltal. 85% of all Bibles today are printed in English for the 9% of the world who read English.

There is a Tzeltal translation that was done by a missionary in the 1970’s but he combined the highland and lowland Tzeltal using words from both languages. As it turned out, neither group could understand it. In 1988, the Mayan Synod undertook the project of revising and updating that translation, and the project is almost complete. The manuscript is in its final reading, and final revisions are being made by a team of three pastors appointed by the Synod.

Here’s the problem. How many of you have read the Bible cover to cover? I have, but only once and I can’t say that I was extremely thorough about it. The pastors on the translation team must not only thoroughly read each book, but they must meet to discuss and agree upon the changes to the translation. This is time consuming and tedious work that can only be done in the evening hours because all three are full-time pastors with multiple churches in different communities. If they work during the day on the translation, then their churches feel slighted and cut their pay. If they continue at their current pace, it will be years until the translations are completed to allow the Holy Bible to be available in their native tongue.

The pastors on the committee say they can complete their work in 6 months if they can work Monday thru Thursday on the translation. They can do this work for $300 USD each per month or a total of $5,400 to complete the translation. So for less than $6,000, you or your church could make an impact that lasts for generations! You could know that your gift allowed the Mayan Synod to bring God's word to their people in their own language, not a foreign language. To be able to learn, not from a foreign god, but from a God who speaks their own language, whose words are their words. Over a quarter of a million Tzeltal and their descendents... Go ahead….dare to make a difference!

Prayer Requests

Partners in Missions have an important role to play through the incredible power of prayer. I invite you to join with me in praying for our work here in Chiapas.

• Pray for the preparation of the eleven American mission trip work groups that are coming to Ocosingo to work with the Foundation.
• Pray for those in local churches here who will receive groups and send their members to work with Americans.
• Pray that God will open a channel to for medical supplies, equipment and medications to be received in Ocosingo. We have many willing donors in the states, but the Mexican Government makes it very difficult for supplies to reach their intended destination.

We are grateful for the many ways God is at work in the lives of Americans, Spanish Mexicans and indigenous Mexicans as our paths cross in unseen ways. Thanks be to God.

Working at the Bible School

I know most of you have never been to the Alpha and Omega Bible School in Ocosingo Chiapas, so a description of it may be helpful. The school is located just outside of Ocosingo on a hill that overlooks the town below and the mountains to the south. The school has one large U shaped, single story administrative building, a two story kitchen/dining room/dormitory building, a two story library/classroom building, a married student housing building, and a small 2 story house broken into two apartments (that’s where we will live.)

All the building are made of concrete block with white stucco siding and flat concrete roofs. Each building has a large black plastic water tank on the roof to store water and provides the water pressure for its use. No hot water heaters here, which is not an issue in the summer, but makes for chilly showers this time of year.

I share an office in the administration building with faculty member Jose and Hebron Foundation Architect Bany Hernandez. Now that school is back in session, music fills the air each morning as students practice piano, voice and conducting. I recognize the tunes of many old favorites like Onward Christian Soldiers, Holy, Holy, Holy and others, but the words are not yet clear.

Each morning Chapel is held at 11 am, lunch is served at 2 pm and the work day goes well past 7 pm most days. The male students study theology and the female students study music and Christian Education.

I'll try to get some pictures up on the website to help bring this description into a real picture, but I thought you might enjoy this for now. It is a blessing to be surrounded by young people who are so serious in their faith journey. Most of the students are away from their villages and families for the first time. My Spanish is coming very slowing, and my Tzeltal even slower, and yet we share a bond through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that helps transcend language and culture in many ways. Still, I will be grateful when my Spanish skills improve so that we can have richer dialogue and get to know each other better. For now I feel blessed to be in their presence and can only hope that my presence is a blessing to them in some way.

Romans 12:9-10 "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

Big 20 Club

Romans 12:4-6. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith.

How many of us stop at a convenience store and buy a Big 20 oz size bottled water, Coke or Pepsi product almost every day? Did you know we could build our medical clinic at the Alpha and Omega Bible School in Ocosingo if 400 people would contribute the equivalent of the cost of a Big 20 each day for one year. That’s about $1 per day! Thousands of native Tzeltal people could have a place to come for medical care for years in the future if a small number of people make the smallest sacrifice and then share their savings.

Join the Big 20 Club today. Start saving your pocket change, give up that bottle of water or soda every now and then, and when you have enough saved, visit the Starfish Fund website below to make a contribution online. Tell your friends and co-workers, church members and family and soon we’ll have the clinic built that will serve people for years to come. Just think what the StarBucks Club could do!

The Starfish Fund was established by friend and free clinic colleague, Glenn Pierce. You may remember that Glenn accompanied me down to Ocosingo on the big drive. BEFORE coming down, Glenn already understood the longing to serve and to answer God’s call to missionary service. AFTER Glenn came down, he became even more energized! He’s organizing a mission trip for folks to come down to work on the clinic construction, trying to secure an advanced life support ambulance to drive down to us, and promoting The Starfish Fund. This new non-profit is Glenn’s way of trying to encourage all people to recognize that they can, even through small efforts, use God’s blessings on them to make a difference in the world. The Starfish Fund encourages you “to draw on your gifts to help our work, whether it is through working on projects, raising funds, donating funds, or simply telling the important story of learning to use your blessings.”

Visit The Starfish Fund online at http://www.starfishfund.citymaker.com/page/page/2947185.htm!

Commitment

Today I met a native Presbyterian missionary that told a story of physical hardship and persecution in the name of spreading the Gospel. His name is Alonso Mendez Sanchez. He works in the remote jungle villages of Chiapas. He stays out in the villages for 15-20 days of each month as he reaches out to the native Indian Tzeltal people that have not been exposed to the Gospel. He begins his trek to the jungle by driving his truck along a worn dirt road for six hours past Ocosingo. When he reaches the end of the road, he walks for 2 days to reach a village that has five believers in it and another with six, passing many villages with no Christian presence at all. The area that he works in is also in Zapatista territory, and he tells of some not so friendly encounters as he has evangelized some of these remote villages.

The Zapatistas forbid protestant churches from operating in their territory because the teachings of the church go against their doctrine. They do however work with the Catholic church. Any convert to protestant Christianity is taking a big risk in this part of the state. Many have had their land confiscated by the Z’s after professing their beliefs.

Alonso must carry all his food during his trips because the Z’s have warned the villagers not to sell him food. More than once he has been beaten and run out of a village just for talking about Jesus. He was in the Bible School office today with two other members of the Synod reporting on the outreach he is conducting on behalf of the Presbyterian Church. There is a desire by several small groups of believers in these remote villages to form a church, and they needed to write a letter to the powers that be to ask for assistance.

We surprised him by opening Google Earth on the computer and finding the remote villages he visits and giving him a birds eye view of the terrain he walks. The satellite technology is amazing but it pales in comparison to this man’s commitment to helping his people know and understand the Good News. He is not a pastor, but an elder that felt a call to spend ½ of each month reaching out to his people. He is willing to risk physical danger to ensure that his “brothers” will hear and understand the gift of Grace offered through Christ.

I am humbled by this fellow Presbyterians commitment.

Super Bowl Party Ocosingo Style

Yesterday was the big day. The sporting event of the year for the US is not exactly that big a deal in Ocosingo. I have always been a football fan, but this year I really did not care much about either team. I did however want to see the commercials shown during the game, because they have a history of being really good. This coming from someone that craves the TV remote control so he never has to watch a commercial!

So at kick-off time I dialed up ESPN 2 on the Sky satellite network. I had my bag of microwave popcorn and a diet Coke and was excited to be reconnecting with the US. Well, the first big surprise (although it should not have been) was that the announcers were speaking in Spanish. Bummer, while I am making progress with learning the language, I still need people to speak slowly and repeat themselves often. Not going to happen with this TV show! So, I thought, at least I can watch the action and see the commercials. After the first series I got the other bad news…the commercials were for Mexican products. I guess the NFL sold the rights to ESPN 2, and they had to cover their costs.

Well, no one in the Feliciano household understood American football. I tried to explain it to Albert and Amalia, but they really did not seem all that interested. I ate my popcorn and watched the first half, then felt guilty that I was monopolizing the television. So I went down to my room and listened to the rest of the game on the satellite radio Ginny got me for Christmas.

When I went back upstairs to the television room, Albert was watching Mexican professional wrestling! It was couple night and teams of couples were squaring off in the ring, complete with a midget wrestler! I thought the contrast was striking.

Soccer is king here, and American football ain’t no big thing; Just one of many differences between the states and my new home. It was only a game anyway, but I really did miss the commercials.