Those of you who have read Mountains Beyond Mountains about Paul Farmer's work in Haiti can imagine our excitement when we discovered that his organization, Partners is Health, has an operation in Chiapas! We realized this when reading the book a couple of years ago but did not pursue a relationship at first because the clinic in Ocosingo was so focused on construction, not operation. But as the clinic completion approaches, we have been trying to get information from other nonprofit clinic operators here in Mexico. One of those is Partners in Health's operation in the tiny mountain town of Amatan, Chiapas, and the other on the other side of Mexico in the state of Chihuahua with Mexico Medical Missions. Just this same week, 60 Minutes covered Paul Farmer & Partners in Health and, ironically, referenced the operation in Mexico.
The operation in Amatan seemed like the logical first choice of places to visit, mostly because of location and similarity of patient populations. We contacted the Boston office of PIH, got names & contact information here in Chiapas, and made our appointment to visit. Well....like many things here, others decided to go. When you involve more people in getting information, it's always desirable here. So...off we went to Amatan. John, Ginny, Pablo and the president and secretary of the synod. 6 hours each way with a church-provided tamale breakfast on the way and a church-provided turkey soup dinner on the return trip. All for nothing.
To reach Amatan, the only way to get there was to go into the state of Tabasco to the north, come back down into Chiapas and then way, way, WAY up into the mountains. All the way up those final mountains we were talking about the curiosity of establishing such an operation in such an isolated place. When we finally arrived, Amatan turned out to be a fairly large town with many steep and narrow streets. We asked around, got help from the government center, and visited many possibilities before learning that the clinic had closed. Never mind that they had answered given us an appointment for 11AM! Turns out that the operation still exists in San Cristobal (a mere 2 hours away from Ocosingo) but the clinic in Amatan, we were told, has closed. So perhaps the people were waiting to meet us in San Cristobal, but they sure weren't waiting to meet with us in Amatan!!!
We were told by people in Amatan that the clinic closed because it "didn't have enough community support." In our experience, "not enough community support" translates into the possibility that the American nonprofit got tired of footing the whole bill without some shared financial responsibility on this side of the border. This is a real concern as we work with the board of directors here and encourage them to recognize the need to raise partial operating funds to ensure that Las Manos de Cristo does not go the way of other clinics that have closed.
So, we will try to learn more from the San Cristobal part of that organization and look towards Chihuahua after all. The Mexico Medical Mission and Dr. Michael Berkeley stories are interesting ones, and their organization (affiliated with the Methodist church) seems very similar to ours. Pray with us that our next effort to learn from those who have gone before us produces more information, less frustration, and more hope for being able to sustain a long-term medical operation that is consistent with the hopes and dreams of those supporting it --- both here in Chiapas and in the US.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Exercises in Servanthood & Submission
PCUSA describes the new model of missions with 7 key values. In our experience, 2 of those values translate into servanthood and submission. As new missionaries in Mexico, we appreciate how "green" we are. We are inexperienced, continuing to struggle with language, and faced with the reality of having limited capacity due to having a defined term of service that will end later this year. And yet, there are some ways in which our "greenness" has served us well.
Because we entered foreign missions at a time when PCUSA was struggling to define its direction, we were left floundering on our own. Thanks to the support of our own session at First Presbyterian in Mt. Airy, NC, our spiritual mentors, our families and Hebron USA, we felt enough earthly support to keep stepping forward. We are thankful to God for instilling in us a kind of faithfulness that kept fear at bay as we stepped forward in faith. And we are thankful to Pablo & Jan Feliciano, whose experience & encouragement assured us that we would be supported once we got here. So off we came to Chiapas.....unformed, untrained, virtually totally without the language, but totally and completely committed to being servants. However God, Pablo and/or the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico wanted us to serve, we were ready to try to answer.
It didn't take long to discover that part of servanthood is submission. Now....as a modern day American woman from a long line of successful, independent and accomplished women, submission is not exactly in my genes. I knew all about the paternalistic culture of Latino families, etc., but that's not really the kind of submission we have learned about. We've learned about submission to the culture...submission to the authority of the church....submission to the authority of the government. Part of our reality has been facing the choice of whether to challenge or submit when we have had differences of opinion. 99% of the time, maybe more, we've elected to submit. Those of you who know us well know that this particular aspect of missions has not come naturally or easily. And yet...we are here to serve - not to challenge the wisdom or authority of the culture, the church or the government.
At some point in our struggles with Spanish, I began to speculate that God might have a hand in our apparent inability to learn the language. Perhaps God needed us to NOT be fluent in Spanish to prevent us from being our usual assertive, outspoken selves?! We tend to be people who speak our minds....that is, when we can speak and be understood! Perhaps like the fire in Malachi 3, our years here have served to hone us with fire, to strengthen us at the same time we are being tested -- teaching us to submit and serve above all else.
For Holly & Maggie, they are faced with a real choice. They, unlike their learning disabled parents, HAVE become quite fluent in Spanish. And they too have been known to be assertive and opinionated. John and I don't have much of a choice really --- submit and stay quiet OR speak through a translator if we want to be diplomatic and clearly understood. But for Holly & Maggie, they can choose to speak for themselves because they are able. But in this culture that defines wisdom and authority by age and gender, their words would likely fall on deaf ears. The inspiration for this post is really their struggle to submit to some goings-on in their youth group and interactions between the youth, their consejera (youth counselor), and the directiva of the church (the equivalent of the session in a PCUSA church). In some ways, I know that John and I have it easier. Holly and Maggie are learning more genuine lessons in submission because when they choose to keep their opinions to themselves, their's is a more willful choice born of respect and determination to honor the culture even when they REALLY want to speak out and speak their minds.
For all the ways that God has tested us on this journey, we know that we are stronger. For all the ways that our daughters are growing, learning and expanding their perspective on the world, we know that God will use them to further the Kingdom of God in new and different ways too. Who know where God will lead us all in the future? Will God call us to another mission field? Will God call us back to Mexico? Will Holly and/or Maggie choose the missionary life? Too many questions, too few answers, but for sure the experiences here have opened new doors and new possibilities for us all.
Because we entered foreign missions at a time when PCUSA was struggling to define its direction, we were left floundering on our own. Thanks to the support of our own session at First Presbyterian in Mt. Airy, NC, our spiritual mentors, our families and Hebron USA, we felt enough earthly support to keep stepping forward. We are thankful to God for instilling in us a kind of faithfulness that kept fear at bay as we stepped forward in faith. And we are thankful to Pablo & Jan Feliciano, whose experience & encouragement assured us that we would be supported once we got here. So off we came to Chiapas.....unformed, untrained, virtually totally without the language, but totally and completely committed to being servants. However God, Pablo and/or the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico wanted us to serve, we were ready to try to answer.
It didn't take long to discover that part of servanthood is submission. Now....as a modern day American woman from a long line of successful, independent and accomplished women, submission is not exactly in my genes. I knew all about the paternalistic culture of Latino families, etc., but that's not really the kind of submission we have learned about. We've learned about submission to the culture...submission to the authority of the church....submission to the authority of the government. Part of our reality has been facing the choice of whether to challenge or submit when we have had differences of opinion. 99% of the time, maybe more, we've elected to submit. Those of you who know us well know that this particular aspect of missions has not come naturally or easily. And yet...we are here to serve - not to challenge the wisdom or authority of the culture, the church or the government.
At some point in our struggles with Spanish, I began to speculate that God might have a hand in our apparent inability to learn the language. Perhaps God needed us to NOT be fluent in Spanish to prevent us from being our usual assertive, outspoken selves?! We tend to be people who speak our minds....that is, when we can speak and be understood! Perhaps like the fire in Malachi 3, our years here have served to hone us with fire, to strengthen us at the same time we are being tested -- teaching us to submit and serve above all else.
For Holly & Maggie, they are faced with a real choice. They, unlike their learning disabled parents, HAVE become quite fluent in Spanish. And they too have been known to be assertive and opinionated. John and I don't have much of a choice really --- submit and stay quiet OR speak through a translator if we want to be diplomatic and clearly understood. But for Holly & Maggie, they can choose to speak for themselves because they are able. But in this culture that defines wisdom and authority by age and gender, their words would likely fall on deaf ears. The inspiration for this post is really their struggle to submit to some goings-on in their youth group and interactions between the youth, their consejera (youth counselor), and the directiva of the church (the equivalent of the session in a PCUSA church). In some ways, I know that John and I have it easier. Holly and Maggie are learning more genuine lessons in submission because when they choose to keep their opinions to themselves, their's is a more willful choice born of respect and determination to honor the culture even when they REALLY want to speak out and speak their minds.
For all the ways that God has tested us on this journey, we know that we are stronger. For all the ways that our daughters are growing, learning and expanding their perspective on the world, we know that God will use them to further the Kingdom of God in new and different ways too. Who know where God will lead us all in the future? Will God call us to another mission field? Will God call us back to Mexico? Will Holly and/or Maggie choose the missionary life? Too many questions, too few answers, but for sure the experiences here have opened new doors and new possibilities for us all.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Clinic construction & fundraising full-steam-ahead
You know that feeling you get when something you've been working on begins to really look like it's going to come to fruition? Like it's really gonna happen?! Well, this clinic in Ocosingo IS REALLY GONNA HAPPEN! Things are changing there practically every day.
There are all kinds of ways we're trying to use the internet to help folks share in the excitement. Check out the Change.org site to see the embedded slide show with photo updates every few days. See a video thank you from the officers of the Tzeltal synod on Change.org too. It's a cool site and just one of the ways we're keeping folks involved. Just click on the link below...
Hebron USA at Change.org
If you're following this blog and didn't receive one of the many solicitations that have gone out, please consider going to the Change.org link and making your own contribution. Every penny counts!
These are exciting times in Chiapas! With the completion of Las Manos de Cristo, we have a chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of over 1 million people who do not access formalized health care. Lives will be saved...pain will be avoided....babies and families will grow and know that they experienced professional, non-discriminatory health care at Las Manos de Cristo.
- Roof finished? Check!
- Windows installed? Check!
- Stucco smooth finished? Check!
- Plumbing? In progress...targeted for completion soon
- Front doors? In progress....targeted for completion soon
- Electrical? Soon to come....stay tuned
- Interior framing of walls? Soon to come....stay tuned
| # Stewards responding to the call | Level of Giving | Money raised to serve indigenous people in Chiapas |
| 40 people | $250 | $10,000 |
| 20 people | $500 | $10,000 |
| 10 people | $1,000 | $10,000 |
| 4 people | $2,500 | $10,000 |
| 1 challenge grant | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| 75 people |
| $65,000 |
There are all kinds of ways we're trying to use the internet to help folks share in the excitement. Check out the Change.org site to see the embedded slide show with photo updates every few days. See a video thank you from the officers of the Tzeltal synod on Change.org too. It's a cool site and just one of the ways we're keeping folks involved. Just click on the link below...
Hebron USA at Change.org
If you're following this blog and didn't receive one of the many solicitations that have gone out, please consider going to the Change.org link and making your own contribution. Every penny counts!
These are exciting times in Chiapas! With the completion of Las Manos de Cristo, we have a chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of over 1 million people who do not access formalized health care. Lives will be saved...pain will be avoided....babies and families will grow and know that they experienced professional, non-discriminatory health care at Las Manos de Cristo.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
From out of nowhere
The needs of people and the vastness of the internet seem to make strange bedfellows. Last year, our family was joined by Lora for the summer after she randomly found us on online. Her presence in our lives then and now is a true blessing, and we're so grateful to God for bringing us together. This year, we've had other similar requests by potential interns but none as unusual as the email this morning from Ben R. who emailed "from out of nowhere."
Ben R. is apparently a 23-year old self-proclaimed "con artist" from the midwest US whose passport, money and belongings were stolen in the neighboring state of Oaxaca. Through the internet, he randomly found our name and ministry here in Ocosingo and emailed in hopes of being able to "work in trade for room & board." Seems no one would hire him without "credentials" or a passport, and he'd made his way to San Cristobal for some unexplainable reason. I explained that we really couldn't do that but offered to work with him to help him out. I got him a contact at the US Embassy, direct phone lines, email addresses, etc. I offered to provide email support, prayer and encouragement if he was interested. His response was to simply bare his soul and confess his sins. Imagine....the guy gets robbed and starts surfing the internet ...stumbles on sympathetic (but not stupid) Americans within 50 miles and finds the only English-speaking professional counselor around....all randomly searching on the internet.
My last email of the night from Ben R. was encouraging. He specifically asked us to pray for him and for us to share his needs for prayers with others. I quote:
For those who question the truth of creation just because we learn more about genomes and DNA....for those who wonder if technology draws us away from God instead of closer....for those who question that miracles happen in present day...I say, it's a miracle that technology allows us to find needles in haystacks and for us to get the email from Ben R.. We are reminded that God uses all avenues, even the internet, to accomplish God's purposes in this world.
Please pray for my new brother in Christ, Ben R.
Ben R. is apparently a 23-year old self-proclaimed "con artist" from the midwest US whose passport, money and belongings were stolen in the neighboring state of Oaxaca. Through the internet, he randomly found our name and ministry here in Ocosingo and emailed in hopes of being able to "work in trade for room & board." Seems no one would hire him without "credentials" or a passport, and he'd made his way to San Cristobal for some unexplainable reason. I explained that we really couldn't do that but offered to work with him to help him out. I got him a contact at the US Embassy, direct phone lines, email addresses, etc. I offered to provide email support, prayer and encouragement if he was interested. His response was to simply bare his soul and confess his sins. Imagine....the guy gets robbed and starts surfing the internet ...stumbles on sympathetic (but not stupid) Americans within 50 miles and finds the only English-speaking professional counselor around....all randomly searching on the internet.
My last email of the night from Ben R. was encouraging. He specifically asked us to pray for him and for us to share his needs for prayers with others. I quote:
well good news i just got a job in a hostel. i should be able to start saving some. I hav e contacted the us embassy and they told me un mil peso por emergencia passporta. So i have little option. but i loved your advise and thats actually the idea. I am on this voyage to be ok with me. I want that and want to be real, but the problem in america is i am to fluent. i am by nature a con artist and am great with words. being in mexico limits my vocabulary a great deal. lol i have know idea why i think you need to know all this but partly because as testimony in what gods doing in my life and i want to share it. No worries on the drug issue i pretty much hate being drunk or high. never really apealed to me. so maybe if you and your family are in san cristobal you can stop and say hi. well please keep me in your prayers and feel free to share my story so others can pray to. i feel i really need people to pray for me cause i dont want to become whom i was.
Thank you, your friend and brother in christ
Ben
For those who question the truth of creation just because we learn more about genomes and DNA....for those who wonder if technology draws us away from God instead of closer....for those who question that miracles happen in present day...I say, it's a miracle that technology allows us to find needles in haystacks and for us to get the email from Ben R.. We are reminded that God uses all avenues, even the internet, to accomplish God's purposes in this world.
Please pray for my new brother in Christ, Ben R.
CLPs may bring relief for pastors
The Commissioned Lay Pastor program (CLPs for short) has been active in the US for some time now (see CLP's Why & When at PCUSA) and may offer great relief to pastors here who are seriously overburdened. For those of you who are unfamiliar, PCUSA defines commissioned lay pastors as “an elder of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) who is granted a local commission by the presbytery to lead worship and preach the gospel, watch over the people, and provide for their nurture and service.” These folks offer great opportunities for ministry when the supply of pastors and needs of communities far exceeds the resources of the presbytery and ordained pastors, and in Mexico that is definitely true!
CLP trainings have been going on here at the bible school this week, and the level of enthusiasm and excitement from these elders is really inspiring. They finally have a complete bible in their own language but still no access to concordances or commentaries in their own language. But because most of them speak Spanish well, they can use the Spanish concordances and commentaries together with their Tzeltal bibles to help them begin to dissect scripture and gospel teachings. They are learning about everything from preaching and teaching to marrying, burying and counseling. These elders will complete their training in mid-July and will be commissioned while one of the Salem Presbytery groups will be here.
For the pastors who have responsibilities for multiple churches, CLPs will be a great relief. For the members of their congregations, they will bring newfound understanding and insights into the gospel. And for the CLPs themselves, they will be stronger in their faith, better informed, and better equipped to lead. For those of us who work with them as they learn and grown, we are inspired by their enthusiasm and willingness to serve.
Thanks be to God.
CLP trainings have been going on here at the bible school this week, and the level of enthusiasm and excitement from these elders is really inspiring. They finally have a complete bible in their own language but still no access to concordances or commentaries in their own language. But because most of them speak Spanish well, they can use the Spanish concordances and commentaries together with their Tzeltal bibles to help them begin to dissect scripture and gospel teachings. They are learning about everything from preaching and teaching to marrying, burying and counseling. These elders will complete their training in mid-July and will be commissioned while one of the Salem Presbytery groups will be here.
For the pastors who have responsibilities for multiple churches, CLPs will be a great relief. For the members of their congregations, they will bring newfound understanding and insights into the gospel. And for the CLPs themselves, they will be stronger in their faith, better informed, and better equipped to lead. For those of us who work with them as they learn and grown, we are inspired by their enthusiasm and willingness to serve.
Thanks be to God.
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