Serving God in Chiapas & Tabasco

2010 Group Schedule

2009-11-24T15:50:00.004-06:00

Weeks in 2010 for mission groups to travel to Chiapas to work with Pablo & Jan are filling up fast! Please note the following reservations received to date:

1/9/2010 Salem Presbytery Medical Caravan (multi-state participants)
1/16/2010 Salem Presbytery Medical Caravan (multi-state participants)
Other Jan weeks Open
February, 2010 Open
3/20/2010 Westover Hills Presbyterian (AR)
Other March weeks Open
April, 2010 Open
5/02/2010 Open
5/09/2010 Open
5/16/2010 Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community (PA)
5/23/2010 OPEN
5/30/2010 2nd Presbyterian, Bloomington, IL
6/06/2010 OPEN
6/13/2010 OPEN
6/20/2010 River Forest Presbyterian (IL)
6/26/2010 Salem Presbytery (NC)
7/04/2010 Salem Presbytery (NC)
7/11/2010 Maumee Presbyterian (OH)
7/18/2010 Presbytery of Eastern VA (VA)
7/25/2010 First Presbyterian of Virginia Beach (VA)
7/25/2010 River Glen Presbyterian (IL)
8/02/2010 Pastor's Course in Ocosingo

Proposed Extended Stay Missionaries: Alan Desjardins (April - September), Maggie Mills (several weeks, not yet defined).

For more information about scheduling mission trips, applying for internships or orientation information, please email jgmills@att.net.

Pablo & Jan's Itinerary

2009-11-07T19:41:00.005-06:00

Pablo & Jan in the US ~
Fall, 2009 Itinerary

AS OF: 7:38 Saturday, Nov. 7th

Wow! Pablo & Jan's itinerary is CRAZY!!! At this point, we have requests from about 20 churches, organizations and individuals to arrange for them to visit in 8 states during 6 weeks. Whew! This is gonna be tough.

So, please consider this your resource for the most up-to-date information about confirmed and tentatively scheduled appearances by Pablo & Jan.

If you have received an email from me proposing specific dates, please get back in touch with me ASAP to express your regrets or confirm your plans to welcome Pablo & Jan to your group. Use this blog entry as your source of the most current information about their availability!

Red = confirmed engagement
Green = open for now but invitations extended
Orange = probable but not confirmed

October 8th: Arrival at the Piedmont Triad International Airport, Greensboro, NC
October 9 - 10th: Open but awaiting confirmations from several NC churches
October 11th: Oak Ridge Presbyterian, Oak Ridge, NC
October 12th-13th: Open
October 14th: Millbrook Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC
October 15th-17th: Open but awaiting confirmations from several NC churches
October 18th: Speedwell Presbyterian Church, NC
October 18th in the afternoon: POSSIBLE Hebron USA Board Meeting
October 19th: Open
October 20th: Salem Presbytery meeting, NC
October 21-24th: PCUSA World Mission Celebration, Cincinnati, OH
Octover 23-25th for Jan: Women's Retreat, Maumee, OH then on to Detroit
October 25-27th: Twin Oaks Christian Church, Detroit area
October 28th: Orchard Lake Presbyterian, Orchard Lake, MI
October 29th - 31st: The Village Presbyterian, Northbrook, Illinois
November 1st: Worship at 2nd Presbyterian, Bloomington, Illinois
November 2nd & 3rd: River Glen Presbyterian, Naperville, Illinois
November 4th-6th: Virginia Beach, VA
November 7th: Hebron USA Chiapas Mission Conference, Winston-Salem, NC
November 7th in the evening: POSSIBLE Hebron USA Board Meeting
November 8th: Open but awaiting confirmations from PA and NC churches
November 9th-10th: Gladden United Presbyterian, PA and others in the P'burgh area
November 11th-12th: Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
November 13th - 15th: Pittsburgh, PA (including worship at Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community on Sunday). Other details to follow.
November 16th: Travel Day, Pittsburgh => Greensboro, NC
November 17th: Curriculum Planning Meeting, Oak Ridge Pres., 3:30 pm
November 18th-19th: Open but awaiting confirmations from GA and NC churches
November 20th-23rd: Arkansas Presbytery, preaching at Westover Presbyterian on Sunday
November 25th-30th: Reserved for family time in Grand Rapids with Jan's family but may consider requests to appear in Michigan
December 1st: Tentative return to Chiapas. May extend their stay if there have been substantial requests for appearances that have not yet been fulfilled.

HOST FAMILIES confirmed:

While in NC: Brad & Melinda Morton, Greensboro, NC
While in Northbrook, IL: Carolyn Vogel
While in VA: Randy & Leslie DuVall, Virginia Beach, VA
While visiting Gladden UPC, Elizabeth Broschart
While visiting PTS: Don Dawson
While visiting Hot Metal Bridge: Sonja Van Dijk
While in Arkansas: Liz and Bill Branch

Email all confirmations, regrets, questions and details about host families to: jgmills@att.net

LAST UPDATED: Saturday, Nov. 7th

Last updated: Thursday, September 24, 2009

New Ministries Update

2009-03-24T08:58:00.001-06:00

March, 2009 Update

Dear Partners in Missions,

Trusting that God has work for us to do in the US as well as in Mexico, we've all been hard at work redefining our ministry since moving back to NC. Each organization that we are now serving may be of interest to you or someone you know. Please check out the websites below and let us know if you'd like more information about Full Life Counseling, ECHO Clinics or El Buen Pastor/Latino Community Services.

Full Life Counseling

Ginny's new private counseling practice ~ dedicated to supporting families whose lives are affected by alcohol, medications and drug. So no one suffers alone. For those who are reluctant to reach out, "house calls" are available by special arrangement. www.Full-Life-Counseling.com

ECHO Clinics (Empowering Church Healthcare Outreach)

John's new employer - ECHO - dedicated to consulting with and for churches seeking to establish free medical clinics and medical ministries in their communities. John is currently supporting churches in SC, TX, FL and OK.

El Buen Pastor Iglesia Presbiteriana en Winston-Salem

Holly & Maggie's volunteer site where they tutor Latino students receiving afterschool care and homework help. This PCUSA church is led by Rev. Rosa Miranda, one of the very first ordained female PCUSA pastors who completed seminary training in Mexico.

***************************************************************

Although we may live in NC now, our hearts and minds are still connected to the ministry in Chiapas. Here are a few updates of interest:

Sign-up for Summer Mission Trips is underway. Deadline for Salem Presbytery trip registration is March 15th. See the Salem Presbytery Mexico Mission site for details or email Wil Gibble.
Randy DuVall of First Presbyterian in Virginia Beach will be serving as the Missionary in Residence in Ocosingo from April to August. Although we are still able to answer questions and help with some practical matters, most trip planning details should be directed to Randy's email.
Pablo & Jan's son, Josue, was married to Ana Brito in Mexico City in January. They are continuing their studies at Dordt College in Iowa.
Despite reports of rampant drug violence in other parts of Mexico, Chiapas continues to be relatively violence-free. The only significant change in our recommendations for travelers would be to avoid making currency exchanges in the Mexico City airport.
Clinic construction is ongoing, in large part because of a significant gift from The Village Presbyterian Church in Illinois (Carolyn Vogel's church).
Holly & Maggie plan to intern with Pablo, Jan and Randy for several weeks this summer. Others interested in interning should contact us or Randy DuVall.

All in all, the transition has been okay, but we all still miss our friends and "family" in Chiapas. We love our miracle machines (the ones that wash dishes and clothes) but miss our life in Ocosingo. For those who are able to travel to Chiapas this summer, enjoy! For those who are not able to travel this summer, please consider making a contribution towards clinic construction through Hebron USA.

Su hermano y hermana en Cristo,

John and Ginny Mills
Mills Family Mission

Clinic Gift

2008-11-30T18:10:00.004-06:00

This past week, just before Thanksgiving, we learned of a $25,000 gift from a church in Illinois to help with clinic construction. It came at the perfect time! In addition to the logic of giving us one more thing to be thankful for, it also came at a time of discouragement --- as if to say, "hang in there...it'll get built...just be patient and faithful." Boy, what a message we needed to hear!

The team in Mexico that has really driven the process of clinic construction is very experienced. They've built churches and Sunday school buildings, cisterns and seminaries, houses and school buildings all over Chiapas and even a few in neighboring Tabasco. But they'd never built a clinic before. Even in Mexico, clinic construction is overseen by the government and has different construction requirements. To the best of my knowledge, the government doesn't get involved in the other types of construction we've done there. But clinics have special requirements. For example:

They have to be able to withstand an earthquake.
They have to have fire safety systems in place (like sprinklers).
They have to special anti-bacterial fibers mixed into cement for interior flooring.
The list goes on and on.

So what have these requirements meant? More details. More time. More money. And a LOT more of all three! Cost estimates for final completion have continued to rise, even though it looks like we're about 85% to 90% completed! But meeting those requirements is all part of the process of demonstrating that we are faithful to honoring the law and the spirit of the law, which is surely to insure that those who are served there will be safe...no matter what.

Yes, there's irony in that because of our horrific experiences in the Mexican government's healthcare system. And yes, it's extremely frustrating to be so close and yet so far. Nevertheless, we are reminded of the patience of the Mexican people. They build when there are funds and wait patiently (without losing the vision) until those funds are available. THEY will not lose sight of the dream. THEY will not get discouraged because they are used to having to wait for things that are important. THEY will remind us that good things come to those who wait.

But still... the gift from Illinois was a much needed encouragement for those of us on THIS side of the border....those of us who have poured out of time, our money, our sweat and even our blood to help get Clinica Tzeltal Manos de Cristo (Hands of Christ Tzeltal Clinic) ready to serve those in need.

So for those of you who are like us.....impatient and eager and teetering on the edge of discouragement, please give. For those of you who can't give, pray. For those of you who can be patient and faithful in confidence that God will provide, pray for the rest of us.

Amen.

Koinonia at Prodigals Community

2008-11-23T17:59:00.002-06:00

My friend, Jim Walker, talks constantly about the importance of Koinonia - the idealized state of fellowship and community - shared communion. One of our consulting projects these days has us spending time with a community that long ago established koinonia in an intentional Christian community comprised of newly recovering addicts and alcoholics. Not exactly the type you expect to find in an intentional Christian community? Well....let me tell you!!!!!...

Last Monday night, I attended the Prodigals Community "Step Up" (or graduation) worship service. Their stories varied in details, but their message of hope was the same. "I came to experience freedom from my addiction through the transforming power of Jesus Christ as shown to me in this community...in this "family"... in this collection of broken brothers and sisters who walk together." They spoke of their desperation upon joining the community. They spoke of the pain they had caused others. They spoke of the total and complete despair caused by addiction. They spoke of the same they felt about themselves and their doubt that they would ever deserve anything because of how they'd lived their lives in addiction.

But they also spoke of their determination to stay on the recovery road because NOW they have finally come to believe that they can have hope. They spoke of how it feels to know that they have succeeded in a program that only graduates 1-2 people a year. They singled out those who had specifically helped them succeed - including some they didn't like, some they learned to respect, and some who had pushed them, challenged them and refused to be manipulated by them along the way. They praised the program at Prodigals, but most of all, they praised God.

I had so hoped to be able to share this message and experience with Pablo & Jan Feliciano while they were visiting in NC, but they were not able to join me. The message of hope that is shared by someone who has been so hopeless is truly different from messages of hope pronounced by someone who simply navigates the usual troubles of life. The message of gratitude that is shared by someone who has stolen from, abused and crushed the spirits of those who love them is different from messages of gratitude from those whose family and friends have never questioned their love or commitment to them. The messages of faithfulness from someone who FINALLY came to believe that only God could save them from themselves (not man, not self, not pills, not money, not anything) is different from messages of faithfulness from those who have never waivered in their belief that God is real and present and working in their lives.

You see, those who have made it through 18-24 months at Prodigals Community are truly like the phoenix --- having gone down to death in utter flames and now reborn thanks to the redeeming love of Jesus Christ and the presence of brothers & sisters in Christ around them to support, love, encourage, challenge and show the love of Jesus. These brothers in Christ are still on their journey of recovery and will be for the rest of their lives. But today, they are able to walk that journey with the knowledge that they are never alone, have people to support them, and are capable of living without drugs or alcohol to get them through their pain. One of those who graduated, did so for the 2nd time --- an important reminder to all that the journey of recovery requires setting recovery and relationship with God as the most important things in their lives.

I felt honored and humbled to be in the presence of those who have come so far. If I measure my journey against their's, they have come much farther, under much more challenging circumstances, and with so many strikes against them for so long. But this isn't a contest or a race. We CAN choose to be in this together, especially when we allow those opportunities for koinonia with those from all walks of life.

To learn more about Prodigals, go to their website. To learn more about their 3-fold model of 12-step, therapeutic, Christian community, email me for more information. There's a story to be told here - a program to be replicated - and wonderful reasons to praise God for his power to redeem even those who seem too lost to be found.

Pablo & Jan in NC

2008-10-26T22:20:00.001-06:00

Right now, we feel really close to our Mexico missionary identity since we are helping to coordinate Pablo & Jan's schedule in NC for the next 3 1/2 weeks. They are visiting churches, meeting with pastors, reconnecting with old friends and generally doing their part to enrich and grow the partnership between the Tzeltal Presbytery and Salem Presbytery. Their schedule is available on the Facebook group, Livin' on Pablo Time, but for those who don't have Facebook accounts, major church-based plans can be summarized as follows:

Sunday, October 26th - Guilford Park Presbyterian
Saturday, Nov. 1 - Hawfields Presbyterian's evening contemporary service
Sunday, Nov. 2 - Starmount Presbyterian - morning worship
Sunday afternoon, Nov. 2 - Caswell County Presbyterian churches at Red House Pres
Sunday, Nov. 9 - North Wilkesboro Presbyterian
Wed., Nov. 12 - Decatur Presbyterian, Decatur, GA
Sunday, Nov. 16 - First Presbyterian Church, Boone, NC
Wednesday, Nov. 19 - Rumple Memorial Presbyterian, Blowing Rock, NC
Thursday, Nov. 20th - departure to return to Grand Rapids, MI

Feel free to join us at any of these gatherings and let us know if you have specific questions. As always, we're grateful to have these two incredible examples of Christian servant leaders in our midst, and we invite you to reconnect with them while they're here.

Is there value?

2008-10-26T22:06:00.003-06:00

When we lived in Chiapas, there was an internal sense that people were genuinely interested in what we were doing, how our lives were being transformed through the missionary experience, etc., and so there was a sense that we should be writing about it. As time went on, we heard from people that they really did enjoy reading this blog, really appreciated the inside-look at life on the mission field, and so forth, so that internal sense was validated. Now though, being back in NC, it's really hard to know.

Does it make sense to keep writing? Do people still read now that we're back on American soil? Do the ramblings have value or should we share some kind of less-frequent email update about what's happening in Chiapas and leave it at that? Hard to know, y' know? So what do you think? If your here reading, you must have chosen to do so, and your input is valuable to us.

Life in NC is good. We are continuing to be challenged by the time-sensitive nature of this culture and other aspects of American life that we had come to gladly relinquish in Mexico. On the other hand, God is continuing to place important opportunities for ministry and service in our path every day. John's work with ECHO to help churches start medical ministries is exploding! Our consulting with Prodigals and Ginny's counseling at Trinity Center are keeping us both busy in Winston-Salem. And of course, Holly & Maggie are running in a hundred different directions being teenaged servants, students and friends. Young Life has proven to create the perfect vehicle for making new friends for Holly, and Maggie is plugged back into her lifelong best friend, Stephanie.

So, let us know your thoughts about the blog continuing (just comment on the blog posting).

God is good - all the time. All the time - God is good.
Amen.

More at home in churches & new ministries than in our house

2008-09-29T20:58:00.005-05:00

So we've been back in our house for about 10 days now. Boxes clutter the dining room, and the walls remain bare. But perhaps the most odd aspect of the experience of moving back into our house is the neutral color scheme. We repainted and put down new carpet to make the colors more neutral for tenants who would be renting our home. The result? It doesn't look like our home, it doesn't feel like our home, and yet we're supposed to feel like we've finally come home. Hmmm....

On the work front, it's been a slow start for John & Ginny, but high school has been friendly to both Holly & Maggie thus far. Both John & Ginny are consulting for Prodigals Recovery Ministries, John has finally begun work for the ECHO Foundation, and Ginny is building a counseling caseload at Trinity Center. These activities feel like logical extensions of our ministry and, in that way, help with the transition.

In the coming weeks, we hope to revamp our website to reflect our ongoing ministry activities - in part to make a statement to those who have been our Partners in Ministry here in the US. One of the most important ways in which God prepared us for the return to life in the US was a sermon delivered by a traveler in the River Glen group in July. Lindsey, who had served in the Dominican Republic for 5 years, helped prepare us with these reminders:

Mission trips build servants hearts while on the mission field, but we often forget the lessons learned when we go "home"
Longer mission experiences help us make missions part of our psyche, our hearts, our way of life
Missionary service is not "location dependent." Once missions become a part of who we are and how we live in the world, it doesn't matter where we live. We are missionaries wherever we go.

So, the Mills Family Mission website and this blog will continue but with a broader spectrum. We will include ongoing activities from Chiapas and Hebron USA, but we'll also include our new ministry activities.

We're also working hard to make our way along "the supporting churches road tour!" We've visited:

1st Presbyterian, Mt. Airy, NC
1st Presbyterian, Boone, NC
Millbrook Baptist, Raleigh, NC
Oak Ridge Presbyterian, Oak Ridge, NC

but have SO MANY MORE TO GO! Speaking of "road tours," Pablo is now on the PCUSA's Peacemaker's Tour and then will connect with many in NC on his own "supporting churches road tour." There's a Facebook group entitled, "Livin' on Pablo Time" that shows his travel schedule and host churches along the way, so you may want to check it out too.

For now, we still haven't found out telephone or our can opener, but we have found great comfort in the ministry opportunities available to us here in NC and know that God is continuing to minister to us through others who love us. For those who have been praying for us, thank you and please continue and know that you are loved!

Re-Entry Update

2008-09-01T18:49:00.002-05:00

So here we are --- 2 weeks into re-entry. The good news is that the girls have gotten a great start to their school year and seem to be settling in amazingly well. There really is no bad news. We have enjoyed some visits with key people in our lives and are looking forward to many more, and we have started to get over our "sticker shock" related to the price of food and gasoline. On the other hand, it still just feels a little weird to be here and to know that we're not going back to Ocosingo in a few weeks.

The most exciting thing that's happened to me today was the receipt of the long-awaited shipment from Amazon. We received our copy of Jim Walker's book, The Dirty Word, and I can hardly wait to read it. Jim is one of the two pastors from the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in Pittsburgh. We have loved getting to know them in Mexico, and somehow reading Pastor Jim's words makes me feel close to him, close to our fellow brothers & sisters from Hot Metal Bridge, and close to Mexico where we have worshiped and worked together. More later on the experience, the book, and where God takes us next.

It seems like just yesterday

2008-08-19T19:20:00.000-05:00

Dear Partners in Missions,

While it may seem like a long time for others, it seems like just yesterday that we moved to Ocosingo to serve as missionaries with Pablo & Jan Feliciano. After 5 1/2 long days of driving, we arrived safely in Pilot Mountain, NC last night to the open arms of John's sister, Kristi, and her family. We look forward to reconnecting with folks at our church on Sunday and with others in NC over the coming weeks.

Perhaps our biggest spiritual lesson was learned by experiencing God's amazing provision for our needs. Throughout the journey, our needs were consistently met, even if they were sometimes met at the last minute and/or in ways we didn't expect. That experience continued as we arrived in NC without a clear plan of where we would be living! Special thanks to Carl Utley, Mark Maxwell, Kristi Rolison, Ellen Bergland, Glenn Cobb and others who pitched in to try to make sure weren't homeless. In God's amazing provision, we are now squared away for a furnished and equipped apartment in our chosen school district until the current renters move out of our home on Heidelbury Drive. Our temporary address will be 1831 Murphy Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27104.

We ask that you continue to pray for our family as we try to transition back to life in the US. For the past 2 years, we've tried hard to maintain meaningful relationships and projects in the US while establishing a new home in Ocosingo. Now we will try to do the reverse! We will try to maintain meaningful relationships and projects in Ocosingo while re-establishing our home in NC. We have experienced so much, come to love so many, and learned more than we could ever have imagined during our time in Chiapas. We now have two homes, one in NC and one in Chiapas. On the sad side, that means we'll always be missing some that we love, but on the joyful side, it also means that we'll always be enjoying the company of others that we love at the same time!

We will continue to be involved in the development and operation of Las Manos de Cristo, the ministry of Pablo & Jan, and mission trips to Mexico, so we'll continue our updates for awhile at least. We'll craft an update on the closing days, an update on the clinic, prayer needs and opportunities for partnership in the coming weeks. For now though, please pray for our transition and for the safe travels for Pablo and Jan Feliciano as Pablo begins his journey as one of the international Peacekeepers for PCUSA!

Together with you in Christ's service,
Ginny, John, Holly & Maggie Mills

Seeing protests in a whole new way

2008-08-03T16:04:00.002-05:00

We all get frustrated with our government, whether we live in a small town in Chiapas or in a big city like Chicago. Fortunately, we also live in countries with governments and cultures that recognize the importance of free speech, so when we get frustrated, we are free to complain without fear of imprisonment or worse. But in Mexico, I learned this week that certain forms of protest that would never been allowed in the US are not uncommon here.

Our friend, Albert, Pablo's son-in-law and Amalia's husband, is now an employee of the city government. One day last week, local citizens took Albert and 11 of his colleagues hostage for about 18 hours. They were held against their will by those who were upset with the mayor for not fulfilling promises made during the campaign. These citizens also blocked off streets and disrupted local traffic by requiring passers-by to pay an unofficial toll to continue on the street --- all as a form of protest. Albert and his colleagues were released about midnight that night, unhurt but not unaffected by the experience. There were no consequences or penalties for those citizens involved, in large part, because there were too many to jail!

Certainly we have come to understand more about the Zapatista protests since their rebellion began in the early 1990's, and we know that similar forms of seemingly unlawful behavior were allowed then as well. How can a government and a people function this way? Pablo has shared more about how political campaigns work, and that has been hard to understand too. Generally speaking, the people will only come to hear what a candidate has to say if the candidates bring them something (ie. pass out food, bring loads of gravel to improve a road, etc.) and promise them something. The giving out part seems strange, but the promising part does not. Most people want to know that voting for one candidate over the other will benefit them personally in some way -- and I don't think that is unique to Mexico. On the other hand, as is evidenced by Albert's recent experience, failure to deliver on those promises has much different ramifications.

Things that make you go "hmmmm."

July 08 Update

2008-07-28T21:45:00.003-05:00

Dear Partners in Missions:
As hard as it is to believe, our family is now preparing for our term of missionary service in Chiapas to come to a close in just a couple of weeks. There remain good and important reasons for us to return to live in NC, and yet the leaving here will be very hard. We see God at work in so many ways, and we all would love to continue to be a part of the ministry here. We are grateful to Lindsey from Minnesota whose sermon last week reminded us that "missionary service is not location dependent....it's not where we are that makes us missionaries, it's what we do - wherever we are!" There's been so much happening here, but I'll try to summarize...

General Mission Activities:

We've hosted about 150 group members since our last update. They have been a blessing to us and we hope they were blessed by the experience of be here.

Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community (Pittsburgh, PA) helped with construction in the village of Matzam and provided a VBS for local children. Related blog entry: Hot Metal Bridge.
Salem Presbytery's Medical Mission Caravan (NC, IL, WA, VA) provided medical and dental care and medications to over 4,000 patients in our 2 weeks in the village of Yaxoquintela (former home of Wycliff's Jungle Missionary Training Camp). Related blog entry: Guest Author Post
Second Presbyterian (Bloomington, IL) helped with construction of Las Manos de Cristo and provided a VBS for local children.
Salem Presbytery's Village Construction (NC) helped expand the sanctuary of the church in the village of Matzam and provided a VBS for local children. Related blog entry: San Juan Chamula.
Salem Presbytery's Clinic Construction (NC, VA) helped with construction of Las Manos de Cristo and provided a VBS for local children.
Decatur Presbyterian (GA) helped with construction of Las Manos de Cristo and provided a VBS for local children.
Samples Family Construction (WA) helped with construction of Las Manos de Cristo and provided a VBS for local children.
River Glen Presbyterian (IL) helped with construction of a house for the pastor in the village of Plan de Ayutla and provided a sports camp for local children.

We were blessed to have 3 summer volunteers with us who helped with the "behind-the-scenes" work of hosting groups. Special thanks to Derek Zanetti (Hot Metal Bridge), Whitney Farrell (Oak Ridge Presbyterian) and Amy Newell (First Pres, Boone). They were a huge help, kept us laughing and definitely became important parts of our lives. We miss them and hope to continue to be a part of their lives.
Our local mission church appears to have identified some property for purchase and is now raising funds to purchase the land so that we can have a larger, more permanent location for worship and youth activities.
Prison ministry sales of purses and other items has gone very well during the group season. As a result, many of the prisoners will be getting much needed funds to help cover their food costs. Related blog entry: My Education About Mexican Prisons
VBS activities this summer have been a little different in Ocosingo. In the past we have invited different children each week in hopes of introducing more to the Good News. This year, we decided to invite the same children week-after-week in hopes of giving them a richer, more meaningful understanding of some of the basic principles of Christianity. This has been a great experience, but one that has encountered some surprising resistance from the traditional catholics in the neighborhood. Related blog entry: VBS for children in a catholic neighborhood.
A family who has experience persecution from their catholic community has continued to be active in the life of our mission and recently invited us to provide a small, one-day VBS at their home. The results were quite interesting. Related blog entry: Campet Fights the Gospel.
Young Felipe from Ocosingo, the young break-dancer with a club foot, was recently visited by a representative from North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church to assure him that plans to arrange for his surgery have not been forgotten. Although it appears likely that the original surgeon will not be able to help, John discussed his case with Dr. Mike Berkeley at Mexico Medical Missions in Chihuahua. If we can arrange to get Felipe and his mother to Chihuahua for one month, they will provide the surgery, aftercare and accommodations for his mother all free of charge.

Las Manos de Cristo (Medical Clinic):

Clearly the people are not afraid to come to a make-shift clinic in a church, so let's pray that we can create the same kind of comfort and safety in Las Manos de Cristo so that they are just as comfortable coming there for services in the future.
Construction is moving fast now that the interior finished floor is poured. Almost all of the interior studs are up, and the walls are going up inside! Look for new pictures on the Clinic Construction Slideshow on Change.org. Double-click on the Photo Timeline found in the video section so you can see larger pictures. While you're there, sign up as a support and consider making a donation for clinic construction.
We continue to be very, very frustrated with the customs situation in Vera Cruz. The container of medical supplies from The Starfish Fund and Samaritan's Purse is still being held. The County of Ocosingo has agreed to receive the goods if released, but customs has not yet done so. Please pray for some progress in this area in the very near future.
John, Pablo and four pastors from the Tzetltal Synod recently traveled to Chihuahua state in Northern Mexico to visit the Mexico Medical Mission Hospital started by Dr. Mike Berkeley. They learned a great deal about legalities, donations, fees, staffing, budgets, etc. from those who have been running a similar operation for several years now. Special thanks to Mike Berkeley, the folks at Second Presbyterian in Bloomington, and Hebron USA for creating the opportunity.

Personal

It doesn't seem possible, but we are now just 15 days and counting until our family begins the journey back to live in NC again. The transition will be harder than we could have ever expected, but we know that this too is part of God's plan. (Related blog entry: You Know What They Say About Assumptions).
We have listened to enough "Plan A" speeches from Pastor Pablo Feliciano to know that God might have a different plan for us, but seems clear that God is paving the way for us to return to NC just has God paved the way for us to come to Mexico 2 years ago. It appears promising for John to join us with fellow free clinic exec and former Mexico Mission traveler, Mark Cruise, to work with the ECHO Foundation in Texas to help establish church-based medical clinics. Ginny will resume counseling at Trinity Center and build a private practice. Holly & Maggie will enroll in high school, and we'll be moving back into our house in Winston-Salem by mid-September. Our corgi, Baxter, will leave the loving care of the Sigler Family in Kernersville and move back in with us after we get settled in. In the wisdom of Pastor Jim Walker, the question is, "Can you move back to NC without getting 'back in the box?'" That, our dear friends, remains to be seen!
Between all the groups and all the packing, I really have not been able to write blog entries for each of the groups. Please have mercy, and if you'd like to volunteer to be a Guest Writer (like Amy Newell did for the Salem Medical Caravan), I'd be most grateful!
We are rejoicing and grateful for our brother in Christ, Randy DuVall, from Virginia Beach, VA who has committed to 5 months of missionary service next summer. We look forward to having Randy and his daughter, Stephanie, with us this week, and we pray for comfort and healing for Randy's wife, Leslie, as she recovers from surgery to repair a badly broken leg.
We remain in prayer for another missionary couple/family/individual to answer the call to serve here in Chiapas after we leave. We will leave behind a house that is essentially fully-equipped for daily living. Thanks to those who funded our support, all the appliances, furniture and kitchen supplies will stay so that the next family is ready to go! Those of you who may have been in prayer to discern if God could be calling YOU, please be sure to check out the blog entry (You Know Who You Are ) and the information on our website Who's Next to Serve?

Prayers

Pray that God works in the hearts and minds of those considering missionary service here in Chiapas so that the work here can continue and grow.
Pray for Randy DuVall and his family as he prepares for his 5 months of missionary service here in Chiapas next summer.
For those who have lost loved ones, including the families of Marshall Hollingsworth and Donna Painter. Marshall was Ginny's mother's cousin and a pillar in their family. Donna was Mexico Mission travelers', Ladd and Noel Painter, wife and mother who was an Associate Pastor at First Baptist in Asheville, NC. May their loved ones know God's peace.
For those who are struggling with illness or distress including Frank Santostephano, Leslie DuVall, Warren Hayes, Megan Paulson & baby, Angela Smith, Billie Bradley, Tom Simms, Frank Splawn, Maverine Jenkins, Mary Wynne Perryman, Carol McClancy, Nancy Lingenfelser, Bonnie Bode, Ben Jones, Katie Yarbrough, Laura Mast, and Louise Holshouser.
And for our Mexican brothers & sisters as well, including the mother of Hermana Antonia in our mission, Baby Petrona in Matzam as she continues to recover, and for Felipe and his mother as they make preparations to travel to Chihuahaua. Special prayers for those believers living in areas of Christian persecution. May God bring them all comfort, peace and assurance.
Special prayers for Pablo Feliciano as he prepares for his journey as a PCUSA Peacekeeper. That his visa application is processed quickly, that his impact is broad and deep, and that his diabetic management goes well throughout the trip. Likewise, please pray for Jan Feliciano as she travels to Michigan for time with her family and for Josh as he returns to school in Iowa to rejoin his finance, Ana Brito.
Of support and encouragement for other missionaries, including Pablo & Jan Feliciano, Jim & Sharon Heneveld, Mike Berkeley and all those at Mexico Medical Missions in Chihuahua, all the Dye Family missionaries, John & Sandra Wimbish and Julie Alexander and her family in Brazil.

Opportunities

For financial support for our family during our transition back into life in the US (Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church, 2614 Oak Ridge Rd., Oak Ridge, NC 27310). Be sure to list "Mills Family Mission" on the memo line.
For financial support for Las Manos de Cristo clinic construction (through Hebron USA, 6080 Old Brickstore Rd., Greensboro, NC 27455). Be sure to check out the new website at www.hebronusa.org.
Reserve your date for next year's mission trips by emailing us (jgmills@att.net). We will continue to handle mission trip scheduling and other communications for the next several months (at least). Dates are already being filled, so reserve your date so your group will be able to come to Chiapas next year. There will be many opportunities to work on Phase II of Las Manos de Cristo, building projects for area churches, and VBS.
Medical professionals interested in volunteering at Las Manos de Cristo should email us (jgmills@att.net) with their areas of expertise, dates of availability for 2009, and preferred length of stay. The date of official opening has not been set but it would be great to know that we will have some medical volunteers ready to go. Lab techs, pharmacists, nurses, dentists and doctors are encouraged to prayerfully consider serving through Las Manos de Cristo.
If you were on a mission trip to Chiapas this summer, volunteer to write a blog entry as a Guest Author to share the miracles, challenges and opportunities from your group's week in Chiapas. Send your entry via email and we'll post it ASAP (add pictures if you can!).

As we go forth from Ocosingo, back to NC, we will leave here as changed people -- changed by the experiences we've had here, changed by those we have come to know and love who live here, changed by those who have come here on mission trips and changed by God's workings in our hearts and our minds. In the words of our friends, the Dixons, "we are so glad we didn't miss it!!!" We also go with the knowledge that our lives as missionaries will continue but in a different culture, a different location and with different opportunities to serve.

We remain grateful to you, our partners in missions, for your love, support, prayers and encouragement. We hope to have the opportunity visit and worship with you sometime in the coming months.

Paz en Cristo (Peace in Christ),
Ginny, John, Holly & Maggie Mills

Campet Fights the Gospel

2008-07-28T12:01:00.003-05:00

Some of you may remember the family that came to join our tiny mission after listening to Christian radio in Ocosingo (read the related blog entry: The Paradox of Christian Radio). The family has continued to be active in the life of our mission, even though they were literally put in the community jail by catholic leaders when they refused to pay towards the catholic fiestas held there. Since then, we have been in prayer for them to be strong in their faith and trust in God's protection for them.

These folks never cease to amaze me! Even though they had been jailed for not supporting the traditional catholic church in their village (Campet), they requested that the mission offer a VBS for children in their area. We had a small group coming in last week, so we decided that bringing 5 Americans along with a few Mexicans from our mission would not be too noticeable and that one day of VBS might be a good way to start. So off they went.... Nancy Samples and her group of 4 Americans along with John, Jan, Geyner and several members from our mission church.

Although the family thought there would be 100 children, only a few showed up. They enjoyed puppet shows with Bible stories, songs, games and arts & crafts activities. John noticed that he kept hearing whistles blowing in the distance from different directions but discounted it. Apparently, the whistles represented the village warning sign that something bad was happening.

Before the VBS was over, the community leaders came to apprehend the family (including their children) and questioned them about the activities going on at their home. 3 members of our mission went with them, and John, Jan and the other members of the group waited back at their house and prayed. The end result was that the family was required to sign a document saying that they would not have any future church-related activities in their home and that they accepted the terms of restricted visitation by members of our mission (no visit longer than 15 minutes and no use of the Bible during any visits). They signed reluctantly and were released.
During the VBS, several children and families were deeply touched, and two families from the same community joined Sylvia and Francisco's family at the mission for worship yesterday.

We are humbled by the faithfulness of these new Christians who are willing to risk continued persecution as they stand firm in their belief in Jesus Christ and firm in their commitment to the church. We are bewildered by a catholic community (albeit a traditional catholic community) that sees the Bible as a threat. Please join us in prayer for these families, for the people of Campet and for those who seek to support them and help them grow in their faith.

VBS for children in a catholic neighborhood

2008-07-20T14:27:00.005-05:00

In years past, we have offered VBS to different neighborhoods around Chiapas. When we've been in a village, we invite children from that village. When we're in Ocosingo, we've invited kids from different barrios or neighborhoods every week. In the past, hundreds of children got just a taste of Christian education by participating in 2 days of bible school. This year, we decided to do something different in Ocosingo.

All summer long, we've been bringing in children from the same barrio for VBS 2 days a week with different groups from around the country. Instead of getting just a taste, these kids have learned multiple stories from the bible, learned teaching songs about those stories, made crafts, blown bubbles and kicked soccer balls every week. All it takes is a little intro and they know to scream back to us...

Dios creo, a todo el mundo! Te ama a ti, y me ama a mi!!!!
(God created the whole world! He loves you and He loves me!!!)

All I have to do is drive our green Land Cruiser into the neighborhood, and children start running! When I'd drive them home, they'd sing the day´s songs all the way home, making sure to be loud enough to be heard all around the barrio. The next day, their excitement may keep them from being able to wait for my arrival, so they walk to the bible school, knowing that they can play and hang out until the VBS activities start. In short, just like God, they've come to love us and we've come to love them.

Last week, when I drove around to announce the schedule for the week's VBS, we stopped to share with an adult man who was working in his yard. He answered that, although he didn't have children, the barrio had met together and decided that they'd rather teach their own children, so not to expect many kids to come. Hmmm.....

Retired missionaries Jim & Sharon Heneveld have a house in this neighborhood for their 4-month long visits (see, they couldn't leave either!) They had told us that this was a very catholic neighborhood. Apparently, the catholic neighborhood was feeling threatened by our stories, games and songs. Later, we learned that there had been an announcement on the local radio about Americans taking children to some place near the community slaughter house and that, since no one knows what the Americans are doing with them, to please be cautious and keep your children at home. Hmm.....

Fortunately, our friend and sister in Christ, Hermana Luisa, heard the announcement on the radio and called in to make her own announcement, explaining about VBS, encouraging folks to feel safe sending their children and generally discounting the earlier announcement. It´s always nice to have friends in the community.

We proceeded with the VBS for the week, conscious of the fact that some of our "regulars" weren´t there when I went around to pick them up. Nevertheless, many other regulars and lots of newcomers were in attendance....singing, praying and listening attentively to stories about Noah and Joseph. Perhaps the community is keeping kids back but others are coming in their places.

We have to trust that God is at work in this seemingly unfortunate turn of events, but it has certainly reminded us of the subtle ways that discrimination works. We are not encouraging these children to leave their churches and come to ours. We are not teaching them anything that is not in the Holy Bible, presumably the same bible that should be in use in their churches and homes. Apparently, that has become threatening in some way. For us, we are only sharing love, laughter and joy with them in the name of Jesus Christ, and we will continue to do so as long as the kids come running.

You know what they say about assumptions

2008-07-20T13:57:00.005-05:00

We've all heard the saying, right? (No need to repeat it here) When we assume, we cheat others out of sharing their own truth. Many folks are making assumptions about our return to NC, while others cry with us.

Many assume that we can't wait to get back to NC.
Many assume that the girls can't wait to go to "real" high school.
Many assume that life in Mexico is harder than in NC
Many assume that life will be easier back in NC.

Those that assume are almost always the ones who have never been on a mission trip to Mexico. Those who have been here with us know ...

that it will break our hearts in many ways to leave;
how hard it will be for us to NOT to be there when the final touches are put on the facilities at Las Manos de Cristo medical clinic;
that there's a kind of teenage safety the girls have here where there is virtually no peer pressure to drink, smoke, try drugs or other kinds of risky teenage behavior;
how hard it will be to do our own laundry again;
how much we would love to be there for the every day operation of Las Manos de Cristo;
how much we'll miss $2.45 gas prices, cheap and perfect avacados, mangos and pineapple;
how hard it will be to fight the temptation to fuss about the trappings of traditional church;
how fun it is to watch someone else get their face slammed in a birthday cake and how much fun it is to sing las mañanitas at midnight;
that teenage romances torn apart by moves are really heartbreaking;
how much we will miss our brothers and sisters in Christ here in Mexico and
why it will be such a teary ride home --- all 5 days of it.

We are grateful for those who know, and we ask that those who assume to try to understand. We know and understand that lots of people can't imagine that we moved here in the first place. They can't imagine moving to southern Mexico, leaving great jobs, leaving family, church and friends, so it's logical to assume that we would be chomping at the bit to get back to all those things.

The assumptions aren't entirely false either. Yes, it's true that we can't wait to...

Be able to spend regular and more frequent time with Ginny's dad, John's sisters and their families, and other loved ones.
Be able to understand every word in the sermon and to sing every word in the songs
Be able to rejoin the church choir
Get a real haircut
Never again have to climb on the roof to restart the water heater or take cold showers
Never again slam into another topé going 30 mph
Go to family reunions again
To have a community of support with whom we can have deeper discussions without language barriers getting in the way
And to reconnect more frequently with those we know and love in the US

We can't wait to get home to NC for some things, but please understand...now we have 2 homes.

A Walk along the Hot Metal Bridge

2008-07-20T13:12:00.003-05:00

So this blog really IS about missions in Mexico, but being here has exposed us to many different ways of doing ministry --- some Mexican, some American. So I absolutely must share with you my excitement about the newly-released book from one of the two pastors at the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in Pittsburgh. Aptly named because of its home near the Hot Metal Bridge and Hot Metal Bridge St., this church plant is a joint effort of the Presbyterian and United Methodist church in the Pittsburgh area.

Pastor Jim Walker's book, Dirty Word: The Vulgar, Offensive Languages of the Kingdom of God, chonicles the life of faith at Hot Metal Bridge and challenges us all to consider different ways of "doing church" and reminds of the "dirty" places and people with whom Jesus associated. It has just been released, so we don't have a copy yet, but you can better believe that we'll be getting one as soon as possible!

Here in Mexico, we worship in what would be equated with a garage. We have worshiped outside, on rooftops and in buildings that had so much construction going on that they looked like they were being demolished. The folks at Hot Metal Bridge used to worship in the basement of a tattoo parlor, then the Goodwill cafeteria, and are now worshiping in an old taco restaurant. We know in our heads that worship is about praising God, learning about God and glorifying God, and we often see the places that we worship as part of that. And yet, here in Mexico, there are 2 words...one for the building (el templo) and one for the body of people who worship there (la iglesia).

A faith community is indeed a body of people growing in faith and walking in faith together. Hot Metal dedicates itself to providing a safe place to come to know Jesus for those who would NEVER walk into a tradition church building. El templo itself causes them to walk the other way...unless el templo doesn't look like el templo at all! The model of Hot Metal is not for all congregations, but in many ways, it could be a model for implementation in nearly every community. Every town and city has those whose shame & guilt, whose loss of self-esteem, whose woundedness, and whose wandering away from the messages of Jesus cause them to consciously reject the church. They believe that they would never feel comfortable in el templo and that those inside would reject them. And yet, these are the very people that Jesus went out of his way to reach. They are the very people that Jesus thought deserved his attention the most. They were the people that Jesus was referring to when he said,

Matthew 9:12 But when Jesus heard this, He said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.

Matthew 9:13 "But go and learn what this means: 'I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,' for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Luke 5:31 And Jesus answered and said to them, "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick.

Jesus said in Matthew 9:13...I desire compassion, and not sacrifice. Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community shows compassion and reaches out to embrace those who need the love of Jesus most of all. They show the difference between el templo and la iglesia in word and deed.

Do we?

The Book that Helped Us Understand

2008-07-12T11:09:00.004-05:00

Thanks to our friend and brother in Christ, Keith Kaufold, we want to share with you a book that helped us better understand religion, politics and rebellion in Chiapas. Because of some work he did in seminary at PTS following a mission trip to Mexico, Keith found a book that really offered great insight into...

The history of catholicism and missionaries in Chiapas
Why the Presbyterians distance themselves so much from the catholics in Chiapas
Why the Presbyterians here do not consider catholics in Chiapas to be Christians
Why the Presbyterians so adamantly oppose any alcohol consumption
Why many Presbyterians reject Liberation Theology
Why many Presbyterians were leery of the Zapatista Rebellion
Why persecution of Protestants in Chiapas is part of their past and part of their present story

The book has alternating chapters...chapters that tell the story of one particular little girl (Pasquala) who experienced persecution....interwoven with chapters of factual information based on the authors' research. And just so you'll know...Pasquala is a real person...alive and well and sharing her story today. John and Keith met her in 2006.

For those of you who are eager to learn and understand more, I strongly encourage you to read The Cross and the Sword: The Rebellion and Revolution in Chiapas, Mexico by Carl Lawrence and Benjamin Rule. The book is apparently out of print but can be bought new or used from one of several Amazon partner book sellers. Thanks for sharing, Keith!

San Juan Chamula

2008-06-30T19:25:00.004-05:00

I'd heard the tales but never seen for myself...until last week. San Juan Chamula is reportedly home to Mexico's only Catholic church without a priest. Why? Because they ran him off years ago! The town is totally autonomous with its own law enforcement and courts. No outside police or military are allowed. This is no small town either. It is estimated that 50,000 people live there. The "church" at San Juan Chamula is one of the most graphic examples of the christo-maya-pagan religious practices in Chiapas. Let me be more specific...

There has been no priest here since 1968 & there is no mass. The sanctuary has no pews, but people sit randomly throughout - chanting, lighting candles and making sacrifices.
John the Baptist is recognized as their savior, not Jesus Christ.
Sacrifices of candles, liquor, soft drinks, and live chickens are made in the sanctuary each day.
Thousands of candles are burning at any given time, each one supposedly representing the "cure" for some kind of ailment, personal problem, "evil eye" or curse afflicting the individuals. Shaman medical men advise what color, number and length of candles to buy and light to get relief.
Large dolls representing the saints were encased along the walls - with their hands cut off and a mirror on the chest of each one. The locals say that the saints hands were cut off as punishment for not protecting the previous cathedral from burning. Depending on who you ask, the mirrors are in place either to chase away evil spirits or to help the immobile saints use each other's mirrors to scan the cathedral to prevent a future fire.
Inside and outside, "parishioners" drink alcohol. Some use liquor as part of their "worship," offering liquor sacrifices, blowing sprays into flames, or just getting drunk. There are drunk people passed out in the sanctuary, drunk people dancing outside the sanctuary, and others simply staggering around. The grain alcohol known as "pox" (pronounced "poash") is sold by the church.

Our recent visit coincided with the saint day for San Juan de Bautista (John the Baptist), who is revered above Jesus or the Virgin Mary. The streets were filled with the local police force in their traditional garb of long furry tunics and billy clubs, and the area around the church was the source of sensory overload. Homemade fireworks went off with great sound and smoke. Competing bands echoed across the open courtyard. Streamers of pendants overhead fluttered loudly in the high winds, and a dark cloud seemed to hover menacingly over the cathedral. As we approached the opening to the cathedral, a drunken dancer came across and grabbed a female member of our group. Though John aggressively shooed him away, we all recognized that there were dozens more just like him. The sanctuary area was so full of people, candles and large sprays of fresh flowers, it was hard to walk. The floor was strewn with boughs of fresh pine needles. The irony of the history of a great fire was not lost on us as we walked along amongst the thousands of candles just inches away from the straw. The saints watched on.

Some members of our group were visibly distressed by the experience. Others felt intrigued by the bizarre nature of it all. Another felt honored to be able to witness first-hand the religious traditions of the ancient Maya. Regardless, we all knew one thing for sure. This was not your neighbor/friend/colleague's Roman Catholic Church. This was not Christianity as we know it.

So now I've seen it for myself. I didn't see the live chicken sacrifice first hand, but I could tell that it happens there. I experienced what I needed to in order to better understand my brothers and sisters in Christ here who evangelize to catholics. Now I know. I don't need to go back. I hope I never do.

What's this about Jesus having a tattoo?!

2008-06-15T23:36:00.000-05:00

So with the Hot Metal Bridge folks on board for the second year and Hot Metal Volunteer for 4 weeks, all kinds of interesting subjects came up. Last year, the wife of the bible school director was literally scared for her safety because all the tattooed folks showing up to stay on campus! All that she'd ever heard about anyone with tattoos was that they were all in criminal gangs, and people like that scared her. But by explaining the Christian significance of some of their tattoos, the Hot Metal folks were able to calm her fears a bit last year. The rest of us came to see their tattoos as "marks of faith" and to recognize how the tattoos create missional or evangelical opportunities to share their faith.

This year, the Hot Metal folks went to Matzam for most of their trip, so they did not have an encounter with the new director. Oh, but Derek did! I noticed one night between groups that Derek was "holding court" as my grandmother would say. He had all the bible school students, the new director and his wife gathered around a table in the school's dining room. I must confess, my thoughts were "uh oh."

Soon afterwards, Derek emerged to explain that he'd been trying to convince them that "when Jesus comes again, he'll have a tattoo!" I heard later from some students that the director certainly didn't buy Derek's argument but it did make me look.

What do I mean when I say that it "made me look?" Well, Derek is quick to cite scripture, especially when it's related to more outlandish ideas like Jesus having a tattoo. So...he made me look in my bible to find the scripture, and sure enough....

From Revelations 19:11-16 in my NRSV bible....
Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! It's rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. He is clothes in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, "King of kings and Lord of lords."

Now, most would agree that Revelations is a literary work filled with metaphor, and I've never been much of a literalist. But, that part about Jesus having the name inscribed on his thigh does sound like a tattoo to me! See here's the thing. The bible is so rich that we cannot possibly know every scripture and every reference. But when someone can cite the scripture to back their argument, I hope it'll "make you look." You may not agree with them after you look it up, but I hope you will keep your mind open long enough to read the scripture, consider the argument and then decide whether or not you agree. For quite often, as we are drawn back to our bibles, we find something new, something challenging, or something profound that we'd never noticed before.

So, who knows? Jesus may have a tattoo after all!

Hot Metal Bridge

2008-06-15T10:10:00.000-05:00

May 11th - 17th
Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community - Pittsburgh, PA
It was the 2nd year for these "funk, punky, tattooed and pierced" believers from the southside of Pittsburgh. Many participated in the intellectually and spiritually challenging Apprenticeship program intended to help them discern together how God may be calling each of them to serve in the Kingdom. They also brought along a couple of graduates from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary who had traveled here a couple of years ago. It was our friend, Keith Kaufold, who introduced us to the book that has helped us better understand religion and politics in Chiapas.

Anyway, although I have never heard them refer to themselves as "Red Letter Christians," this group embodied the overused acronym "WWJD." They strive to show the love and spirit of Jesus Christ in word and deed. This group worked in Matzam, a very conservative Highland community in Chiapas, to help prepare the footings for an expanded sanctuary. Although they intended to visit with Manuel, a missionary to the Lacandon People that their church supports, their itinerary was changed radically when a member of their group suffered a fall that resulted in multiple injuries. The group rallied around one of its own, put their collective needs on hold to insure her comfort and access to medical care, and demonstrated the power of prayer and Christian fellowship. Emma is reportedly on the mend but still needs your prayers. And as for Hot Metal, we hope that they will return to Chiapas with another group and continue to share their special brand of worship and ministry.
(Photo coming, be patient)

Perhaps my favorite aspect of this group is their authenticity. When they're irritated with each other, they say so. When they need to confess to each other, they confess. When they need to hold each other accountable, they do so with love and firmness. And yet they demonstrate acceptance, grace and forgiveness all along the way. They sing both praise songs, hymns and traditional music of worship. They use drama in worship. They seek to "do mission every day." They worship in an old taco restaurant and serve a meal every Sunday to all who come. This group blesses our family...period.

We hope that this group was blessed by the experience of missions in Chiapas. They were certainly challenged to honor conservative culture even though they are the very definition of alternative Christians. They gave of themselves freely and worked very hard on the project, but they also worked hard on seeing God moving in their midst. Despite her injuries, we have no doubt that God protected Emma. All her injuries will heal, and she experienced love, compassion and healing here in Chiapas. As a group, they saw their pastor deal with his own pain in a way that modeled the balance of selflessness and self-care, something many Christians struggle to practice. Funny how we sometimes have to get out of our everyday world to recognize the extraordinary opportunities for learning and growth.

In addition to the group, Hot Metal shared one of their own leaders with us for 4 weeks. Derek Zanetti, of Christian punk rock fame, worked as a volunteer through the Hot Metal group and the two weeks of Medical Missions to Yaxoquintela. Derek's wit, faithfulness, wisdom, sarcasm and colorful self kept us on our toes and challenged us all to keep grace, forgiveness and acceptance of others at the forefront of our ministry --- following the example of Jesus. He humbled himself when called upon, rose to the occasion to preach a GREAT sermon, honored the conservative Tzeltal culture even when it was KILLING him, served incredible spaghetti and meatballs, and engaged us all in profound debate nearly every day. We are grateful to Derek for his spirit, grateful for his servanthood, and curious to see how God will use him in this ever-changing world. IPOY, Derek.
(more photos to follow)

A trip to Pittsburgh is DEFINITELY in our future!!!

Guest Author Post: From Amy Newell, Summer Volunteer

2008-06-10T14:14:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to share a little bit about my first two and a half weeks here in Mexico. Please feel free to pass this along to anyone who might be interested. I've spent the past two weeks in a little village called Yax (pronounced Yosh). Yax sits in the valley between two mountains which are the homes to two completely different groups of people. On one side are the Zapatista sympathizers and on the other are the people who agree with the Federal Government. Needless to say these two groups of people don't exactly see eye to eye but we served them both without discrimination and we never had any problems. Yax is also the former home of the Wycliff Bible Translation Jungle Camp. It i s a quiet organized village with grass streets, finished wood houses, and a beautiful river running along side it. It is also the home of the majority of the Feliciano Family.

Over the span of 2 weeks over 60 volunteers came together from all across the US and Mexico: Washington State, Chicago, Pittsburg, North Carolina, Virginia, Mexico City, Tuxtla, and Ocosingo to organize and run the Medical Caravana. We set up 12 consultorios in which doctors, nurses, dentists, and Mexican paramedics along with various other translators and assistants saw over 4,350 patients in 10 days. We also dispensed over 15000 dollars of medicine to these same people through our fully functioning pharmacy that was in the same room that was our kitchen, dining room, and Church.

The time in Yax was great to reconnect with old friends from former years in Mexico and to also make new ones with the other volunteers and the local community. The first week I got to translate for my dad in one of the consultorios and also worked some in the kitchen washing over 60 sets of dishes by hand over and over and over. We also had vacation Bible School for the local 30 or so kids. We sang and played games, told stories, and made some crafts. On the last day all the kids were given yo-yo’s and oreos and then tooth brushes. Tzeltal (which is the native language in Yax) Bi bles were given out to the men and women of the congregation in a special ceremony at the end of the week.

The second week was spent translating again, but then I became the Oculista which means I was in charge of fitting reading glasses to the people who needed them. It was amazing watching the expressions on the women’s faces as they were able to thread a needle for the first time in many years, and the expressions on the faces of the men who now were able to read their Bible’s again.

Throughout the two weeks working in the consultorios was a blessing knowing that these people were finally going to get the medicine that they needed to get well. But at the same time that it was great to see all of the successes often times there was nothing that we could do. It was heartbreaking to have to send people away empty handed because we didn’t have the right medicine or the right technology to help them. It was equally heartbreaking to see the young girl with severe burns all over her body which were extremely infected and to know that the only thing that could help her would be the surgery that her family could not afford. Or to tell the family of 8 that they all had worms, amoebas, and scabies and only if they change their lifestyle and take the medicine that they wil l get better. By the end of the second week I was feeling really depressed and the stench from all of the sick and sweaty people made me want to vomit. I remember lying in my hammock and crying thinking about the overwhelming sense of helplessness that was surrounding me. But then I realized that it is for all of these people that we are building the clinic in Ocosingo. It is for them that we come back every year and get covered in cement to finish another little piece of the huge project that one day will be Las Manos de Cristo. This clinic will be able to serve so many people in this area whose only medical treatment prior has been our Caravanas. They will be able to receive care without discrimination or fear of the government. Whenever I get depressed about the situation here I try to remember that things can and will get better.

Many times it’s hard not to get caught up in the beauty of the surroundings, or the sickness of the people, and many times we forget the reason we are here. But I have been constantly reminded these past two weeks that I am here to love the people of Chiapas Mexico and I am here to serve them with all of my heart.

I have another month here working mainly with construction groups on the Clinic but the entire time I will be thinking about the seven year old boy who got hit the eye with a machete and who needs surgery who remove his eye so it will stop getting infected and won’t infect the other one which would cause blindness. I will be thinking about all the people that were given worm and gastritis medicine. But I will also be thinking about ways in which this Clinic will really help the people here in Chiapas.

It has been an amazing two weeks and I can’t wait to see what’s coming up next. God has truly blessed all of my time here and I know that he has so many more things for me to learn. Please keep all of the hurting sick people in your thoughts and prayers and the next time you go to the doctor for a checkup think about how you would feel if it was the first doctor you had ever seen in your entire life and be thankful that we live in a country where health care is at least accessible.

Love and Peace to you all,

~Amy~

Whew!

2008-06-09T09:33:00.005-05:00

As I logged on to the blog, I was astounded to realize that I haven't posted in a month, but a quick reflection on the past few weeks makes it abundantly clear why!

Hot Metal Bridge group was here during our week of standardized testing with homeschool. Between bubble sheets, we traveled a bit with this "funky, punky, tattooed and pierced" group of amazing young believers. Their week was marred by the terrifying but survivable injury of a group member who was clotheslined and pulled out of a cattle truck while riding into Santo Domingo. I'll post more about this group, their adventures, and their response to their friend's injury in another post.
We've been trying to wrap up homeschooling for the year, which means standardized testing, final exams, grading & recording....the whole nine yards. The homeschool adventure has been just that - an adventure. It was both better and harder than we expected, but all in all, it's been a success.
2 weeks of medical mission caravan in the jungle setting of Yaxoquintela (the former Wycliffe Missionary Jungle Training Camp) was both wildly successful and wildly exhausting. 2 weeks, 5 doctors, 7 nurses, 2 nursing students, 45 other volunteers, days and days of rain and inches deep mud and 4051 patients. Yes, 4051 in 10 clinic days. One day we saw as few as 270 patients, but one day we saw 720! More details to follow!
And now we rest...between pounds and pounds of muddy laundry, 3 summer volunteers, lingering final exams, bills to pay and emails to answer.

Thanks be to God for amazing people with a passion for Mexico, a soft bed, Mexicans who pitch in to help make miracles happen, a chance to sleep later than 5:45, the stamina we've needed to keep going, and 5 days off.

Partners in Health Dead End

2008-05-10T21:18:00.005-05:00

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.

Exercises in Servanthood & Submission

2008-05-07T23:06:00.005-05:00

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.

Clinic construction & fundraising full-steam-ahead

2008-05-06T00:10:00.002-05:00

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.

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

It's an exciting time to be a part of this project. The only problem is - the funds are running out. Hebron USA is in the midst of a huge fund-raising effort. We've been blessed by another matching gift from an individual donor from Boone, NC, and letters, emails and Change.Org invitations are flying. Here's the plan to raise the $65K needed to finish and open Phase I.....

# 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.

From out of nowhere

2008-05-01T23:45:00.001-05:00

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:

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

2008-05-01T10:18:00.002-05:00

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.

Earth Day in Mexico? Nada.

2008-04-29T19:14:00.004-05:00

I think Earth Day happened last week. I'm not really sure. In the states, there was always enough publicity that I knew when Earth Day would be and was challenged to make changes in my life to be kinder to the Earth. Here, I never heard a word.

I've never traveled to Africa or Haiti, but my guess is that people living in these areas, like those living in Mexico, place very little importance on matters of pollution. The exceptions are tourist areas like Cancun and even neighboring San Cristobal. In the US, there are smog reports, fines for littering, and even pooper-scooper requirements when you walk your dog! In the US there are also readily available trash cans, garbage collection, recycling efforts, and street sweepers that come along during the night --- all of which cost municipalities money. There are also consumer activists groups, neighborhood beautification projects, and Earth Day PSAs.

At this moment, I cannot look across the horizon and see beautiful mountains that I know lie all around me. It is not because of low-lying clouds, nightfall or even fog. It's smoke. Smoke from burning grass, garbage, corn fields and who knows what else....as far as you can see in every direction. As the wind blows, it blows smoke and ash into our home. I don't like it. Now granted, this is one of two times of year during which subsistence farmers are clearing their land in preparation for a new corn crop. Burning is worse during these two times of year. But beyond that, the visible garbage that is strewn here and there is unavoidable. I read somewhere that there are 6 types of pollution: air, water, land, noise, radioactive and thermal pollution. Now I sincerely doubt that there's radioactive pollution, and I don't even know what thermal pollution is (but it probably has something to do with global warming). But here in Ocosingo, there's enough air, water, land and noise pollution to last me a lifetime. It's one of the things that's been hard to adjust to since living here.

So why is there pollution? Some might say it's a lack of education. Partly true. Some might say it's that they just don't care. Probably also partly true. Some might also say that it's because "it's what they're used to." Probably also partly true. In fact, all those things probably do contribute, but I think it's more than that.

I believe that people here, just most people in the US, prefer things to be clean. Here's the irony. About 1/3 of the available shelf space in the "grocery stores" here is dedicated to household and personal cleaning products. People's homes and shops are clean. People wash clothes by hand and mop their homes every day. So the difference is just like so many other things here.....the definition of responsibility. "Where does mine stop and yours begin? Who is responsible for the "environment" that I do not own? I don't know, but it's not me! If I'm a farmer, I prioritize my farming over the air because I need to burn in order to plant, in order to harvest, in order to live. "

Churches here do a beautiful job of ministering within their own congregations. People keep their homes clean but never think twice about the air, water, land or noise pollution that they create unless if affects those in their own homes. The Spanish here would argue that the indigenous do not have the same standards of cleanliness but I think the indigenous too take pride in their homes (noting that they probably have more dirt and smoke to fight). We strive to honor the culture and to not get preachy. If I had heard even one word about Earth Day activities, I would have been the first to volunteer. But there wasn't a word. My friend, Julie Alexander, is a missionary living in Brazil. Promoting environmentalism and organic farming is a big part of their ministry. I am ashamed that I didn't start something to recognize Earth Day here in Ocosingo.

Please join with us in prayer for the people of this and other developing countries. Pray for their part of the Earth. Pray for those of us trying to honor the culture without being holier-than-thou about how we all need to do a better job taking care of the Earth and the community around us. Pray that we and they avoid the trap of saying, "that's not my responsibility, so it's not my problem." Taking care of God's creation is a responsibility that we all share, one day at a time.

Babies & Birthdays

2008-04-23T09:37:00.006-05:00

The baby to the left is Pablo & Jan's granddaughter, Sofi, who just celebrated her first birthday. But on Sunday, I met another baby at church who doesn't yet have a name. The baby is probably at least 4 months old. People here often do not name their babies until they are at least 6 months old. The government doesn't even issue birth certificates until babies are 6 months old! The reason is simple and sad --- the high rate of infant mortality. Parents are afraid to name their babies because names define an identity and a place in the family - as if losing them to death without a name lessens the perceived sense of loss is less. I find this so sad. And yet, it's the reason why celebrating the first birthday is such a big deal!

With each birthday, the celebration is really quite different from our birthdays in the US. Each completed year of life is cause for grand celebration -- full of songs, prayers of gratitude to God for giving that person another completed year of life. For those of you who know a little Spanish, think about it ----- cumpleaño ---- a completed year. You may have read other blog posts about the Mexican tradition of singing the "mañanitas" at midnight on someone's birthday. We arrive silently to someone's bedroom window just after midnight and begin the songs of celebration. When they come out to receive the gift of song, we join hands in prayer to thank God for the person and for the gift of another completed year of life. This recognition of the gift of life is lost in American birthday celebrations, but not here in Mexico. I have driven way too many teenagers all over town way too many times in the past 2 years (the curse of being one of the few with a car), but in truth, I think it's a wonderful tradition.

For Sofi, in particular, we thank God for her life and joy she brings to ours. And for all babies here in Mexico, please join us in prayer for them to live long enough to get a name and to enjoy year after year of mañanitas and celebrations of the gift of another year of life.

More MX healthcare shocks

2008-04-18T15:22:00.003-05:00

Every few weeks we hear another horror story. Last month it was the story of Pablo´s sister-in-law who had to have a 2nd surgery due to complications from the 1st. The first surgery had been in response to an ectopic pregnancy - fairly common. But the 2nd surgery was to remove a large ball of gauze that had been left in her abdomen. Inexcusable.

Last week we learned of a former Tzeltal missionary to the Lacandon Ladies´Society who had experienced hemorraging after giving birth. Since she gave birth at home, there was no real medical care at the time of the delivery, but when she was continuing to hemorrage 7-10 days later, she was taken to the hospital. At the hospital Lucy was given blood transfusion with a non-matching blood type. At last report they feared that she would die.

This week the subject was closer to Ginny´s area of expertise. A church member requested a counseling consultation after having disclosed to Holly that doctors believe her symptoms are mental not physical. Since she had a doctor's appointment the next day, Ginny encouraged her to keep the doctor's appointment to get a professional opinion to rule out cardiac problems. When she returned, we visited with her and learned more of her story. A likely sufferer of panic attacks and depression, this woman had been seen by a doctor and given 4 prescriptions. The target symptoms for these meds included anxiety, depression, seizures and schizophrenia. This was not a doctor who knew her, and he was prescribing meds outside of his area of expertise without referring her to a psychiatrist. The best case scenario would be that the woman gets some relief and spends hundreds of pesos for medicine (even if some of it she doesn't need). The worst case scenario is that she overdoses. In all likelihood, she would simply be overly medicated (and thus heavily sedated) and unable to make her way back to the doctor --- perhaps suffering, perhaps oblivious.

We remain overwhelmed by the continuing lack of professionalism in the healthcare system here. We love it here and love the people we have come to know, and so we are more and more personally invested in making sure that people here have a choice for better healthcare. Typically we have taken the position of trusting the local culture and avoiding the paternalistic model of missions (you know, the one that says "you know nothing, we know everything, let us show you the right way"). But when it comes to healthcare, a different approach seems necessary. Las Manos de Cristo staff will have many challenges ahead, including knowing how to challenge poor healthcare decisions for the sake of their patients and introduce better methods for the sake of saving lives.

April Update

2008-04-10T17:20:00.003-05:00

Since our last update, there's been so much going on that this is really the first time we've had to share an update. Between the high activity levels and the need to help with virtually foreign challenges like helping Holly with Algebra II, life has been full. God continues to sustain us, inspire us and challenge us here, but we are constantly reminded of the opportunities to serve and to share the Good News.

General Mission Activities:

Holly & Maggie had their first opportunity to volunteer independently from us. They provided translation services for American doctors and students working at a Tsotsil Eye Clinic in San Cristobal for a week. With the gift of vision, those served in this ministry will be able to read their bibles, complete their handwork and experience life more fully.
Holly & Maggie helped train volunteers in Matzam in VBS-like activities to do with children participating in a Christian education program there.
We've hosted groups from Illinois (2nd Presbyterian in Bloomington for clinic construction) and Arkansas (Arkansas Presbytery for village construction in Santo Domingo).
We participated in the Concentración de Jóvenes (youth conference) along with 700+ other folks all here at the school for bible memory contests, soccer & volleyball tournaments, dramatic and choral performances...all very competitive but with the joy and power of God's love oozing into every nook and cranny on the campus. Our tiny mission's youth participated for the first time and secured 1st place in Girls Volleyball, 1st place in the Dramatic Performances, and 2nd place Overall! Hurray!
Speaking of our tiny mission church, we're growing and not so tiny anymore! Be sure to read the stories on the blog (re: Christian Radio in Mexico and Bursting at the Seams) and see how God is bringing more people into the life of our church, Nuevo Vida.
John continues to travel with Pastor Pablo to work with churches across the synod territory in between everything else, and Ginny continues with drivers' ed training for bible school students.
Ginny is building a series of orientation videos for mission groups to view in anticipation of traveling to Chiapas. When completed, the videos will be available online at YouTube and by electronic files that can be shared with group leaders and members. She also created a video thank you to be sent by Hebron USA to those donors whose contributions support the ministry of Pablo & Jan Feliciano here in Chiapas.

Las Manos de Cristo (Medical Clinic):

A matching gift opportunity has been offered up by a member at First Presbyterian in Boone, NC. This gift will match $1 for $1 up to $25000. These funds are desperately needed to keep construction moving so that the clinic can be opened later this year.
90% of the windows have been installed and prep work to install the remaining section of the roof is nearly complete.
A 20' container filled with donated medical equipment shipped by Samaritan's Purse has been held up by customs at the border for the past few weeks. This also means that we are being charged daily for storage until it's released. Pablo is in Mexico City now trying to work with government officials to orchestrate its release and delivery to Ocosingo. Please pray that his efforts are successful.
Hebron USA is in the midst of launching a major fund-raising effort to secure the necessary funds to complete the clinic. Watch your US mail or email for more information, or just proceed with sending your contribution to Hebron USA, 6080 Old Brickstore Rd., Greensboro, NC 27455. If you prefer to give by credit card, check out our site online at Hebron USA's site on Change.Org. You have to set up your own profile to be able to give online but it is quick and easy. There's even a link here on the left.
Representatives of the synod and the Council for the Holistic Development of Our Communities were filmed expressing their thanks to those who have made donations towards Las Manos de Cristo. From this, Ginny built a video thank you that can be sent to donors. The video is also available on our Change.Org site and on YouTube.

Personal

Our biggest prayer for months now has been related to the future of the ministry here as our family transitions back to NC in August of this year. We continue to pray for another couple/family/individual to answer God's call to serve here in Chiapas. To help those discerning if they are called, we have added new information to our website. See the new link "Next to Serve" and the related FAQs and "Cultural Musts." We have some definite prospects and one firm commitment for service next year (more on this later). Please continue to pray for new missionaries to serve here in Ocosingo. Soon the position will be listed on the One Door network of the Presbyterian Church USA as well with the listing as "Tzeltal Synod Partnership Facilitator."
As we nearing the end of our 2 1/2 year commitment, our financial support has been strong but is beginning to wane. We really need an infusion of donations towards our personal missionary support here in the final months. If you can help out, please follow directions on our website (www.millsfamilymission.org/5.html). Any contributions remaining after expenses will be used to help fund Las Manos de Cristo.
We were able to secure new visas and a new car permit on a recent trip to Belize last month. Enjoyed a brief stay at (and I'm not kidding) The Copa Banana guest house just across the border in Belize.
We celebrated Holly's Sweet 16 with lots of fanfare. Special thanks to Maggie who put it all together and to so many wonderful Mexican friends in attendance.
As fate would have it, our house is up for rent again. Hope to get it rented this weekend.

Prayers

Oh my...this could be an incredibly long list, but we know that God is with us and attentive to all things, so...
Pray that God works in the hearts and minds of those considering missionary service here in Chiapas so that the work here can continue and grow.
Pray for the new families in our mission and that we are able to find new space for worship and youth activities.
For those who have lost loved ones, including the family of Vivian Early, Tenney Dean, Louise Turner and Craven Carlisle. Vivian was the mother of our dear friend, Cecelia Belk. Tenney was both a long-time friend of Ginny's political family AND a former Mexico mission traveler from his years at White Memorial. Ginny's dad's cousin, Louise Turner, and her daughter, Cam, have been faithful supporters of our ministry here from the start. Craven was a 9 year old who died unexpectly this week. She was a close friend of Teri & Keith Clark and their daughter, Katherine.
For those who are struggling with illness or distress including Karen Plonk, Billie Bradley, Tom Simms, Edna Faye Cobb, Frank Splawn, Donna Painter, Mary Wynne Perryman, Carol McClancy, Nancy Lingenfelser, Bonnie Bode, Ben Jones, Katie Yarbrough, Laura Mast, Marshall Hollingsworth, and Louise Holshouser. Also, please pray for Ginny's longtime friend, Angela Smith, who has been on life support in ICU for the past 3 weeks. May God bring them all comfort, peace and assurance.
Of support and encouragement for other missionaries, including Pablo & Jan Feliciano, Jim & Sharon Heneveld, all the Dye Family missionaries, John & Sandra Wimbish and Julie Alexander and her family in Brazil.

Opportunities

For financial support for our family for the remaining months of our ministry this year (Through 1^st Presbyterian Church, PO Box 1286, Mt. Airy, NC 27030 or Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church, 2614 Oak Ridge Rd., Oak Ridge, NC 27310). Be sure to list "Mills Family Mission" on the memo line.
For financial support for Las Manos de Cristo clinic construction (through Hebron USA, 6080 Old Brickstore Rd., Greensboro, NC 27455). Be sure to check out the new website at www.hebronusa.org.
As your church prepares for VBS, consider collecting vitamins (adult, pre-natal, children and infant) to send down for distribution by Las Manos de Cristo. Nutritional health problems are significant here, and the medical caravans distribute thousands each week. When Las Manos de Cristo is open and serving patients, we will need a large supply of vitamins for regular distribution. Please contact us by email to arrange for delivery with one of the mission trips coming down this summer.

As we go forth in missions, we are reminded of the ways in which Jesus revealed the heart of God -- through compassion, love, and touch and how he embraced all who would receive him. We are called to walk that same walk, to live with that same gentle spirit, and to reach out in love to all God's children. The indigenous people of Chiapas rebelled more than a decade ago because they felt abandoned and forgotten by their own government. Let us, the "hands of Christ" reach out in Christian love so that they are reminded of what we already know...God has not forgotten or abandoned them, just as God has not forgotten any of God's children (Luke 15: 1-7).

We remain grateful to you, our partners in missions, for your love, support, prayers and encouragement. Drop us an email with your own updates and know that you are in our prayers.

Junto contigo en Cristo (Together with you in Christ),
Ginny, John, Holly & Maggie Mills

www.millsfamilymission.org

Bursting at the Seams

2008-04-10T16:22:00.002-05:00

It's a good problem to have, really! Our tiny mission, which began in a small garage and then moved to a slightly larger storefront, has continued to grow and grow. With the addition of our new family of Christians who were transformed by Christian radio, we are now officially too large a congregation for the space we have available. Group season will be upon us soon, and then we'll REALLY be in trouble since most groups visit the mission for Sunday worship and would add another 20-30 to the number we're trying to squeeze in. This past Sunday we received the new "Christian radio" family, a recently release prisoner who has worked closely with the prison ministry for years, and another new family. Yesterday we had drop-ins for our Wednesday afternoon prayer service too. What a wonderful problem to have!

Please join with us in praying for an affordable, larger facility or plot of land to be available to us so that we can continue to grow and receive into the body of Christ all who want to hear!

Not feeling hospitable

2008-04-09T18:00:00.000-05:00

April is hot here....the hottest time of year. By May, the cycle of afternoon storms to cool things off is established and there's some relief. But in April, it's brutal...especially if you're to do school work or inspire others to do school work. There are few "April showers" in Mexico. And so it is on this brutally hot Thursday afternoon that I write. No one wants to work. Everyone wants to sleep, and everyone's terribly grumpy.

But apparently not everyone sees it that way! A couple of hours ago, about 50 people showed up at the school to play or watch soccer. Some are playing, some are watching and others are huddled around the edges of our house in the shade. Every 15 minutes or so, the soccer ball slams into our house, window bars or screen door (which has now been reconstructed to withstand this frequent assault), and from time to time, someone is screaming, crying or otherwise causing a ruckus just outside.

Last night, about 11:30 PM, our neighbor decided it was a good time to crank up the speakers and play mariachi music until about 2AM. Even though I KNOW that "noise pollution" is not considered rude here, I really didn't feel like they were being very good neighbors. I had fantasies of continuously blasting one of those air horns until they turned off their music. It's why I don't think it's good to have guns in your house...you never know when you'll lose your mind and use it! Glad I didn't have an air horn. I wouldn't have seemed very "missionary-like" or like a very good neighbor.

Part of our ministry here is one of hospitality. When people come to the school, we try to greet folks who arrive early for meetings or events, offer coffee, sell bibles and generally act as the welcoming committee for the school. Today, I'm not feeling very hospitable, Maggie's feeling downright antisocial, and my head hurts. I should mix up several pitchers of Kool-Aid and go out to offer refreshments to all, but I just want them all to go away. It's probably because of all that mariachi music or maybe I dreamed of air horns. Who knows? Pray it rains and that God showers me with patience and the desire to welcome all who come.

Is that thunder I hear?

Time Confusion Begins

2008-04-06T08:46:00.003-05:00

Daylight Savings Time is, by definition, a man-made creation and thus optional to observe. Not only do some places not observe DST, when they do, they may not change their clocks on the same day as other places. And then there are those communities who elect to not change their clocks at all even though others in their country choose to do so. Before you slam the Tzeltal villages for being backward and unwilling to follow the rest of Mexico, remember that Arizona and Hawaii don't observe DST either.

So we have the dilemma of "does this community change or not change?" AND on this day, the day that is SUPPOSEDLY the day Mexico begins observing DST, "does everyone know that today is the day to change?" Even our technology is inconsistent. Our computer clocks changed automatically, but our cell phone clocks did not! In this present-oriented culture, no one thought far enough ahead last week to think about it and mention it at worship, and there are no bold headlines or flashes across the bottom of television screens reminding us. So on this the first Sunday morning of DST in Mexico, we have no idea what time to show up for church!

If we assume everyone changed and they didn't, we'll be late for church (because it will have started the hour before). Last fall, when we assumed that everyone changed (and they didn't) we got to church an hour early. Today we'll err on the side of caution and assume that the worst that can happen is that we'll be there in time for Sunday School if they did change, but if not, at least we'll make it for worship.

Unfortunately, the dilemma will continue all summer long. With each visit to a new community for an activity at a stated time, we run the risk -- over and over -- of arriving an hour early or an hour late for any activity. The only saving grace is that, in this present-oriented culture, everyone in the community will respond and adjust accordingly.

So it is, today, April 6th, in southern Mexico and if truth be known, I feel like I have no idea at all what time it is!

Paradox of Christian Radio in Mexico

2008-04-05T09:53:00.003-06:00

Last month: Young bible school grad, Geyner, laments because he has been told by Pastor Pablo that he is not allowed to preach on the radio. He loves to preach, loves to share the Good News, and loves to find creative ways to share his faith with others, so this news breaks his heart. Geyner serves as a "missionary" to our tiny mission church -- preaching, visiting, supervising youth activities --- while finishing high school in hopes of going to seminary. He's one of the exceptions to the rule (read previous blog entry "Profiles in Growing Up Fast") and one of the folks here we have come to admire greatly. So....it begs the question....why can't he preach on the radio? Well, the answer is simple....it's illegal. Christian radio operators here do so without a license to broadcast, and the synod has taken the position against preaching on the radio for that reason. They see the value in radio preaching and in Christian radio in general but have advised pastors and lay preachers not to go on Christian radio.

This week: A local woman who has been listening to Christian radio for weeks has been calling the radio station asking for someone from the church to visit her. Finally, in her frustration, she calls again --- this time refusing to hang up until they tell her that they've made arrangements for someone to visit her to tell her personally about Jesus. The person at the radio station makes a phone call but it turns out that they have a wrong number. But whose number do they get? By sheer accident the radio station calls Hermana Rosita, an older but very active member of our tiny mission. Was it sheer accident or God's will? She, in turn, calls Pablo's wife, Jan, and Geyner. Together they go to visit the woman to tell her about Jesus. They are received by a family of 20 people, ALL of whom professed that day that Jesus is their Lord and Savior. Wow! They are reportedly all coming to church tomorrow, which will definitely stretch the capacity of our tiny mission to its fullest ever. I will gladly stand.

The paradox: It's always hard to know what to do when doing the right thing means doing the wrong thing. In Mexico we do not face as many obstacles like this as they face in countries where professing Christians are, by definition, considered to be criminals in the eyes of the law. But even here there are obstacles. For Geyner who loves to preach, these obstacles frustrate him. For the lady on the phone to the radio station, she's grateful that someone was willing to do the wrong thing for the right reasons.

And yet....
Never, and I mean never, underestimate the power of God to get around obstacles!!! I truly believe that we often lose sight of God's capacity to find a way to ensure that God's will will be done despite obstacles imposed by governments, people, nature and geography. God will and does find a way.

Thanks be to God!

Realities of a Broken System

2008-04-01T09:17:00.005-06:00

From time to time we hear about someone paying a "mordida" or bribe to "make a problem go away." It's easy to judge that decision harshly because we don't believe that a government that claims that it wants to end corruption should continue to allow the mordida to solve problems. On the other hand....

From yesterday's news:
More Than 100 Prisoners Freed in Mexico

Email this Story

Mar 31, 11:59 PM (ET)

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico (AP) - Mexican officials are releasing more than 100 prisoners in southern Mexico after determining there is little or no evidence against them.

Chiapas state Justice Minister Amador Rodriguez says the state government reviewed 360 files forwarded by farming and religious groups and determined there was little or no evidence in 133 cases.

About 50 of those released Monday hadn't consumed anything but water with honey for 38 days to protest what they call their political imprisonment.

Local bishops and human rights activists had organized demonstrations calling for their release.

We just can't imagine that people could be held literally for years in prison without any evidence against them, but it does happen. From fender benders to serious legal offenses, it's not uncommon for a cash payment to eliminate the possibility of more serioius problems, including going to jail. For the impoverished though, if there's no money, there's no way to pay to make it go away. They can be imprisoned pending trial and never really have a chance to clear their name. On Monday I learned from my friend, Sharon Heneveld, that over a dozen of the prisoners she's been ministering to for years had been released. The governmental systems here in Mexico have a long way to go, and yet we find hope and encouragement in the fact that there are some who are trying to "do the right thing."

Thanks be to God.

House up for rent AGAIN!

2008-03-30T19:41:00.004-06:00

As fate would have it, the family that has been renting our house has taken advantage of the housing slump to find the house of their dreams at a great bargain. Bargain for them, crisis for us! When we first moved to Mexico, we had hoped to have a single family living in our house the whole time but as it has turned out, we've now had 2 different families and it looks like we'll have to have a 3rd. Even though we'll be returning to NC to live this fall, the need to have the mortgage paid by rent payments is unavoidable. Lord knows we don't want to be come a "housing crisis" statistic!

So, we're relisting our house on Craig's List in Winston-Salem and on RentalHouses.com (search using zip code 27106). If you know of anyone that could be interested in renting our home, please let us know! You can email us at jgmills@att.net.

Great house. Great neighborhood. With a finished basement bonus room, basketball goal, bike street and treehouse, it's the perfect place for a family with school-age kids. More details available online at www.rentalhouses.com.

Youth Explosion!

2008-03-25T17:08:00.003-06:00

The bible school in Ocosingo has been invaded! Young people and their families from across Chiapas arrived at the bible school this week for a vacation youth conference complete rapid-fire bible competitions, soccer & volleyball tournaments, live music and talent shows. When people tell you, "Oh, there will be hundreds of kids here...probably 2 or 3 hundred!" it's easy to think, "well, they're probably exaggerating a bit, but I'm sure there will be a bunch." Well, when registration was finally closed on Monday afternoon, there were over 600 youth and adult chaperones registered! The energy is high, the sound system amazingly loud and a love for Christ is evident everywhere!

Matching Gift Opportunity for Clinic

2008-03-14T12:55:00.002-06:00

As we enter the final months of construction for Las Manos de Cristo, finances have been potentially boosted tremendously ---- IF we're able to rally contributions to meet the requirements for a matching gift! A generous steward from Boone, NC has offered to match contributions up to $25,000 to help get Phase I of the clinic open and operational. This is great news! It also means that we need your help!

Hebron USA is the nonprofit through which contributions for Las Manos de Cristo can be directed, and there are 3 easy ways to give:

Write a check to Hebron USA and mail to 6080 Old Brickstore Rd., Greensboro, NC 27455
Give using your debit or credit card through Hebron USA's site on Change.Org (http://www.change.org/nonprofits/view/123708)
Give using PayPal and mail to 6080 Old Brickstore Rd., Greensboro, NC 27455

More details coming soon, but please join in this final push for Phase I so we can finish construction and start making a real difference in people's lives here in Chiapas.

Samaritan's Purse Shipment on the Way!!

2008-03-13T09:48:00.004-06:00

Thanks to lots of different folks, a 20-foot container is on its way to Ocosingo. The container is filled with donations of medical equipment from the Helping Hands Ministry in Southern Pines, NC and Samaritan's Purse in Boone, NC and was shipped courtesy of Samaritan's Purse. Starfish Fund founder, Glenn Pierce, helped store supplies collected in late 2006, and Bill Herring from Boone helped organize the effort with Samaritan's Purse. From the most basic supplies like crutches and walkers to an x-ray machine, all will be a part of getting patient care started at Las Manos de Cristo Medical Clinic.

The container arrived in a port in Veracruz and is awaiting customs approval before being shipped the rest of the way to Ocosingo. Please pray with us that the customs approval is swift and without complication. We'll keep you posted on its arrival!

Suicide (The Catholic View)

2008-03-12T09:24:00.000-06:00

We learned today of a death by suicide in the family of a fellow missionary here. The family member was connected to the Catholic church. Sadly, Catholicism views death by suicide as the ultimate sin and certain to bring eternal damnation. This leaves the family who remains to grieve without hope, without comfort from the church and without reassurance that the person they loved will live a better life in heaven than the "hell" they chose to escape on Earth. This view is held in the Roman Catholic church and in the traditional Mayan Catholic church here in Mexico, and it makes me so sad.

While we protestants do not discount that the act of suicide is, by definition, choosing to kill one of God's children, I hope we do a better job of leaving open the possibility for God to judge the person on the merits of their whole life and not just their final act. But perhaps more importantly, I hope that we can and do reach out with loving compassion and support for the families of those whose lives have been touched by suicide.

As a personal and religious practice, we try hard to fight the temptation to fall into the denomination-bashing that happens here between protestants and Catholics and between protestant denominations in the US. When it comes to this issue though, it's really tough. For Hernan's family, we ask that you join us in praying that they are comforted by those around them and by their belief in a loving and forgiving God. For all of us, let us strive to watch for and render comfort to those in our midst who may be so despondent as to consider suicide as the only means of relief.

Diez y seis Dulce en Mexico (Sweet 16 in Mexico)

2008-03-10T09:01:00.003-06:00

Last year we elected to not do the traditional "quinceñera" for Holly (a special 15th birthday party -- sort of like a wedding without a groom), and yet for our Mexican brothers & sisters in Christ, "Sweet 16" really didn't mean much. But we still had a big party, commemorating Holly's first passage into adulthood.

Maggie was determined that Holly's Sweet 16 should be really special and was party-planning for weeks. We melded in traditional Mexican aspects of birthdays like having a tres-leches (3 Milk) cake, face-slamming, and lots of party games. But it was the boyfriend who really stole the show.

Holly's boyfriend, Miguel Feliciano, created a slide show with tons of pictures, music and commentary that introduced their Mexican friends to Holly from infancy through her journey to life in Mexico. Then at 4 AM on the morning of her birthday (the party had been the night before) he arrived to serenade her with love songs and present more gifts, roses and chocolates. Needless to say, she was swept off her feet and Miguel is in (as they say in the US south) "high cotton" with Holly!

The birthday and all it's joys also reminded us all of how hard it will be to leave later this year. Holly is clear that returning for American high school is right for her, but the goodbyes are sure to be bittersweet.

Bravo, Maggie, and Bravo, Miguel, for helping to make Holly's Sweet 16 a birthday to remember. And God help us all when the time comes to say "adios por ahora." (Goodbye, for now)

Missed Opportunity, I fear

2008-03-04T21:32:00.008-06:00

As a career substance abuse counselor, one of my biggest struggles here has been to see how the "church" responds to issues of alcoholism and addiction. Because leaving behind a life of alcohol, smoking and/or drugs is such a huge expression of faith and expectation of the church, church leaders seem to have little compassion for the "burrachos" that sometimes stagger into our services. And yet....the 12-step ministry that is Alcoholics Anonymous is alive and well in Mexico!
In this picture, you can see a stick building (and I mean, literally, built from sticks) for an AA meeting in the middle of nowhere in Mexico! The sign was clear and visible from the road. It did enough to attract my attention and remind me again how this is a missed opportunity for the church.

Churches across the world provide homes for AA meetings...locations for people to come together in the interests of seeking sobriety and recovery from the disease of addiction. These churches serve the recovering community and those not yet in recovery by simply providing a place to meet. In these meetings, members share experience, strength and hope with each other through a program that has proven time and time again that "it works if you work it!" Perhaps there's even a subtle form of evangelism by offering space because, by helping them grow comfortable walking in a church facility and knowing that "this is a place where I'm safe, where I'm supported, where I have a chance to get healthier," maybe one day they'll be walking in for Sunday worship. Pastors last summer heard a wonderful story shared by a woman in recovery who was here on a mission trip. She shared how, after months of coming to AA meetings, she decided to come back to the same church on a Sunday morning. She became a member, continued to grow in her recovery, and became an important part of an active church ministry.

It is truly marvelous that the AA community in this small town is vibrant enough, industrious enough and determined enough to have a place to meet that they were able to build this facility. But it also suggests that perhaps they couldn't find a home for their meetings without having to build it themselves.

Please join me in praying for some tiny crack in the resolve of the church here...a crack that yields to the opportunity to serve people in a whole new way. Please pray that the Presbyterian church in Mexico recognizes that, by offering their facilities for AA meetings, they can show the love of Jesus Christ in much the same way as Jesus himself.

Amen.

Belize

2008-03-02T18:05:00.004-06:00

In the interests of acquiring new visas and car permit, we headed east to Belize. Last summer, John went to Guatemala for the car and found the experience filled with chaos, expectations of "mordidas" (bribes) and Spanish that even our Mexican attorney had difficulty understanding. So this time, we headed to Belize where they speak English....well, kinda.

Belize is the most unusual place we've visited. Because of it's historical ties to England, English is the official language. There are many people who speak Spanish too, and there are many ways in which this feels like an English/Mexican/Mayan/Island hybrid country. Unless there is no manufacturer operating in Belize (eg. soft drinks), they only sell Belizian products. That means you can buy Coke and Kellogg, but only Belizian coffee, purified water, beer and other products.

The country appears to be filled with many poor people but with a definite presence of wealthy folks capitalizing on opportunities for low-priced real estate, tax shelters, low wages for gardeners & maids, and for the island lifestyle. The poor travel by bicycles while the more affluent by car and motorcycles. There's also apparently a strong Mennonite presence here. I know about the Mennonites from my friends the Yoders and the Coppages in NC. They embrace aspects of the Brethren, Amish and Moravian traditions of simplicity and servanthood.

For our family, our visit to Belize has provided an opportunity simply for rest, exploration and achieving our goals for new documents. Holly & Maggie were glad for an opportunity to work on their tan (in bikinis, no doubt!). We've enjoyed the hospitality of an inexpensive but quite pleasant family-owned guesthouse along the Corazol/Chetumal Bay just a few miles from the Belize/Mexico border.

Please join us in praying for safe passage tomorrow back into Mexico complete with new documents that will carry us through the balance of our ministry. God has graced us thus far with green lights, friendly border guards and hassle-free inspections. We pray for more of the same tomorrow. We know that God has much more for us to do in Mexico in the coming months.

Eye Clinic a Big Success

2008-02-25T21:56:00.004-06:00

Last week, Holly & Maggie gave their mornings to help translate for American doctors providing an optometric clinic in San Cristobal de Las Casas. We never actually figured out how this diverse group came together (1 from Iowa, 2 from Chicago, 2 from Texas, 3 from Virginia and 2 from The Netherlands), but we were glad that Holly & Maggie could help them. It was really the first time that they were able to function as independent missionaries in their own right. John and I took advantage of the opportunity to get another week in language school, continuing to try to build our own skills, while Holly & Maggie were able to use theirs to really help people.

About 400 patients were served through the VOSH eye clinic. The most fun translations were those in which patients were able to receive help that really positively influenced their lives. The new glasses and/or treatment for mild ocular conditions might now allow them to read their Bibles and do their needlework. The sad translations were those in which cataract surgery would really be needed to affect any meaningful improvement of their vision. We learned that there is only one doctor in the area that does cataract surgery, and apparently, he's not very good. Patients report seeing worse after cataract removal than before. US and European doctors who have done examinations after the fact concur and now elect AGAINST referring other patients to the eye surgeon as a result.

We were grateful for the warm hospitality of Al and Sue Schreuder, longtime Reformed Church of America missionaries serving in San Cristobal. It's always great to hear stories from those who have lived and served in Chiapas for many years and to learn amazing stories of how the church has grown here. To the VOSH group, the Schreuders and the Jovel language school staff, thanks for a great week in San Cristobal.

Heartbreak Strengthens Resolve

2008-02-25T18:24:00.001-06:00

As you recall, one of our primary goals is to help establish a Christian medical clinic here in Ocosingo for the indigenous people. Many are so afraid to go to the hospital because of the long history of discrimination, mysterious deaths and the absence of Tzeltal translators. This fear translates into families suffering great losses --- losses that seem so unnecessary and preventable.

In January, John and Pablo were approached by a young couple whose baby had been diagnosed with whooping cough. The doctor had told them that the illness had progressed too far and that there was nothing that they could do for her but pray. They had brought young Mariana to the
church for prayer. John, Pablo, the church elders, Colin Herbertson & Randy Duvall (from Va. Beach) prayed for Mariana that day and in the days to come. Tiny Mariana, just 6 months old, died 2 weeks later.

This experience leaves us feeling both heartbroken and more determined than ever to get this medical clinic open. Mariana's parents had access to vaccinations and could have gotten help
for Mariana sooner, but their fear kept them away. We know the Tzeltal people are not afraid to get help when it's offered through the Presbyterian church. When the medical caravans go into the villages for 2 weeks every year, the Tzeltal people come out in droves because they feel safe getting help through the church. This baby didn't have to die. Please join us in praying for,
financially supporting and helping to construct Las Manos de Cristo (the Hands of Christ Medical Clinic).

We now have an information site that allows online giving through Change.org. Just search for Hebron USA from the www.Change.org homepage to find out more. There’s even a short video that tells this story, shows you pictures of Mariana, and lets you see the status of the medical clinic project.

Welcome Ben!

2008-02-12T11:59:00.000-06:00

For the first time we are blessed to have a short-term mission volunteer to join us for the Feb-May months this year! The A.C. welcomed Ben Jones from Summit, NJ for a 4-month internship here in Ocosingo. Ben was here last year with a group from Maumee, OH and also completed a Rotary International abroad study program in Thailand several years ago.

For now, Ben is working on a Spanish-translation of the Hebron USA website and exploring Mexican philanthropic possibilities to help with funding Las Manos de Cristo. Next week he'll be joining us in San Cristobal to help translate at a Clinica Oculista (eye clinic) with American doctors.

We're grateful to Ben and his family (Rev. Phil Jones and his wife, Susan) for their dedication to missions and willingness to join in to serve here in Chiapas. Please pray for Ben to have a positive and fulfilling experience and for the A.C. and the Presbyterian church here to benefit from his talents and willingness to serve. Watch for a link to Ben's own blog of his experiences here when I get the URL!

Earthquake?

2008-02-12T11:05:00.000-06:00

They tell us there was an earthquake in western Chiapas today that was felt as far north & east as Ocosingo, but we didn't feel a thing! It apparently occurred about 6:50 a.m., and for a house-full of hard sleepers, we never flinched! Our friends, Jim & Sharon Henneveld, reportedly felt some tremors and knew what it was, so it apparently had a definite ripple-effect.

Thus far we've not heard of any casualities or need for disaster assistance, but if we do, we'll be sure to post updates. For now though, just know that all's well (and quiet) here in Ocosingo!

Responding in a New Way

2008-02-10T23:07:00.000-06:00

The Presbyterian church here has little/no tolerance for drunkedness. Presbyterians here do not drink, even a little, and they expect the same from other Christians. So if a "visitor" to worship happens to have an air of alcohol or a slur in his voice, the typical response has been to escort the visitor outside. Instead of seeing an opportunity to show the love of Christ, the churches here have tended to cast out those whose behavior is inconsistent with the values of the church.

Our tiny mission is trying hard to encourage our members to think differently about the "burracho" who wanders in off the street. Today in worship, we had 2 men in worship who might fit the description. I suspect that the events of a few weeks ago influenced the collective decision to welcome them into our worship service today.

A few weeks ago, a man showed up for an evening worship service, obviously under the influence. The schedule for the evening included the evening worship, a meal and an evening of fun-and-games at the home of one of our members. Well.... he participated in the evening worship service without being too disruptive then joined the group as we walked on to the family's home. Sure enough, he stayed throughout the evening....shared in the meal, watched with some degree of amusement as we played Bible trivia games, and joined in our singing and praying. As the night went on, he sobered up pretty well and seemed to appreciate being welcomed for the evening. I'm ashamed to say that he left without my ever knowing his name, but he left with the knowledge that there was an alcoholism counselor at this church if he ever decided that he wanted help.

The truth is that we never know how our responses to people will or will not affect their lives. This gentleman may never return to worship with us again. He may never accept Christ into his heart. He may continue to drink himself to death or turn to the church for help recovering. We just don't know. What we do know is that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, taught us all to welcome and care for the least of these just as we would for Jesus (Matthew 25: 40). It's hard to receive the outcast when we're focused on our agenda, and yet we're clearly called by Jesus to do this. God, help us to embrace the outcast instead of casting them out even further.

Have Church --- Will Travel

2008-02-09T22:28:00.000-06:00

No, this is not about a tent, portable worship facility or any thing like that. This story is about taking worship to a disabled member of our congregation in Mexico. Hermano Miguel is probably about 50 years old, and he is confined to a wheelchair. His modest home is just a few blocks from the place that our church worships but he apparently has no way to get to worship services. So we take worship to him! About once a month, after worship or after a mid-week prayer service, a group of usually 10-12 of us head up to Hermano Miguel's house for worship.

After the usual pleasantries, we settle into a circle of chairs in his home. There is a small table and a couple of pictures on the block walls. He has a dozen or so foldable chairs but the room is otherwise sparse. This time together is truly worship! We sing praise songs, traditional hymns, read scripture together, pray together and hear a short message from Geyner. Indeed God is among us there, just as promised!

For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.
Matthew 18:20

And truly Hermano Miguel is touched by the determination to allow him to participate in worship despite his disabilities. His smiles, eyes and words convey such joy when we are with him. We are just as blessed as he, and we are all reminded that our church is not a building, but rather a body of people. We are a body of people free to move and go --- to serve ---- to worship --- to celebrate the love of Christ wherever and whenever we choose.

This, of course, is true in most of Mexico and all of the US, but we must remember that, in some parts of Mexico and many other parts of the world, Christian worship cannot occur whenever and wherever we choose. Join us in praying for safekeeping for those Christians in parts of the world where persecution is rampant.

And join us in saying thank you to God that we can and do pick up and take our church for worship, praise, service and celebration to Hermano Miguel and other places that God calls us in Chiapas.

What are those boxes on the side?

2008-02-08T13:12:00.000-06:00

As a parent to two teens, I'm a bit more aware of the social networking tools that are used by teens and young adults every day. FaceBook, MySpace and other social networking sites are how they stay connected to each other as their lives change and grow. More and more nonprofits are recognizing the power of the internet to "Network for Good" and to promote "Change." As Hebron USAs representatives in Chiapas, we are incorporating as many online resources as possible to help you stay aware of what's happening here and how you can be a part of changing lives in Chiapas.

Our site on Change.Org allows people to give online using our credit cards to help get the medical clinic built. If you click on the link to the left, you'll go to the Hebron USA page on Change.org. Even if you might be willing to donate. It's a classic use of social networking for good!

The other link offers a way for people to make contributions to their favorite cause without having to spend a dime! How, you say? Well....

On the left margin of this blog you see a new feature --- a Good Search button. GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charity you designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and Hebron USA will benefit.

Similarly, GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 37 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting Hebron USA.

Just click on the button to the left to go to www.goodsearch.com. Be sure to enter HEBRON USA as the charity you want to support. Each time you use it, Hebron USA will get a little change.

Ideally, you'll then make Good Search.Com your homepage. Even if you have another homepage or search engine you prefer, you can really help raise money for the clinic and Hebron USA by adding a few more clicks. It's like this...

Make GoodSearch.Com your homepage.
When it comes up each time, just type in your preferred homepage or search engine into the search field, and Hebron USA gets a penny.
Even if you prefer Google, go to GoodSearch.com and enter Google into the search field and click through to Google from the search findings.
It's that easy!

Just remember this....

There are over 1 million people in Chiapas without access to basic healthcare. Many have never seen a doctor, and many are scared to go because of stories they've heard of discrimination and neglect in the traditional healthcare systems. Hebron USA has partnered with the Maya Synod of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico and the Council for the Holistic Development of Our Communities, A.C., to help build and run a Christian medical clinic for indigenous people, run by indigenous people. There's lots of hope and excitement about this in the area. We hope you'll do everything you can to make it happen!

January Update

2008-01-29T12:02:00.001-06:00

The lyrics to the song, The Dance, go something like, “whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens. Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance....” Indeed we have struggled some lately. Well, doors are closing, but we're faithful that other doors will open because we believe that God is continually opening the right doors at just the right time.

General Missions Update:

Paperwork hiccups resulted in the need to cancel the Rotary Well-Drilling team scheduled for last week. A grant has been awarded by Rotary International to buy the portable equipment, but some snags resulted in a delay of distribution. Pray that everything works out for the funds to be released and the trip to be rescheduled soon.
North Wilkesboro Presbyterian's fateful “5 Minutes and a Ball Cap” story of linking a young Tzeltal boy, Felipe, with a surgical mission team is going to have a wait a bit longer for the miracle to happen. The lead surgeon experienced some medical problems of his own, and the trip and subsequent surgery to repair Felipe's club foot have been postponed. Pray for the health and safety of the surgeon, the rescheduling of the mission team, and patience for all.
But there are definitely some bright spots! Our local mission church is thriving! We have outgrown our second venue since beginning just a little over 2 years ago, and many people have come to know Christ and have found a church home there. We've outgrown the space for the 2^nd time and are seeking land to begin building a larger facility.
Likewise, relief efforts for flood victims in Tabasco and northern Chiapas have been very effective. Funds for replacements of household goods are still needed, most of the clean-up and recovery efforts for homeowners are complete. The simplicity of concrete can, at times, be a beautiful thing! (read blog entry: Villahermosa Status Report)
The classroom aspect of Driver's Ed was completed before Christmas, but behind-the-wheel activities will continue throughout the spring.
Many contacts have been made with both new and faithful returning mission groups and individuals across the US for this year. We anticipate having 15 or more groups.
Additionally, we will welcome and collaborate with a spring intern from George Washington University (Ben Jones) and anticipate having summer volunteers from Boone, NC (Amy Newell), Pittsburgh, PA (Derek Zanetti) and Oak Ridge, NC (Whitney Farrell).
We welcomed a small group from First Presbyterian in Virginia Beach last week. They helped with clinic construction efforts in Ocosingo.

Las Manos de Cristo:

Again, doors have closed in some areas, while others open. Our “government connection” got fired for exposing financial misconduct on some projects, so she's not going to be able to help us with increased state government assistance with the effort to get medical equipment across the border, etc. But, she's also built relationships with a Mexican grant giving organization that could be quite fruitful.
Samaritan's Purse has agreed to provide some medical equipment and, more importantly, facilitate the shipping of a 20' container of all the medical equipment that has been collected. Special thanks to Glenn Pierce for handling storage up to this point and for helping with the inventory for customs and to both Glenn and Dr. Bill Herring for their help getting everything to Samaritan's Purse for shipping in February. Any of you engineering types out there who have any ideas for low-tech solutions for how we can get this full 20' container off a truck here in Ocosingo, please share your ideas!!!! This one may even stump Santiago!
Construction progress on the clinic is focused on wall finishing and floor finishing. Next we will need to install windows and doors and begin with framing for the interior walls.
Last week's group, together with the regular work crew, succeeded in stuccoing the interior of the exterior walls. (read blog entry: Small Group First to Work on Clinic Interior)
Unless we're able to get significant funding, construction efforts are likely to slow again until the 2 groups arrive in March.

Family Update:

We enjoyed the holidays in NC and had some great experiences on our return journey to Mexico in early January (read blog entries: Treasuring the Journey and D'Iberville Energizes)
Holly & Maggie are both doing great in school and on schedule.
Since our term here will be complete in August of this year, some of us are struggling with the reality of leaving, while others of us are struggling to keep focused on our work here and fight the temptation to worry about the future. All in all, we're all happy living and serving here and can't believe that our transition back to NC is just a few months away (read blog entry: Staying in the Present).

Prayers

For God to reveal opportunities for us to serve here and for us to recognize and respond to each one whenever we can.
For another family, couple or individual to hear and answer God's call to continue the work here in Ocosingo. There is so much yet to be done, and we specifically ask that you pray for Team Two to begin preparing their hearts and minds for service here in Ocosingo (read blog entries: You Know Who You Are and the 2007 entry, Could it Be You?)
Of comfort for those who have lost friends and family, including the family of John Brown and the entire Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community, the family of Jim Scott, the family of Pastor Andres here in Chiapas.
Of support and encouragement for those coping with illness and/or injury, including Tom Simms, Billie Bradley, Edna Faye Cobb, Tenney Dean, Frank Splawn, Donna Painter, Mary Wynne Perryman, Carol McClancy, Nancy Lingenfelser, Ana Janeth Morales, Don Fernando, Bonnie Bode, Katie Yarbrough, Marshall Hollingsworth, Louise Holshouser, Laura Mast, Cecelia's parents, and Angela Smith. As always, please let us know of your prayer needs and whether or not you're comfortable with us sharing them with others.
Of support and encouragement for other missionaries, including Pablo & Jan Feliciano, Jim & Sharon Heneveld (who are back in Chiapas for 4 months), all the Dye Family missionaries (especially Mark & his family living in the chaos in Kenya), John & Sandra Wimbish and Julie Alexander and her family in Brazil.

Opportunities

For financial support for Las Manos de Cristo clinic construction (through Hebron USA, 6080 Old Brickstore Rd., Greensboro, NC 27455). Be sure to check out the new website at www.hebronusa.org
For financial support for our family for the remaining months of our ministry this year (Through 1^st Presbyterian Church, PO Box 1286, Mt. Airy, NC 27030 or Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church, 2614 Oak Ridge Rd., Oak Ridge, NC 27310).
Come down with a mission trip this summer and see for yourself how God is at work here in Chiapas. Salem Presbytery groups from NC are generally open to most anyone, so let us know if you'd like to come down. Deadline for registration for the Medical Caravans is this Friday, Feb. 1, while the deadline for construction trips is March 1^st. For more information, go to www.salempresbytery.org and click on the Mexico Missions link in the middle of the homepage. Dates of all currently scheduled groups for this year can be found online on our website at www.millsfamilymission.org/13.html
Mission Tip of the Month: Learn more about 2 other NC outreach organizations of interest: Sandra's House Mayan Ministry (www.mayanministry.org). and Kybele Worldwide (www.kybeleworldwide.org). While the clinic in Ocosingo is unlikely to be able to provide obstetical services for many years to come, Kybele sounds like a wonderful organization and one that helps create better opportunities for healthy births. Sandra's House is based in Boone, NC, and Dr. Bill Herring (Hebron USA) volunteered with them in December. Kybele is based in Winston-Salem, NC, and their lead physician is Dr. Medge Owen of WFU Baptist Medical Center.

As God continues to lead us and others here in Chiapas, we are grateful for you, our Partners in Ministry. Join us in praying for funds and open doors for the clinic to progress so that we can begin serving patients later this year!

Paz en Cristo,
John, Ginny, Holly & Maggie

Kenya Needs Our Prayers

2008-01-28T22:10:00.001-06:00

Ginny's dad's family has a long history of faithful missionary service all over the world. One of his first cousins has lived in central Mexico for over 30 years, while many others are scattered all over the world. Mark Dye and his family are living and serving in Kenya and have been reporting on the status there since the conflicts began in response to the controversial presidential race. Please note today's update from Mark & his wife:

Hello Friends,
 
Following the initial upheaval and violence that rocked the country after the
election dispute, which made headlines around the world, there's probably been a
lull in news from Kenya.  I would guess Kofi Annan's arrival made the news, with a
lot of people in the country pinning their emotional hopes on the ability of his
team to work out an agreement between the two main parties. 
 
What we had feared would happen, but did not see initially, was the Kikuyus rising
up to avenge the deaths and destructions brought against them.  This weekend
Kikuyus in Nakuru and Naivasha, places that were relatively unaffected by the
initial violence, erupted in reprisals against Luos, Luhyas and Kalenjins.  More
than 60 have died in the hostilities.  What was initially seen as a response to
the disputed elections, albeit targeted towards one ethnic group, has now moved 
into a new level of hostility.  It could begin a cycle of fresh violence of one
side retaliating towards the other, perpetuating the cycle. 
 
Please pray that a spirit of rationality would replace the one of irrationality;
that a spirit of acceptance and love would replace one of anger and hate; that the
spirit of revenge would be replaced by the Spirit of peace. Yesterday I attended a
Rally for Peace sponsored by one of the key church leaders I work with. Over 100
pastors attended, with several hundred others also there.  There were men and
women representing the tribes in the center of the upheaval, worshipping and
praying together, asking forgiveness of one another, weeping and even dancing
together.  The Spirit of the Lord was there, and it demonstrated what the love of
God can do in the hearts of people.  A special guest was the pastor of the church
that was burned in early January, in which 35 people died, mostly women and
children.  The pastor was beaten outside the church and left for dead. He had a
difficult time speaking, as his jaw had been broken and he lost 8 teeth. But it
was moving when a key Kalenjin church leader, in front of the entire congregation,
begged forgiveness on behalf of his people. Later, I had supper w/ the pastor and
heard him recount his story first hand.  I'm still reeling a bit from the account.
 
Pray for the top leaders to have the humbleness and humility required to reach an
agreement that could hopefully bring peace to this nation.  It's not the top
leaders who are suffering - it's the average Kenyan.  And pray earnestly that the
cycle of revenge will be stopped, and people can view one another as fellow 
Kenyans, not according to tribe.
 
We continue to feel safe, but also sense the spirit of unease pervading the land.
We receive regular updates from the US Embassy and monitor radio and TV reports.
Thank you for your prayers on behalf of this nation.  Please continue. 
 
In His peace,
Mark and Annemarie

Please join us in praying for peace and reconciliation in Kenya.

You Know Who You Are

2008-01-28T11:53:00.000-06:00

Someone mentions going on a mission trip, and the first thing you think of is, “Oh, please don't ask me to go!” Even though you know others who've thoroughly enjoyed the experience, something about it just overwhelms you. Maybe it's as basic as being afraid to fly, or maybe it's stories you've heard about seatless toilets, unusual foods or sleeping in hammocks. Regardless, you just know it's not for you.

Or maybe you've been on a short-term mission trip, only to find yourself thinking, “I can survive this for a week, but I could never live like this!” You get yourself through the week reminding yourself how good it will feel to return to your own bed, flush your toilet paper and be back in your own world. You genuinely enjoy and are enriched by the mission trip experience, but you just know you're not cut out for staying more than a week or two.

Others of you have a different experience. The mission experience invigorates you and helps you feel like you're really doing God's work, and you find yourself thinking, “You know...I could do this! I would love to be able to stay longer and do more.” You look around and see that all that you really need is available. You get home and look around and ask yourself, “why do I need all this STUFF!?!” You hear about an opportunity to serve (like replacing the Mills Family, hint, hint, hint) and you think, “You know...I'd love to! I can really see myself being there and working there for a longer period. I'm just not sure this is the right time. If only....."

As we are seeking a family, couple or individual to replace us here and to continue God's work in Chiapas, those of you who are the most likely candidates know who you are. You know if you're game to even consider it. We'll tell you that, from our own experience, there's never a perfect time (see Luke 9:56-62). There are always going to be obstacles that you can choose to be encumbered by or you can choose to work around. We were fortunate enough to have some great spiritual mentors in our own discernment process. They were people who gave us some great advice that we'd like to share with you for your own discernment. If you feel that you could be good candidates to live on the mission field for 2-5 years, please let us know. You know who you are, so please let us join with you in discerning if God is, indeed, calling you to serve in Chiapas.

Small Group first to work on Clinic Interior

2008-01-26T00:14:00.000-06:00

With the postponement of the Rotary Well-Drilling Team, travelers from 1st Presbyterian in Virginia Beach, VA decided to come on down and do what they could this week. Randy DuVall (of broken arm-fame) was joined by his buddy, Colin Herbertson, for a week in Chiapas. With short village trips at the beginning and end of their week, Randy & Colin joined John, Santiago and the regular work crew to begin interior finishing of the clinic. Wow!

Stuccoing of the interior of the exterior clinic walls was completed this week, along with polishing/squaring up a few interior columns. Since nearly 50% of the exterior walls will be windows, this was a job that could be completed by a small crew in just 5 days. Being under-roof and having all the roof framing wood down now, it's beginning to really feel like a building in there!

Special thanks to Randy & Colin for being such good sports this week and to those donors who have helped fund a small full-time construction crew so that work can continue. It'll be March before we welcome 2 more groups, but we'll be eager to have the help to make strides with clinic construction by then and hopefully have more funds to pay a larger construction crew. For now though, enjoy the pics of this week's work!

Staying in the present

2008-01-25T13:05:00.000-06:00

Let's face it....we're Americans. We may live in Chiapas, but we are and always will be Americans. That means that we think like Americans, which means that we have a future-oriented worldview. Most Latin Americans have a present-oriented worldview. It's part of how they stay sane, I think. If they worried too much about how they're going to get by in the future, they'd worry all the time. Instead, our Mexican brothers & sisters live in the present - grateful for the ways God has blessed them today, confident that God will provide for them tomorrow, and more comfortable with accepting a degree of powerlessness over their lives. But we're Americans. We know that in less than 8 months, we'll be moving back to NC without jobs, without a place to live and without a certainty that everything will fall into place. And yet....

If we focus our energies on returning to NC, we will, quite literally, miss out on opportunities of a lifetime. Even if John & Ginny return to live in Chiapas later, it will be without Holly & Maggie. These are truly unique days to be savored and enjoyed. For if we look too far ahead, we're sure to one day look back and say, "gee, how I wish we'd taken the opportunity to _________!" or "I can't believe that we were there for 2 1/2 years and never got around to ______________!" These are truly once in a lifetime opportunities.

It's interesting to recall that, when God was providing for Moses and his people, God provided enough food for every day in the form of manna. Now I can't imagine that manna was very tasty, but it apparently was nourishing enough, and God provided enough for each to be nourished for the day. But he also instructed them NOT to store up more than they needed except on the 6th day. This story reminds us of 2 things....that we do not live by bread alone, and that we can and must trust that God will provide enough to meet our needs.

God provided a double portion for the people on the 6th day, with the encouragement for them to rest on the 7th. Some people were afraid when no manna fell on the 7th day, afraid that God had stopped providing. But of course, on the next day, enough manna fell to feed them that day as well...and the next day....and the next day.

And so it is that we try to live like Mexicans and the people who were faithful enough to follow Moses....trusting that God will provide for us today but also that God will provide for us tomorrow .... and in August, September and October too. With God's assurance of provision, we are now free to focus our energies on service, on living out the Kingdom of God in the present, on fulfilling God's calling for us to be in Chiapas.

Sounds easy, right? ;-)

Stumbling blocks build endurance

2008-01-22T12:49:00.000-06:00

The country music lyrics go something like,“whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens. Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance....” Well, doors are closing, but we're faithful that other doors will open because we believe that God is continually opening the right doors at just the right time. Since we've gotten back to Chiapas, we've learned the following:

A surgical team canceled their trip to Chiapas that would have opened up a whole new world for a young Tzeltal boy born with a club foot.
A church who had pledged $20,000 for clinic construction and help for a student's tuition has not been able to do so despite their strong commitment and desires to help.
A paperwork snag with Rotary International required the postponement of the well-drilling team trip to drill the well for the medical clinic.
And the young woman who was building relationships within state government that could have yielded financial aid from the government to help finish the medical clinic was fired for uncovering specific incidents of corruption.

Yes, there have been several complications in our work in Chiapas lately, and yet facing and overcoming obstacles are aspects of life in any setting. We're reminded in James 1:2-4 that we grow mature and complete as endure: “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and the let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”

These are indeed trying times, and yet we are faithful that God does offer comfort, bring relief and accomplish God's plans in the end. Please join us in praying for deliverance from some of these complications, wisdom to find solutions, confidence in God's ultimate authority, and patience in the meantime.

Villahermosa Status Report

2008-01-17T14:10:00.000-06:00

We've learned that Villahermosa has recovered amazingly quickly from the floods of early November. Thanks to the beauty of the ever-present concrete with which most buildings are constructed in southern Mexico, clean up was much easier than in hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast states following Katrina. There was no "mucking out," no insulation or sheetrock to pull out....just lots and lots of bleach! Once the waters receded, clean up was a matter of drying out and disinfecting home. For some small wooden structures that had simply washed away, reconstruction (like the original construction) was small and simple. The challenges today revolve around helping with replacement costs for appliances, furniture and clothing that have to be replaced. The Mexican has been passing out vouchers to buy basics and are trying to help businesses recover, many of whom lost their entire inventories.

We did eventually hear back from most of our friends in Tabasco to know that they are all okay. That includes Ana and her family, Pastors Pancho & Joel and their families, Betsy Casola and her family, Karina and her family, and Don Fernando and his family. Thank you for all the ways your churches responded with prayers, contributions and concerns about both those you know and those you simply care about as people affected by the floods. For those of you who know Don Fernando, please continue to keep him in your prayers. He lost all of his inventory in all his stores, recently lost his home in Comoalcalco to a government building project, and is experiencing fairly significant health problems.

For the resiliency of the Tabascaneans and for God's protection over them, we are grateful.

Treasuring the Journey

2008-01-15T21:20:00.000-06:00

I remember several years ago when my friend, Kathryn, was explaining why it was important to her to drive to her planned spiritual retreat experience at a desert monastery in the southwest. She explained that taking a plane would negate the sense of distance that she was going to retreat and that by driving she would have a more complete experience of separation from NC. I thought she was crazy then, and I suspect that many people have thought we were crazy when hearing how our family drives back and forth between Chiapas and North Carolina. But I get it now....

I get it that there's more than simply reaching one's destination and that there are important joys to be experienced along the way. On this most recent journey back to Ocosingo, we had a chance to reconnect with friends and family that we hadn't seen in a long time, spent some time at the D'Iberville Volunteer Camp, enjoyed a stop at the Melody Lane Spiritual Renewal Center in Mission, TX, and sampled some Northern Mexico cuisine. Had we flown, we would have missed hearing a toddler talk about his new baby brother who's due to be born in April. We would have missed a coffee house visit that I wouldn't trade for anything, and we would never have met the lady doing the documentary on Katrina recovery efforts in Mississippi. I can't say I'd be sad to have missed the topes and the elephant traps along the terrible Veracruz highways or the sore fanny from so many hours in the car, but I'd trade those minor inconveniences any day for the experiences of the journey.

D'Iberville Energizes

2008-01-14T18:47:00.000-06:00

It's kind of ironic that one of our stops on our journey back to Mexico was at the volunteer camp for the D'Iberville Volunteer Foundation in D'Iberville, Mississippi. We were invited to stop along our journey to stay at the volunteer camp by Dr. Bill Herring, Dean Gropper and Harless "The Beast" Wright from Boone, NC who were back in D'Iberville yet again. These guys have given tirelessly of themselves to the people of D'Iberville ever since Hurricane Katrina devastated the whole Gulf Coast region.

After several weeks in the US, this stop along the journey back to Mexico really energized us. We met people who have served 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year since August, 2005. Despite this, their energy, determination to serve the people, determination to serve the volunteer teams, and faithfulness that they would have enough to get through the remaining months of their ministry was truly inspiring.

The stop also gave us a chance to tell our own story. Dr. Bill was quick to corral Holly & Maggie to let them know that he wanted them to tell their story of being teenagers on the mission field. There were several college groups volunteering that week, and the crowd numbered about 75 even if 2 groups out to dinner that night. As first Holly then Maggie each took the microphone to share of their own experiences, the lights glowed in the eyes of several college students. After their talk, several of those same college students came running up to say, "you know I've really been feeling called to do missions!" You can tell that they were thinking, "well, if these two kids can do it, then I could too!"

Our accommodations were great, the organization of the volunteer camp amazing, and the fellowship with both old and new friends was even better. We're grateful for this 24 hour stop along the way. Thanks guys!

November Update

2007-11-12T23:49:00.001-06:00

Dear Partners in Missions:

We hope that Thanksgiving Day offered an opportunity for you and yours to reflect on and appreciate all the many reasons for gratitude. We are especially grateful for your participation in missionary service in Mexico. Even though we're the hands and the feet, each of you is involved as missionaries through your prayers, support and encouragement. Here's an effort to summarize the ways God has been at work through us in recent weeks:

General Mission Update:

Southern Mexico was recently hit by one of the worst floods in the country's history. Millions have been in shelters, even now there are major areas underwater. Our little mission was joined by many in Chiapas to help collect much-needed supplies, and we made 2 trips to deliver canned food, medicines, diapers, toilet paper, soap, clothing and nearly 500 gallons of water. Spirits are good though, and folks there just seem so grateful for all the support, love and prayers from brothers & sisters in Christ from Mexico and the US. Their smiling faces are a reminder to us all about what really matters in life. Communities outside of Villahermosa were also hit by the flooding, so future flood relief efforts will focus on those areas that are not getting the attention of the military, government and other relief organizations.
Those who read last month's update about tight scheduling for next year's mission trips really responded! We now have 16 groups scheduled for next year! We realize that we may need to get creative to find ways for groups who have not yet reserved their date to still be able to come, but we'll do everything possible to receive all interested groups!
Upon the request of several young adults here in Ocosingo, Ginny's been teaching Driver's Education. Eight students have completed the classroom part and will be completing their behind-the-wheel training one at a time. Special thanks to Holly who has translated for all the classes and driving lessons thus far!
Taking a small part in a miracle involving a church in No. Wilkesboro, NC and a little boy handicapped by a club foot, Jan Feliciano and I assisted the family in getting preliminary x-rays as the next steps towards getting orthopedic surgery for Felipe in January. This is an amazing story & one that we'll continue to update you on through the blog.
John and Pablo have been traveling across the US telling the story of the ministry here and the medical clinic. They began by attending the PCUSA mission conference in Louisville, KY and then built new relationships in Oregon and Washington and strengthened existing relationships in Pennsylvania and Virginia. Their contacts included meeting with 65 individuals and over 30 churches.

Manos de Cristo Update (Medical Clinic):

One of the cultural realities in Mexico is that families and organizations do not go into debt to complete construction projects. With donation dollars not yet in hand, construction has ground to a snail's pace with only a skeleton crew working each day. We hope to have some funds available soon to resume full-fledged construction efforts. But...most of the wood is down from the framing for the cement roof pour, which helps us be able to envision the clinic in operation.
Additional funds are still needed if the May, 2008 target opening date for Phase I (Outpatient Primary Medical, Dental, Lab and Pharmacy) is to be met. Please prayerfully consider making a donation through Hebron USA to help cover these additional costs.

Family Update:

All in all, life is good. We really missed having John with us but we knew his travels built the relationships that help make this truly a cross-cultural ministry.
We are grateful to have broadened our base of support to include an expanded relationship with Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church. We retain a close relationship with our home church in Mt. Airy, and Oak Ridge has offered to assist by receiving some donations to handle some additional financial needs.
Special thanks to all those who hosted Pablo and John on their travels across the US. Your hospitality was such a blessing to them!

Prayers:

For all those in Tabasco and Chiapas affected by the floods. May they know the love of Christ through outreach efforts from churches in Mexico and the US.
For God to call a new missionary family/couple to continue this ministry after our term of service is concluded next August. "Could it be you?" (see blog entry by that name)
For the willingness of Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church to step out in faith with us to be sure that we can complete our 2 1/2 year commitment here in Mexico
Of comfort for those experiencing loss, including the families of Hal Newell, Edna Wilson, and Richard Bergland
Of support and encouragement for those coping with illness, including Frank Splawn, Donna Painter, Carol McClancy, Tenney Dean, Nancy Lingenfelser, Jim Scott, Mary Wynne Perryman, Bonnie Bode, Katie Yarbrough, Marshall Hollingsworth, Louise Holshouser, and the family of our dear friend Cecelia. As always, please let us know of your prayer needs and whether it's ok to share them with others.
Of support and encouragement for fellow missionaries and their families around the world, including Pablo & Jan Feliciano, all the Dye Family Missionaries around the world, David Meacham, John and Sandra Wimbish and Julie Alexander and her family who have finally made it to Brazil!

Opportunities:

Donate to HebronUSA for Phase I and Phase II of the Manos de Cristo Medical Clinic in Ocosingo (http://www.hebronusa.org/8.html)
Mission Tip of the Month: For Christmas this year, consider giving a different kind of gift that keeps on giving! Kiva.Org is a micro-lending program that takes your $25 and loans it to those trying to get on their feet with small businesses around the world. When your $25 is paid back, you can either get it back or allow it to be loaned out again! www.kiva.org has a cool website that explains how it all works, including their gift certificate program. Consider this alternative Christmas gift for those of your Christmas list who already having everything they need! While we definitely hope that you continue to support this ministry here through Hebron USA, we thought you'd be interested in another way to reach out to make a difference in the world.

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support. Please keep in touch and follow along the daily walk by reading our blog.

Paz en Cristo,

Ginny, John, Holly & Maggie

Villahermosa Status Report

2007-11-11T13:06:00.000-06:00

My last entry was really more about the experience of helping than about the status of flood victims in Villahermosa. Thanks for letting me vent. It was therapeutic for me and hopefully gave you a taste of one of the challenges of missionary service. But...it didn't tell you much at all about how things are in Villahermosa!

In short, things are improving and that the city is definitely able to function. There are definitely still many parts of the city that are still under water (as much as 2 meters in some places) but on Friday it seemed to be about 1/2 of what it was the previous Sunday and completely gone in
some places that had been under about 1 meter of water before. There are definitely places of refuge and ways to get assistance, but to some degree, it depends on those in need. If they stay on their roofs and refuse to come in to dry land where there are shelters, food services being provided by the military and nonprofit groups, etc., then they suffer more. There are pumper trucks pumping water out of the streets, fumigation efforts to keep down mosquitos and subsequent disease, and evidence of some kind of powder on smaller areas of standing water that I think is supposed to prevent bacterial growth and mosquito infestations. Electrical, phone, television and internet services are all operable in most, if not all, parts of the city. There are still lots of closed roads, which makes traffic horrendous but folks are definitely able to use their cars, and public transportation is active and busy. This report is all based on my own first hand observation, not just hearsay. All in all, it appears that the situation is improving considerably.

There are definitely some things in favor of recovery in Villa that are different from the Gulf areas. Since most homes are built with cement walls, roofs and floors, a good scrubbing with bleach and water is usually enough to get homes habitable again once the waters recede. There's no insulation or sheetrock to pull out, no carpet or laminate flooring to pull up, and no siding to replace. Most folks will have to replace appliances, furniture and personal belongings, so it will definitely take a long time to get their homes totally back to normal. Some folks, though, may have been able to get things elevated enough that they mitigated their losses. Many businesses have been hard-hit, and recovery for them will have a dramatic effect on the economy of the city. Those with equipment and inventory that were damaged will be having to start over completely. We know of an optometrist who lost all the equipment for 4 eye clinics. On the other hand, there are many of the very poor who lived in shanties along the rivers who certainly lost everything. Ironically, they are back in the shanties, living alongside the same river! I don't know if they rebuilt the shanties or if the shanties just weren't washed away or what, but
there are many shanties being occupied along the river banks. So even those folks are at least back in some sort of home.

One of the other things that I think seems different is the attitude of the people of Villahermosa. I'm sure there are others who are not this way, but I've yet to encounter anyone on either trip that wasn't smiling! When describing the situation, their facial expressions become more serious, of course, but they seem to be able to find joy despite the devastation and loss. The joyful Mexican spirit is alive and well in the midst of the disaster.

We have been able to confirm that Ana Janeth Morales and her family are safe. We still do not know anything about Betsy Casola or Karina Gonzales Coronel's family in Tabasco.

What's also true is that the flooding has become a major problem in northern Chiapas as well as in the state of Tabasco. Because we can see that there is so much attention being given to Villahermosa, all future efforts for assistance will likely be directed towards the people in small villages in northern Chiapas. These folks are likely to have been completely ignored by most of the relief agencies and military assistance efforts.

So yes, things are getting better in Villahermosa, but there are still major problems in northern Chiapas. There are still many needs to pray about, pay for and be ready to pitch in to help with in the coming months. Bill Herring and Penny Musson have offered to bring a medical team down, and at least one group has volunteered to come to Villahermosa for clean-up and restoration efforts in early 2008. It would be great if we could get at least one group to come do the same in northern Chiapas! Any way you can help would be most appreciated.

The Price of Partnership (AKA 2nd Trip to Villahermosa After Flood

2007-11-10T19:39:00.001-06:00

The current vision for missions by PCUSA is that missionaries are "partners" with the nationals in the country where they serve. We have heard the stories about why all the missionaries from the Presbyterian churches were asked to leave in the '70's and have chosen to approach our ministry with the partnership model instead of the patriarchal model of the past. This has benefits in relationship building and demonstrates our belief that we are able and willing to be servants to those who know their own land, customs, culture and paths to success better than we do. This commitment to partnership bring challenges too.

Yesterday I left on my second caravan with flood relief supplies for Villahermosa. I traveled without the benefit of an interpreter and with 5 other people who didn't know how to get around the city of Villahermosa any better than I do. Hindsight's always 20/20, y'know?!

Since my first visit to Mexico in 1999, I have heard Pablo's orientation about Plan A being Man's Plan and Plan B, C, G or Z being God's Plan.

Plan A: Leave Ocosingo by 7AM with 2 vehicles with supplies to meet Lorena Valesquz (Exec Dir of Hebron Foundation) who would be there with another truck at a bridge on the outskirts of Villahermosa. Lorena would then take the supplies to boats distributing supplies in the areas of Villahermosa where families are still stranded on roofs and without access to the resources available to those in shelters. Lorena would get supplies to those who needed them the most, and we would be able to drop supplies without having to go all the way into the city and get back to Ocosingo by nightfall.

Plan B: Late departure from Ocosingo, so by the time we arrived, there was no truck and no Lorena at the bridge. My traveling companions spent lots of time talking, making cell calls, etc. Finally it was agreed that I should lead us to the new seminary. Unfortunately, we had already passed the turn to the new seminary, but of course I didn't know that! So, after realizing that I wasn't going to be able to get us to the new seminary, I managed to get us to the old seminary where the shelter is set up (a miracle in itself that I got us there!). Pastor Joel identified someone to lead us to the new seminary in his car. That's when all control was clearly out of my hands!

Plan C-Z: We followed this guy through back streets to his own business where he had us deposit about 1/2 our load. Then we resumed travel through the center of Villahermosa along with about 10 million other cars! Villa traffic is pretty bad when all the roads are open, so when more than 50% of the roads are closed, it's horrific! Trying not to exaggerate, I'll estimate that during most of this part of our wild-goose-chase, there were cars within 6 inches of me on all sides of my car! We finally exited the city, following the man, only to find that the road to the seminary was still closed. So we began the second part of the wild-goose-chase, following the man as he took us miles and miles away from Villahermosa. He was trying to find another way to the seminary, but it truly seemed like the blind leading the blind! To make a long story short, he eventually called for help, and we were met by someone who led us to his home.

In fine Mexican fashion, we were invited in with lots of hugs and kisses, served a very generous and tasty meal while we all talked about what a shame it was that there were people not getting help....all while our trucks sat loaded with supplies in front of their home. Finally, we unloaded the remaining supplies into the family's back bedroom, prayed together, and began the 3rd part of the wild-goose-chase - again following the same man, back through the same 10 million cars and finally exiting the city about dusk. I deposited my passengers at their homes and finally fell into my bed about 11:15.

Last Sunday, I was so concerned for the people of Villahermosa that I didn't care if we ended up giving our supplies to perfect strangers...at least someone would benefit. As I gave up all control yesterday about what I thought we should be doing, I just had to keep reminding myself that God must have another plan. But it was very hard because, no matter what I did, I had to sacrifice something....we couldn't honor both efficiency in helping AND honor the culture!

Efficiency in helping....Get the supplies to Lorena or insist on leaving them at the presbytery's shelter. This would require me to insist to those traveling with me that we do it my way instead of their way. Had I objected when we deposited the supplies with the individuals, it would have appeared that I did not trust them, even though my traveling companions did. Not exactly partnership, huh?

OR...

Honor the culture....Graciously accept and enjoy the meal that was offered to us, receive the hospitality in the spirit it was given, and leave the supplies with this family who promised to get the supplies distributed appropriately. This required accepting a good meal that could have been given to someone directly affected by the flood and leaving the supplies with an individual (which Pablo didn't want to happen). Although the family lived in a small community that may need help, it clearly was not under water or anywhere close to the living on rooftops or those who are the most desperate. Not exactly an efficient way of helping, huh?

It was a long, hard day. It was not possible to honor partnership, servanthood, efficiency in helping and cultural norms all at the same time. I can only fall back on Pablo's lesson about God's Plan and trust that God is working it all out. I can know that I demonstrated our commitment to partnership and servanthood....but not without paying the price of letting go.

Our 1st Trip into Villahermosa After the Flood

2007-11-05T17:51:00.001-06:00

After making our first successful trip into Villahermosa, Tabasco since last week's floods and getting additional information from other sources, we can report the following. For those of you who got my email, there are a few additions and corrections.

The Bad News
...The flooded areas are truly awful, and there are many of them. Water has receded some but remains as deep as 8-12 feet in many places around the city.
...Clearly Lorena Valesquez' email reflects the degree of fatigue by volunteers. Since this is basically Day 5 of a major natural disaster that will take months/years to recover from, it would make sense that they are exhausted.
...The flooding has now expanded into numerous parts of northern Chiapas as well. Those outside of the inner city of Villahermosa are surely at greater risk of not receiving assistance. This has become a greater problem within the last 48 hours, and these communities are so far removed from the relief efforts, that we are likely to shift our future assistance efforts to them.
...The area in which we deposited 3 large loads of medicine, clothes, food,
diapers, necessities and 50 large containers of water did NOT appear to have received many other donations of supplies.
...There are neighbors in Pablo & Jan's old and current neighborhoods who refuse to leave their homes and who are receiving aid from volunteers by boat.
...Pastor Joel's wife, Miriam, has a serious foot ulcer that has been
exacerbated by the flood conditions.
...We still have no current information about Betsy Casola or Ana Moralez or the family of Karina Gonzalez Coronel.

The Good News
...We were able to drive all the way to the old seminary, which is well into the city and the site of the Presbytery offices and the shelter operated by the Presbyterian churches and Hebron Foundation. Although we had to drive through 2 very deep areas of water, we were never in danger. The picture you see taken from inside my car was one of those 2 places.
...Where it is bad, it is very, very bad. But there are many places where it's not so bad. That means that there are places for people to escape to and places where they can find shelter and assistance.
...At the seminary there was a very well-organized operation ready to receive contributions and that was actively providing food, medical attention, housing and the provision of basic needs to about 850 people.
...We saw Pastors Joel & Pancho, their wives and Joel's son. All are safe, in
good spirits and able to answer important questions. Lorena and Pancho's son, Paco, were out delivering to those in Bosque who had refused to leave their homes.
...Pancho thinks that PCUSA/PDA is there with at least 2 representatives. He reported that Lorena is aware of the $20K in relief money and trying to tap into it.
...We learned from Huascar, the seminary director, through Ed Jennings, that an American teacher at the new seminary was able to be evacuated to Merida and was probably able to fly home from there.
...Also from Ed, we learned that the woman from Coastal Carolina Presbytery that was supposed to meet up with the folks from White Memorial Presbyterian (who were evacuated last Tuesday) is still in the Villahermosa area, staying with the seminary director's brother. We hope to help get her out this week.
...Also from Ed, we learned that the new seminary is in relatively good shape with not too much water damage. The director's house is surrounded by water, but otherwise the other buildings are more elevated.
...Pablo and Jan's house and the area near the new seminary are likely okay with far less water than most other places. Ezras is okay and likely staying at the house.
...It was a beautiful day with no rain and no rain in the immediate forecast.
...Now that we've been able to go in and out safely, we know that we can return in a few days with more supplies and volunteer assistance.

More information to follow. For now, any contributions should go through Hebron USA and be marked for Villahermosa Flood Relief, 6080 Old Brickstore Road, Greensboro, NC 27455.

Alarming Email Speaks Volumes

2007-11-02T23:43:00.000-06:00

I received the following email from Betsy Casola, a volunteer who traveled with mission groups for one summer several years ago. I loved working with Betsy because she loved practicing her English with me! In this picture, she's the one on the far right (along with Sali, Dina, Bani and Yolanda). Anyway, she and her family live in the state of Tabasco, and she sent out the following email message tonight....

HELLO EVERYBODY, I ASSUME THAT YOU ALREADY KNOWABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING HERE IN TABASCO. I just want to tell you that me and my family are Ok, but the situation here is terrible, I don't really know if we will survive becuause the water of the rivers are still going up. People are desperate and cry for the lack of food and for the people that have no been rescued. health problems finally appeared. I am writing to you from home, there is no water here in my town, but we cannot comunicate by cellphones and tv sometimes does not work. I do not know if I will be able to be in touch with you. we are helping people from around, now my town is an island and there is no food at the supermarkets, we have some and we hope we can be comunicated again. if the water reach us, this will be the end, because my town is one if the highest. I just wanted to tell you that I remember you with love and if we do not meet here on earth, we will meet in heaven. Betsy.

Wow. It speaks volumes about the degree of fear people have for their very survival. I hope to be able to drive to Tabasco soon to start delivering supplies, but at this point, helicopters are needed to really get supplies into the areas in need. I promise that I won't do anything foolish, but it feels awful to sit at home, so close to such tragedy, and do nothing. Please pray, share the story in your prayer circles and churches, and send funds through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance if you're able. Details about how to send money are below in the post about the email from PCUSA.

I emailed Betsy to say that help would be there soon and that I have faith that God will keep them safe until then. Pray that's right.

PCUSA Trying to Help

2007-11-02T10:10:00.000-06:00

FYI...We received the following email from Dave Thomas, Stan DeVoog and Marissa Winslow with PCUSA regarding the situation in Tabasco...

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

We are writing to inform you of a disaster in Mexico that is not
receiving much news coverage in the U.S., but one that has already
had greater impact than the recent landfall of Hurricane Dean.
Several days ago, there was a weather phenomenon that caused large
waves to inundate the coastline of the state of Tabasco,
accompanied by heavy rains in the area of two major rivers...the
Grijalva and the Usumacinta...which both pass through the state
in the city of Villahermosa.  The resulting flooding has affected
an estimated 70% of the state´s residents.  The situation in
Tabasco is severe and extremely critical for thousands of Tabasco
residents.  The presbytery office in Villahermosa has been converted
into a major shelter, and the Tabasco Synod office there is
completely flooded.

Earlier this week, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance sent $10,000
as a rapid response fund, but the magnitude of this situation --
which is beyond the control and capability of the local and state
government -- demands a comprehensive effort.  The good news is that
the Mexican government is allowing and facilitating aid from a variety
of church-related agencies including the Presbyterians.  PDA needs
funds right now to deal with this situation.  What is desperately
needed is canned food, bottled water, blankets, floor mattresses,
first aid medicines, equipment and materials for purifying water,
and clothing...but because of the limited access to the region, it's
preferable that financial aid be sent.  It's still possible to buy
needed supplies in the local marketplace, which is the best way to
meet the needs of the people.

If your U.S. presbytery or local church can help, please send
contributions to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, using the following
account code:  DR000014 for Mexico.  You can do this on the PC(USA)
website at:
http://www.pcusa.org/pda/response/latinamerica/mexico-index.htm

PDA is working closely with the leadership of our partner denomination,
the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico, helping to coordinate
the disaster response with the local Synod and local Presbyteries
in Tabasco.  Yesterday afternoon there was a meeting with 8 presbytery
representatives from the Tabasco Synod, but many others did not attend
because they couldn't get there. The Mexican Presbyterian leaders who
are coordinating the recovery in Tabasco have undergone special training
that was conducted cooperatively by PDA and other disaster agencies.

As someone who is involved in a partnership with a Mexican church or
presbytery, we urge you to consider making a financial contribution
to PDA so that immediate assistance can be rendered in the state of
Tabasco.

Que Dios le bendiga,

Dave Thomas, Regional Liaison with Mexico Stan DeVoogd,
Area Coordinator for Mexico and Central America

Marisa Winslow
Administrative Assistant for Central America/Mexico
General Assembly Council
PCUSA World Mission

We'd recommend that anyone who is able to contribute financially do so through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance rather than through Hebron USA. PDA is much more likely to be able to get funds to those in need promptly. Please join us in continuing to pray for all those affected by this situation including a woman from the Coastal Carolina Presbytery who could not be evacuated with the group from White Memorial Presbyterian in Raleigh, NC there for a work group this week.

I'm not going to burden folks with frequent emails about this situation, but I'll be trying to post to this blog regularly as I have new information. There's much to be grateful for too. To the best of my knowledge, there's been only one death. Join us in prayer for his family and in gratitude for the safety of literally over one million others affected by this flood.

Su hermana en Cristo,
Ginny

Flooding is serious, but we're not affected

2007-11-01T17:39:00.000-06:00

The state of Tabasco is in a state of crisis, as is a small part of the state of Chiapas. Our family is completely safe, but we are quite worried about many that we know and love who live near Villahermosa. About 85% of the state of Tabasco is under water, and the effects will be felt for months and possibly years to come. Please keep those in Tabasco in your prayers, especially Ana, Pastors Joel and Pancho, and Don Fernando. We hope to begin helping with relief efforts next week when the waters go down enough for trucks to get in and out, and for now we're just praying and collecting supplies. More details to come.

Contrasting Priorities & Common Sense

2007-10-30T13:49:00.000-06:00

I'm grateful for internet access as it allows us to stay connected to people and to our world in NC, and yet the recognition of what's going on in NC sometimes makes what we see here from the mission field in southern Chiapas, Mexico even more profound.

In yesterday's online version of the Winston-Salem Journal, I read that the City of Winston-Salem has advised First Baptist Church that it cannot begin its overflow homeless shelter program until it meets safety requirements for those providing overnight housing. The church voted earlier this year to open their gym as an overflow homeless shelter for the cold months of the year. Now, at first blush, the safety regulations seemed like a good thing - that the city was saying, "Just because you're housing homeless people doesn't mean that you can ignore their safety needs. You have to be sure they'll be safe before you allow them to stay there." But when you read further, you realize that the requirements may result in people not being helped at all! The church may be required to install a sprinkler system, handicapped access to its shelter area, and meet other code requirements....all to the tune of as much as $100,000!

Flash to Mexico...
Today, on my way to the market, I drove past a crowd of people on the side of the road. They were listening to someone in authority and were all gazing upon about 50 small piles of raw meat. The meat had been evenly divided into portions that were separated and laid out on a large piece of black plastic. While I couldn't be sure, it appeared that the meat would be distributed to those waiting, and since there's a viable meat market within 1/2 mile, I assume the meat was being given away, not sold. The meat was raw, sitting in the sun and obviously not packaged or refrigerated. By the time I returned from the market less than an hour later, the people and the meat were all gone. All that remained were the turkey vultures and dogs going after the remains.

Somehow we've got to find a way to get our standards in perspective. The sale of raw, unrefrigerated, unpackaged meat in Mexico is typical. It happens every day in smaller towns that don't have supermarkets (like ours). Safety and sanitation requirements are a good thing, and it's been hard for me to get used to buying the meat at the local meat market. But I do it. I did it while I was out today, and I'll cook it tonight. Certainly the people in Ocosingo who received the free meat will be cooking their meat tonight too, while the homeless facing the first frost of the season in Forsyth County will not find comfort at First Baptist Church. Yes, we need to be concerned about the safety of those in need, but not to the extend that we keep them from being helped by those willing to help them.

Common sense tells us that the City should compare the risk for homeless people to experience cold temperatures, bitter winds, cold rain and snow with their risk for getting burned up in a gymnasium. If there are two things homeless people have it's street smarts and common sense. Something tells me, the homeless would take their chances in the gym.

Pray for Clinic Construction & The Maestro

2007-10-24T18:24:00.000-05:00

When it rains, it pours. You already know there's a norte, so the cool/wet weather makes it hard to get much construction work done anyway. But that's not the half of it! Funds to pay a full work crew were depleted several weeks ago, hence part of the reason John & Pablo are off fund-raising and relationship building. But yesterday, things got even worse!

Elias, better know as "The Maestro," is our crew chief and master builder for the clinic. Yesterday, he fell off the roof and injured his arm. Randy DuVall from Virginia Beach, VA who broke his arm on the worksite this summer can take some comfort in knowing that "it can happen to anybody," but overall, this is just one more piece of bad news for clinic construction. In the picture, the Maestro is the guy in jeans to John's left.

Please pray for Elias, that he is able to receive the required medical care so that he is pain-free and able to resume his duties soon. Please pray that the need for quality medical care for indigenous people is recognized by generous donors so that the funds needed to finish the medical clinic, now aptly named "Las Manos de Cristo" (The Hands of Christ), will provide the much-needed funds so that a full construction crew can resume its work and meaningful progress resume.

Just weird!

2007-10-23T21:09:00.000-05:00

It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it really gets your attention! What is this anomaly? It's called a "norte," and it means it's cold in Mexico! Whoopee! You can see the front moving slowly towards you all day, and strong gusts of wind tell you for sure that it's on the way. When it arrives, the rain comes with it, and it may last for several days. As we speak, I'm grateful to have my heavy fleece pullover, long sleeved shirts and warm socks --- just what you need for days like this. Guess I'll have to put an extra blanket on my bed tonight since my hubby won't be here to keep me warm tonight!

To be cold in Mexico....it's just weird!

Spanish-required?

2007-10-22T22:42:00.000-05:00

So as folks are pondering "Could it be me?" questions are beginning to come in. That's great! That means that there are folks out there who are receptive to God's leading in their lives and open to consider the possibility that God could be calling them to Ocosingo for a longer stay.

One of the most typical questions is related to language. "Is Spanish an absolute requirement? Is it possible to serve without speaking Spanish?" Because this has been such a challenge for us, I thought I'd share....

"It's a hard call, to be honest. Neither of us (John or Ginny) spoke Spanish before we came here, so "yes, it's possible, and 'no' it's not an absolute requirement." On the other hand, not speaking Spanish has severely limited our opportunities, and it is something that frustrates us both daily.

I am constantly aware of how many more things I could do if I were genuinely fluent. I could use my counseling and teaching skills which are so desperately needed here. The fact that there is always someone around who speaks English is both a blessing and a curse. It allows us to be able to get away with not speaking Spanish, which keeps us from having to work at it as hard. But, that said, it's certainly been possible to be here and accomplish many things and be of great service. During the weeks in which groups are being hosted, obviously English is the primary language and that represents about 1/3 of the year now.

What did we do? We did lots of little things in the states before coming here and planned to use the LAMP system after arriving (Language Acquisition Made Practical). This system was supposed to be better because you learn the language as it is spoken where you'll be living. Before coming, we used lots of tapes, Rosetta Stone, Speed Spanish online (which probably helped us more than all the other little things put together!), and tons of study guides. John never really did LAMP because he got busy too quickly, and by the time the girls and I arrived, group season was in high gear! We waited until September before embarking on 2 weeks of language school in San Cristobal. It was a great experience, but it was too short, and I was too focused on being a parent and making sure both our kids were getting it and not feeling too overwhelmed. As it has turned out, both Holly and Maggie clearly have the gift of language and have become quite proficient. They are taking high school Spanish courses online, so their academic instruction in Spanish is ongoing. Their social life is entirely with Mexicans, so they are motivated to learn to be interact more with their peers here.

I teach English at a local language school two days a week, and that has help me a lot too. There are times that I really need to be able to speak Spanish to explain myself to my students. They are so very patient with me because they know how hard it is!

If we had it to do all over again, I'd do it this way from the MINUTE we even started considering entering the mission field...

....Go to language school (locally in NC, in Guatemala or San Cristobal)
....Consider getting a private tutor to meet with your family every week until you move
....Go to language school in San Cristobal within 1 week of arriving in Ocosingo. Come in just long enough to get the car unpacked, everyone get a few good nights' sleep, and then GO before the needs here get too much of your attention.
....Have 4 weeks of language school in San Cristobal without your kids in the same class
....Live with a family for the 4 weeks instead of staying in a hotel
....Make yourself go out and speak Spanish every day no matter what...to the guy at the vegetable stand, to a church member, to Pablo's staff, to Bible School students...to anybody who will listen!

This combination is likely to get you fluent enough from the start, and your skills would build from there (instead of building from scratch like we did). That said, I think it's perfectly conceivable to do that in the coming months and should not stand as an obstacle. "

Lastly, if someone is fluent in Spanish, they have the option of taking Tzeltal classes at the language schools in San Cristobal also. This is the native language of the Tzeltal people, it's nothing like Spanish, but knowing Tzeltal is invaluable to missionaries here. The only problem is, the Tzeltal course is taught by someone who doesn't speak English! Almost all of the meetings that John attends are held in Tzeltal, so his Spanish does him no good at all there!

As someone who talks a lot (yes, I do know this about myself ;-)) the experience of not being able to talk as much has been an interesting aspect of this journey and not an altogether bad one, I suspect. I must listen more, listen more closely, beg for lots of forgiveness, and otherwise humble myself every day. As much as I wish my Spanish skills were better (and I am learning more and more every day), I think these aspects of the experience have been important for me personally. Still, I think having a command of the language from the start is the way to go.

Lessons learned the hard way.

The Joy of Worship through the Eyes of a Child

2007-10-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite parts of the Mexican worship experience is the time for participation. This is an open invitation to each person present to come forward to share a song, a memory verse, or an instrumental. And the beauty of it is, the sharing is to glorify God, to honor God with our gifts, and to show our love for God through the use of those gifts. Sometimes there are only one or two people, other times there could be many. In Tzeltal village churches, this time for participation can last over an hour!

There is a family that has become involved in our little mission church. There are three young girls who had been severely neglected after they lost their mother. A Christian woman married their father, and she apparently made it her mission to nurture, heal and teach the love of God to these beautiful little girls. Their father remains ambivalent about the church, so their participation in worship is sporadic. But...when these little girls are in church....oh my, but they do glorify God in their participation!!!

As they sing, their heads are tilted back a bit and their eyes clearly fixed towards Heaven. Their hands motion, sometimes offering up praises to God, other times clutching their hearts to reflect their love for God. One cannot possibly witness their participation without recognizing their love for God and their gratitude to have God in their lives. They are truly angelic.

Someday soon, I hope to be able to add a picture to this post, but for now, just close your eyes and picture the scene. They are a reminder to us all that our worship is to glorify God and to demonstrate our love for God through the shared experience.

Thanks be to God for little girls (and boys) who love God and who remind us of the most important things in life.

Could it be you?

2007-10-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

Years ago, a young John Mills wooed me with his guitar and his own love songs. Somehow it didn't matter that he'd written most of those songs for other girls --- after all, he was singing them to me at the time! One of my favorites was "Could it be you?" A few lines can give you the flavor...

Could it be you?
Just an old friend from my past
Come to show me how
Good love could be
Could it be you?

Could it be real?
And not a flash in the pan
Could it be that you
Feel like I feel
Could it be real?

Could it be love?
The one to last for all time
Could it be that I've
Waited long enough
Could it be love?

There are a few other verses, but you get the idea. The song is asking if you could be the one to love me forever. Well, needless to say, I said "Oh, YES! It IS me!" And nearly 18 years later, I'm happy to say that I still want to be the one to show John how good love can be and to be the love in his life to last for all time. But that's not really the point of this post.

The question is, "Could it be you?" that God is calling to continue the ministry here in Ocosingo. Our Partners in Ministry received my email "An Invitation" inviting each of them to prayerfully consider if God could be calling them to serve here in Ocosingo for 2-5 years. If you did not receive the invitation and want to know more, please comment on this post, and we'll follow up with you. Indeed we have learned to trust that God will decide (not John and Ginny) who should step forward next. So...

Could it be you?

Profiles in Growing Up Fast

2007-10-14T17:44:00.001-05:00

I don't know much about their reasons, but we've come to know two amazing young people who have chosen to move beyond their family situations and pursue education at an amazingly young age. One has to wonder if God planted a seed in their hearts that grew with fervor, if their situations were just intolerable, or what, but it's clear these two young people saw education as the key. Their stories are worth sharing.

Dorothea is a young woman in her mid-20's. I had heard a little of her story, but she recently stopped by the bible school to see Pastor Pablo who was in Merida. Dorothea was on her way to Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas, to take her exams for licensure as a doctor. We welcomed her into our home and to our dinner table, helped her connect with Pablo's wife, Jan, then got her on the late-night bus to Tuxtla. Dorothea had come to the seminary in Villahermosa when it was still in downtown, long before the new seminary was built (the one we worked on early in our travels there). She was a full-time music student at the seminary, but she had not been able to go to regular school before that time. I honestly don't know how old she was when she came to the seminary, but she was a double full-time student the whole time she was in Villahermosa. That means that, in addition to completing her music degree from seminary, she also completed primaria (elementary), secondaria (middle) and prepa (high school). She later went on to medical school and is now working in the Lacandon jungle area near Santo Domingo. Somewhere along the way, she has battled cancer as well. This amazing young woman from the Chol people group (like Tzeltal, the Chol people are Mayan descendents with their own language) is dedicated to staying in Chiapas and serving the indigenous people here. We talked about the possibility of her coming to work at Las Manos de Cristo, the medical clinic we are building here, and I am hopeful that she will prayerfully consider doing so. What a blessing it was to have her with us, albeit briefly!

The other young person is known to many who have traveled to Ocosingo to work at the bible school. Geyner is an 18-year old theology graduate, yes GRADUATE, of the bible school here. He has worked with many mission groups and faithfully served a small mission on the road to Tonina while a student here. He's always working on his English, always loves engaging with Americans, and is willing to do anything asked of him. I have never known any young person who is as dedicated to knowing the Word of God and to preaching the Word as is Geyner. It is truly his passion and his gift. The bible school is really one step removed from a seminary degree, so of course Geyner wants to go to seminary. The only problem is, he's never gone to prepa (high school) and he's far below the 21 y/o minimum age! So, young Geyner is now leading our tiny mission church, going to prepa in San Cristobal on the weekends, and living here at the bible school in graduate housing ---fulfilling the requirements to make him eligible to go to seminary and seek ordination.

Both Geyner and Dorothea are living proof that we sometimes need to break the rules to allow God to work in unusual circumstances. I'm a "rule keeper" who's married to a "rule breaker," but imagine if the rules about age limitations had been adhered to fiercely in these two situations? Someone had to have agreed to allow these two young teens to begin an adult program. Someone had to see their dedication and commitment and allow it to flourish. For this "rule keeper," I should keep their pictures close at hand to remind me that sometimes (and only sometimes, John! :-)) the rules need to be broken to allow God to fulfill God's purposes.

Thanks be to God for Dorothea y Geyner!

October Update

2007-10-06T10:59:00.000-05:00

Dear Partners in Missions:

We hope all is well for you and yours. Here's an effort to summarize all that's been happening lately.

General Mission Update:

As the summer group season has come to a close, there are already 10 groups scheduled for next year's mission trips. So, if you are considering scheduling a mission trip for next year, please review our web page detailing 2008 Mission Trips already scheduled and drop us an email as soon as possible about your possible plans for 2008.
Ginny taught workshops in the annual Pastor's Conference at the bible school (Stress Management; Counseling Basics; and Addiction, Recovery and The Church). Special thanks to Penny Musson and Margie Turner (North Wilkesboro Pres) and Gray Clark (Fellowship Pres in Greensboro, NC) who also taught workshops.
While on furlough in NC, we made presentations at 1st Presbyterian in Pilot Mountain; Highland Presbyterian in Winston-Salem; 1st Presbyterian in Mt. Airy and the Asheville Rotary Club. We also enjoyed worship and fellowship opportunities at 1st Presbyterian in Boone and Oak Ridge Presbyterian.
Since returning, Ginny has resumed teaching English classes and will soon resume participation in prison ministry.
John and Pablo Feliciano participated in the PCUSA World Mission Conference in Louisville and have begun a multi-state tour to share about Las Manos de Cristo and other ministry needs here in Chiapas.

Manos de Cristo Update (Medical Clinic):

Most summer construction efforts were totally focused on the clinic. Approximately 90% of the roof for Phase I was completed. A special lightweight, daylight roof will be installed over the patient waiting area.
Interior walls, doors, windows, tile flooring and other finishing are to be completed in the coming months.
Movement of furniture and medical equipment donations across the border remains a concern. John and Dr. Bill Herring met with representatives from Samaritan's Purse to request assistance with additional medical equipment donations and delivery. Approval is pending.
Additional funds are still needed if the May, 2008 target opening date for Phase I (Outpatient Primary Medical, Dental, Lab and Pharmacy) is to be met. Please prayerfully consider making a donation through Hebron USA to help cover these additional costs.

Family Update:

Despite our lengthy saga, we are now fully-legal with new visas and a new car permit. Thanks be to God!
We enjoyed a great visit to NC and got to visit with lots of special people in our lives. It was especially good to have additional time with Ginny's dad who is doing well but still adjusting to life since losing Ginny's mom last December.
Holly and Maggie have begun a new school year and are happy to be back with friends here in Ocosingo.
Animal friends come and go in Mexico, which is why we elected to let our Corgi, Baxter, be in foster care while we are in Mexico. Upon returning, we learned that one dog, Ray Ray, had managed to recover from injuries sustained before we left for NC, but that our puppy, Oreo, was gone! So far, no Oreo. But....as fate would have it, the tiniest, boniest, most pitiful little kitten you've ever seen landed on our porch. So, Dobby (think the house elf from Harry Potter movies) is now getting lots of tender loving care at the Mills household.

Prayers

For God to continue opening doors of opportunity for us to serve
For safe travels for John and Pablo as they visit churches, small groups, bible studies, Rotary clubs, and others around the US. May they build meaningful relationships and help others catch a glimpse of how God is at work in Chiapas and how they can be a part of it.
For all the short-term missionaries who came to Mexico this year. May they continue to reflect on their experiences and may those experiences move them to continuously be on the lookout for opportunities to serve in their own backyards.
Of comfort for those experiencing loss, including the families of Dot Hurley and Tom Edwards.
Of support and encouragement for those coping with illness, including Frank Splawn, Hal Newell, Donna Painter, Pastor Andre, Carol McClancy, Tenney Dean, Nancy Lingenfelser, Jim Scott, Mary Wynne Perryman, Bonnie Bode, Katie Yarbrough, Mr. BeShears, Marshall Hollingsworth, Louise Holshouser, and the family of our dear friend Cecelia. As always, please let us know of your prayer needs and whether it's ok to share them with others.
For the family of Doreen and Alan Desjardins as they prepare for a year apart with Doreen's deployment to Washington, D.C.
Of gratitude to North Wilkesboro Presbyterian for assistance with medical care expenses for Amalia Feliciano, who is recovering from gall bladder surgery.
Of support and encouragement for fellow missionaries and their families around the world, including Pablo & Jan Feliciano, all the Dye Family Missionaries around the world, David Meacham, and John and Sandra Wimbish.
Special prayers for Julie Alexander, her husband John, and their children as they seek to begin their missionary service in Brazil.

Opportunities

Donate to HebronUSA for Phase I and Phase II of the Manos de Cristo Medical Clinic in Ocosingo (www.hebronusa.org/Support.html)
Donate to First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Airy, NC for our family’s missionary support (www.millsfamilymission.org/5.html)
John and Pablo are currently scheduling programs and visits in several US states for several weeks in October and November. Times are limited, but those who would like to request a visit should email John at hebronfoundation@att.net or call him at 336.829.4329.
Mission Tip of the Month: Let us share one of our latest reads, compliments of our friends Bert & Mary Beth Wood.... Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne. This is an incredible book, challenging us all to be more deliberate in our pursuit of a life that mimics Jesus'. For more information, check out the blog entry, "Irresistible Revolution" for a few powerful quotes that represent just a few of the incredible nuggets of inspiration found inside this incredible book.

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and support. Please keep in touch and drop us an email from time to time and follow along the daily walk by reading this blog. Blog writing came to a screeching halt during our furlough, but new posts should be flowing regularly again soon.

Paz en Cristo,
Ginny, John, Holly & Maggie

Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical

2007-10-06T10:29:00.000-05:00

Let us share one of our latest reads, compliments of our friends Bert & Mary Beth Wood.... Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne. This is an incredible book, challenging us all to be more deliberate in our pursuit of a life that mimics Jesus'. Check out these powerful quotes that represent just a few of the incredible nuggets of inspiration found inside this incredible book.

Love without courage and wisdom is sentimentality, as with the ordinary church member. Courage without love and wisdom is foolhardiness, as with the ordinary soldier. Wisdom without love and courage is cowardice, as with the ordinary intellectual. But the one who has love, courage and wisdom moves the world.
Ammon Hennacy

So I did a little survey, probing Christians about their (mis)conceptions of Jesus.... I asked participants who claimed to be "strong followers of Jesus" whether Jesus spent time with the poor. Nearly 80% said yes. I asked this same group of strong followers whether they spent time with the poor and less than 2% said they did. I learned a powerful lesson. We can admire and worship Jesus without doing what he did. We can applaud what he preached and stood for without caring about the same things. We can adore his cross without taking up ours. I had come to see that the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor, but that rich Christians do not know the poor. Irresistible Revolution, p. 113

(Jesus) had a new definition of family, rooted in the idea that we are adopted as orphans into the family of God and that this rebirth creates a new kind of kinship that runs deeper than biology or geography or nationality. Rebirth is about being adopted into a new family - without borders. With new eyes, we can see that our family is both local and global, including but transcending biology, tribe or nationality, a renewed vision of the kin-dom of God with brothers and sisters (everywhere).
Irresistible Revolution, p. 200-201

To you, our brothers and sisters all across the globe, let us all take up our crosses, seek to act with love, courage and wisdom, and risk living life following the example of Jesus.

Deacons, Pack, Heels, Mountaineers - EVERYONE UNITE!

2007-09-27T18:39:00.000-05:00

Got a really cool email from one of my favorite groups. If you aren't familiar with the ONE Campaign, you should be. ONE's goal is to eliminate poverty in the world. ONE is raising public awareness and energizing people do whatever it takes to eliminate poverty for good. We were introduced to the ONE Campaign by our pastor, Dr. Steve Lindsley at 1st Presbyterian in Mt. Airy. The ONE Campaign has come up with a cool way to engage the leaders of tomorrow.

The ONE Campus Challenge seeks to engage students in the campaign, recognizing that students have always played a role in bringing about major societal changes. Using the power of school spirit and competition, ONE will keep score of students, alums, parents, faculty, staff, friends of the campus, or friends of the student who sign up in support of their school. The top 100 schools will have representatives invited to a 3-Day poverty conference in Washington, DC and the top 10 schools will get grants to start their own poverty-fighting programs. I think this is a way-cool idea!

I sent out a bunch of email invitations to lots of my Wake Forest friends, and I'd love to see Wake Forest be a contender for the Challenge in hopes of spurring more poverty-fighting activities on campus, so BY ALL MEANS, if you have any Deacon connection, please sign up as part of the Wake Forest University campus. But no matter what your persuasion, even you Tarheels and Blue Devils out there, go to www.one.org/campus/thechallenge.html. Read more, sign up on behalf of your favorite school, and find ways to encourage others to do the same.

Lastly, I'd like to direct you to enjoy a song written by NC's own Bryan Field McFarland which addresses the very subject of worldwide hunger. Check out his cool song, "There's Enough" by clicking on the title. Once you get to his website, click on the download for the song according to your internet connection. Enjoy!

I hope you'll check out www.ONE.org and the Campus Challenge. Join in this important effort and inspire others as well!

Immigration 101: What We've Learned

2007-08-28T21:38:00.000-05:00

1. Those who say they're coming to "work," have to apply for an FM3.
2. Those who say they're coming to help their church may have to apply for an FM3 through their church.
3. Americans who overstay their visas have to pay a fine based on their length of stay after their expiration date (or not).
4. The Mexican immigration system is inconsistent in its explanations and its requirements.
5. When in distress, call the US Embassy sooner rather than later. They speak your language, they're there to help you, and they have helpful information.
6. No amount of sweet-talking, bullying or cajoling will render the desired response if Mexican immigration officials think they need more paperwork.
7. All things come together for good for those who love God according to God's purposes. (Okay, so we already knew that, but we had to be reminded!)
8. We're grateful to have been free to visit the US and will return to Mexico to continue God's work, having faith that we are serving God according to God's purposes.

Fertile Ground vs. Shark-infested Waters (Part II)

2007-08-18T21:02:00.000-05:00

So, our primary lesson through this experience has been "God will provide." God provided for us once again, but this time, I was totally surprised! As I mentioned in the other entry, I agreed to tread into dangerous waters at the Pastor's Conference by introducing the idea of addiction/alcoholism as a disease. This was, indeed, risky in Mexico.

Mexican Presbyterians (and perhaps other Protestants as well) take a very definitive position about alcohol use. It's not allowed....period. Abstinence from all alcohol is one of the ways in which Mexican Presbyterians witness to others that walking the path of Christianity is decidedly different from others, including Catholics, in their midst. Yes....Catholics.

You see, Catholicism in Southern Mexico is a variation on the Catholicism of the Roman Catholic Church. Mayan Catholicism can be loosely described as a hybrid of the practices of the ancient Mayan animists and Catholicism as introduced by the Spanish when they conquered Mexico. Mayan Catholics may wear crosses and rosary beads like Roman Catholics, but they may also sacrifice animals at the alters of Catholic churches in Chiapas, persecute and even kill Protestants, and celebrate "saints days" by getting drunk and partying in the streets. Protestants distinguish themselves from Mayan Catholics by their behavior which does NOT include drinking, smoking or dancing. Presbyterian churches also practice "church discipline," intervening when members engage in behavior unbecoming of Christians.

As a professional counselor with considerable experience in the field of addictions, I've always worried about the Mexican Presbyterian church's position about alcohol, primarily because I know the church is regularly baptising "new Christians." These "new Christians" may be very genuine in their decision to commit their lives to Jesus Christ and to embrace all the practices of the church. But what about the person who is well traveled on the road of alcoholism? Can pastors understand it if their genuine commitments to abstinence from alcohol use are unsuccessful? Will they embrace them with the love of Christ or will they chastise them for failing to live up to the behavioral expectations of Christians?

And so it was that I introduced addiction as a disease to the pastors at the pastors' conference. And once again, God provided. I gave the academic explanations, but the pastors had a chance to see the real thing. The pastors got a chance to meet a real, living Christian who had walked the path of active addiction and recovery. Let me back up...

I welcomed a new group to Ocosingo, and I mentioned that several of us would be presenting workshops at the Pastors' Conference. I referenced my plan to address alcoholism and the role of the church in addressing the problems of addiction. Later, a member of the group approached me to volunteer to speak about their own experiences of addiction, recovery and the role of the church. Now....prior to that week, to my knowledge we only had 1 actively recovering person visit Mexico this year. This 2nd person made the ratio 2:225. That there was a recovering person present at all when I spoke on this topic is miraculous. That the recovering person revealed themselves (thus breaking their own anonymity, a key principle of Alcoholics Anonymous) was another miracle. That this person volunteered to share of their experience, strength and hope with the pastors was another miracle.

Once again, God did, indeed, provide. God provided someone to share how they became addicted despite believing in God and being actively involved in a church....how they experienced rejection by a fiercely-conservative church during a time of great emotional distress....how they benefitted from a church-provided space for AA meetings....how they have found support in both the church and AA for a life of 15-years of recovery...and how they have grown in their faith through both addiction AND recovery.

God provided a living, breathing, faith-professing example for our discussion. With God's help, we can hope that the pastors have a new understanding and newfound compassion for those suffering from active addiction and how important it is for churches to be a part of the solution. Thanks be to God!

Fertile Ground or Shark-infested Waters? (Part 1)

2007-08-11T09:32:00.001-05:00

This week, 2 group members and I had the honor of teaching courses in an annual pastor's conference for the Maya Synod. The event draws about 30 pastors and their families to the bible school for 2 weeks of study, fellowship and time away from their usual responsibilities. Having a group of 24 Americans, 8 Mexican paramedics, construction workers, our staff & family, and all those pastors and their families really taxed the resources of the bible school, but we pulled it off.

Mexican pastors are an interesting lot. They are incredible servants with huge responsibilities. They typically pastor 2-3 churches, with each church having spun-off or planted 5-15 small congregations and/or tiny missions. The vocabulary is a bit different than what we're used to, but suffice it to say that churches are big, start other worship gatherings, and are responsible for the church (larger), it's congregations (medium-sized) and it's missions (usually 10-50 participants in worship). Although elders in all 3 sized gatherings help with preaching and day-to-day congregational care, the pastors are expected to visit all of the above and do their best to meet the demands of each. One little tidbit....session meetings are held monthly and typically last 3 days!

With all that responsibility, Mexican pastors also very authoritative. They command a huge amount of respect, are often waited on hand-and-foot by women, are prone to not respect women's intelligence, and often have bought into the notion that they really do know everything. To offer up new information to pastors can feel intimidating, even to the most seasoned teachers. Which brings me to our week... 3 American women, teaching 12 hours worth of content with translation by Pablo. While we were admittedly a little anxious that we might be venturing into shark-infested waters, we prepared ourselves to share important information with pastors with the fervent hope and prayer that we would be sowing seeds in fertile ground.

Penny Musson from N. Wilkesboro, NC has been participating in medical missions in Mexico for at least 5 summers. She has seen literally thousands of patients, loves the Tzeltal people, and hoped to share some important insights from her experiences here in hopes of reducing incidents of water-borne illnesses and other illnesses that can be prevented with better personal hygiene. She was joined by another highly experienced nurse and fellow group member, Margie Turner. They'd prepared for weeks but were feeling a little anxious about the audience. "Oh, it'll be fine!" I reassured her. To me, Penny & Margie's topics of community health, personal hygiene and handwashing seemed so benign and obviously important that I couldn't imagine them getting any flack from the pastors. I was worried for myself though, because I knew that I would be introducing very controversial information about alcoholism as a disease later on in the week.

Well, wouldn't you know it?! One pastor just had to take the benign and turn it into a theological discussion about the different biblical positions on the practice of handwashing! He challenged our teachers as if they were biblical scholars, wanting them to defend their recommendations biblically! For heavens sakes! These women were simply trying to help people avoid getting worms, amoebas and other things that make them unnecessarily sick! The atmosphere in the room went sour fast! The only saving grace was that it was at the end of the Tuesday session. All 3 American women walked away angry, defensive and highly guarded about proceeding with our part in the conference.

As it turned out, we were able to comfort ourselves and regroup sufficiently to resume our discussion the next day. Pablo was helpful in that, and he is the one who pointed out to that the source of the challenge was a "young whipper-snapper." Clearly this phenomenon is not unique to American culture! The next day, Penny returned to the classroom, armed with a strong biblical response to the young whipper-snapper, and prepared to move on with other topics --- hoping and praying that we would not have a repeat of Day One! Well, sure enough, Young Whipper-Snapper bowed out of that day's session, and his colleagues discreetly expressed their sympathies to Margie and Penny for the behavior of their colleague and encouraged them to proceed with the day's topics. Day Two, Three and Four went beautifully, and when Young Whipper-Snapper returned and was rebutted, he thanked Penny for her well-thought-out and biblically-defensible response. Even my sessions on Stress Management (which challenged them to be able to say "no" to some requests), Alcoholism as a Disease (worthy of the same kind of compassion as other diseases) and Pastoral Counseling (as a counseling approach rather than telling people what do) were all seemingly well-received.

As a teaching team, we found the fertile ground, but perhaps not until after we swam through some waters infested with at least 1 shark. God truly challenged each of us in different ways as we sought to share information with these Tzeltal pastors. In the end, I believe that our seeds did fall on fertile soil, that they did seem to consider some new ways of looking at old issues, and that our time together was valuable. For us as teachers, we learned to be prepared to face biblical challenges to modern conventional wisdom, to resist getting pulled out of our area of expertise, and to find ways to entice Mexican pastors to want to hear more about what we had to say. We as teachers grew. Hopefully they as pastors grew. Thanks be to God.

ssssPsych!!!! (Immigration Update)

2007-08-05T12:02:00.000-05:00

Okay, so we finally got the letter from Immigration that says that we are "en tramite" or "in process." Ginny thought the letter could be used as a permit to use when crossing the border and that it would explain that the Mexican government has our passports, etc. No such luck. It simply is a document that says that we´re in the process of getting a change in our immigration status, and we have to take that permit to another government facility to apply for a permit to travel. We have to get a permit to be able to LEAVE Mexico, while they decide if we can STAY in Mexico for more than 6 months at a time. Ugh!!! The process seems interminable, and our travel dates for visiting NC are fast approaching.

Please pray for John and Francisco (AKA Leek, the Leek or Paco) as they try to get a permit from the Immigration office in San Cristobal on Tuesday. May the process be smooth, successful and uneventful (which also means that we´re praying John doesn´t lose his cool!).

Paz en Cristo,
Ginny

June/July MX Mission Update

2007-08-01T12:08:00.000-05:00

This summer is shaping up to be everything we have prayed for and more!

General Mission Update:

Mission groups from across the US have arrived each week, ready to serve and eager to grow through the mission experience. I THINK that the groups were representative of 25 churches, 114 people, and the great states of Oregon, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida. Together we have poured tons and tons of cement, moved mountains (literally) and made meaningful relationships across cultures and languages with brothers and sisters in Christ from across Mexico.

Summer intern, Lora Nelson, has proven to be a wonderful addition to our team of volunteers working with groups and a wonderful addition to our family this summer. We celebrated her 17th birthday together and have enjoyed watching God continue to work in and through her. She was joined by adult volunteers, David Meacham from Hickory and Andrea Plakmeyer from Raleigh, who were also true blessings to have on-board this summer.

We will wrap up our very fruitful summer by hosting 1 more mission group who join us from 1st Pres No. Wilkesboro (NC).

We hope to join with the special efforts of Danielle Cullen (NC) to further explore water testing and purification efforts here in Chiapas. Special thanks to Danielle for her fund-raising efforts in this area. Together with the Rotary Well-Drilling Project, we hope to improve the health and well-being of numerous communities by providing resources to have cleaner drinking water.

We will be helping with programs and hospitality for the bible school´s annual pastor´s conference in August. This event will include some community health training and a medical clinic for pastors and their families, provided by the team from North Wilkesboro, NC. Ginny will be discussing counseling, addictions and spiritual gifts, and Gray Clark from Fellowship Presbyterian (NC) will be traveling down to provide a 1-week pastoral self-care training for Mexican pastors.

Manos de Cristo Update (Medical Clinic):

FINALLY! The impasse over roof design was resolved, and the HUGE project was completed as we poured all 37 tons of cement for the roof over Phase I of the clinic! Teams of Mexicans and Americans from all across the US pitched in to complete literally thousands of rebar ties (to reinforce the cement) and to pour cement for the whole roof over 2 incredible nights/days. Read more on the blog entries, ¨What a Difference 24 Hours Makes,¨¨Brothers & Goats," and a final entry to be written about last Thursday´s second BIG POUR for more details.

As the cement roof is curing, American teams will be building furniture for the clinic and helping with foundation prep for Phase II of the clinic. We will need to leave the wooden forms in place until the end of August before we´ll be able to start with interior framing, but it´s exciting to know that we are finally "under roof!"

Family Update:

Immigration hassles continue to pose serious challenges for our family as we await approval of our FM3s (temporary religious worker permits). For all those who emailed in your words of encouragement, support and prayers, thank you so much! It has meant so much to us to know that so many folks have been praying with and for us. Read more about this in blog entries ¨Bureaucratic Mess,¨¨That´s Why We Call them Bureaucracies,¨ "Immigration Issues Getting More Frustrating,¨ and soon "Psych!" We´ll definitely keep you posted, but for now, thanks for your prayers and assistance. Special thanks to Kristi Rolison, Harless & Anne Wright, Leslie and other staff at Sanford Holshouser, and Tom & Penny Musson for your assistance with documents.

Everyone´s healthy and happy!

We have a new puppy! Pablo decided that our family didn´t have enough to do, so he invited our family to care for a black and white puppy, aptly named "Oreo." He´ll be with us until we wrap up our missionary service here next August and then will continue to live at the bible school. In the meantime though, we still miss our beloved Corgi, Baxter, and thank Rick Sigler and his family for taking such good care of him in our absence!

After 13 straight weeks of working with all the mission groups, our family will be headed to NC for some much-needed R&R and time with family and friends in mid-August. Let´s just hope all the immigration stuff works out!

While in NC, we are currently planning to visit First Presbyterian churches in Mount Airy, Boone and Pilot Mountain for informal discussions. We welcome opportunities to share more about our ministry at your church for week night programs or small group discussions, so please let us know if you´d like to have us come to your church. We hope to be in NC from August 14th through September 12th.

Prayers:

For God to continue opening doors of opportunity for us to serve

For short-term missionaries from the US who have traveled to Mexico with groups this year. May they continue to reflect on their experiences and may those experiences move them to be watching for opportunities to serve in their own backyards.

Special prayers for Lora Nelson and her family as she re-enters the US culture next weekend after spending her whole summer in Mexico.

For short-term missionaries from the US who are preparing to travel to Mexico with groups this year. May they prepare themselves to serve and be served, bless and be blessed, and to come to Mexico with willing hands, open minds and loving hearts.

Of support and comfort for those coping with losses in their families including, but not limited to David Meacham for the loss of his father, for the Prosser Family and all the Wake Forest University family for the loss of Coach Skip Prosser, Katie Yarbrough for the loss of her stepmother, and Dewey Yarborough for the loss of his sister.

Of support and encouragement for those coping with illness or injury and their families, including Dot Hurley, Donna Painter, Pastor Andrès, Janet Rolison, Pablo & Jan´s daughter Amalia, Carol McClancy, Tenney Dean, Nancy Lingenfelser, Jim Scott, Mary Wynne Perryman, Bonnie Bode, Tom Edwards, Katie Yarbrough, Hal Newell, Dick Dye, Marshall Hollingsworth, Louise Holshouser, and the family of our dear friend Cecelia. Continued healing for Randy Duvall from Virginia Beach who suffered a broken arm on the worksite. As always, please let us know of your prayer needs and whether it's ok to share them with others.

Of support and encouragement for fellow missionaries and their families around the world, including Pablo & Jan Feliciano, all the Dye Family Missionaries around the world, David Meacham, John and Sandra Wimbish, and Jim & Sharon Heneveld.

Special prayers for Julie Alexander and her husband, John, as they too are being hampered by immigration challenges as they seek to enter the mission field in Brazil.

Opportunities:

Anyone who has information about water testing equipment and supplies, please let us know. We need to be able to test water supplies in various communities to determine the best approach to water purification. Limited funds are available.

Donate to Hebron USA for Phase I & II of the Manos de Cristo Medical Clinic in Ocosingo (details on the HUSA website at www.hebronusa.org/8.html)

Donate to First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Airy, NC for our family’s missionary support (details on our website at www.millsfamilymission.org/5.html)

Mission Tip of the Month: Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church is the proud sponsor of an incredible mission fund-raiser -"Oak Ridge Premium Coffee.¨Each blend of Chiapas-grown coffee is named after a mission destination or special person in the mission field visited by members of Oak Ridge Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge, NC. Their coffee is packaged and sold to benefit mission projects at ORPC and helps put their church´s name and mission focus in the homes of people throughout their community. If you´re just a coffee nut, like me, and want your purchases to make a difference, you can order online at http://www.orpc.org/Premium_coffee.html. If you´d like to know more about this as a fund-raising opportunity for your church, you can email Rebecca or Phillip Aydellete at praydelette@earthlink.net for more information.

As always, we are grateful for your prayers, support and encouragement as our Partners in Missions. You remain in our prayers.

Love,
Ginny, John, Holly & Maggie

Immigration Issues Getting More Frustrating!

2007-07-23T23:50:00.000-05:00

This has been an incredibly full and blessed season of receiving mission groups, and I look forward to sharing more with you in a monthly update very soon. But for now, we are requesting your special prayers for our family as we face an immigration crisis here in Mexico.

To make a long story short, we were required to pursue temporary religious worker visas upon entering the country in January, 2007. As part of doing this, we were required to submit a variety of materials, letters, etc. to the Mexican government, including our original passports and original tourist visas. Since God has so graciously provided for all of our needs up to this point, we complied with this requirement, despite some anxiety. Well, it appears now that we are required to submit even more documents that must originate in North Carolina and still have none of the required documents for being in Mexico or for re-entering the United States. Since we have plans to visit NC in mid-August, this is even more problematic. Officially, our car permit expired last Saturday, and our Mexican tourist visas expire at midnight tonight.

We humbly ask for your prayers for our family and for the bureaucratic wheels of motion in the Mexican immigration office. We have been so grateful for the assistance of our pastor, Steve Lindsley, Ginny's dad, group members who have carried documents for us, and others who have helped with this process to date. We do understand that immigration matters are part and parcel of the mission field experience, but that doesn't make it any less scary.

Please pray that:
- we can fulfill the most recent document requests promptly and correctly;
- that there are no more document requests;
- that our FM-3s are approved;
- and that we receive our original passports and FM-3s before mid-August.

Watch for an update on all that's been going on with our ministry and/or check out other entries on the blog to walk with us along the way. Thank you in advance for your prayers, and know that we will keep you posted. This whole situation is a perfect example of why it's so important to have partners in missions to pray with and for us through times such as these. Thanks be to God to have you in this with us.

Brothers and Goats

2007-07-21T18:19:00.000-05:00

It shouldn't have come as such a surprise, but it did. For years, I've had the pleasure of working side-by-side with Mexican men on construction worksites who I've come to know as "Hermanos" or "Brothers in Christ." These brothers may have been paid workers or volunteers from churches across Mexico, but regardless, they were prepared to share the worksite with Americans and demonstrated a kind of worksite hospitality. And so, when I had a different experience, I was surprised.

What does that mean, you say? Worksite hospitality? Well, I had never thought about it myself until I encountered the "goats!" What are "goats," you say? Well, let me explain.

"Goats" is a term used by some Mexicans to describe short-term laborers who are called in for special jobs that demand high energy and a willingness to engage in riskier work situations like running up & down steep ramps with buckets of wet cement on their shoulders to pour cement ceilings and other challenging work. In order to have the manpower to complete The Big Pour, Pablo hired a crew of goats who arrived last night about 9PM and who worked until after 4AM. As these new workers joined in with the rest of the Mexicans and Americans who had been working for hours, they made their presence known quickly. These guys were intense! They literally ran to fill buckets with gravel & sand, ran up the steep ramps with cement buckets, and set about getting the jobs done as soon as possible. This was exactly what they were hired to do, and yet it felt very different than working with the brothers.

Workings with Brothers in Christ on the worksite includes a kind of worksite hospitality that helps Americans feel welcome and capable. They try to communicate with us, even if it's through totally non-verbal communication. They want to know our names and tell us theirs. They are patient with us as we fill buckets more slowly, and they patiently teach us how to do things like tying rebar. They seem interested in us and receptive when we try to build relationships with them. They can tell when we Americans are exhausted and need someone to spell us from a job, but they still give us a chance to work as hard as we can. They join us in prayer.

With the goats, everything I described about the brothers was absent. They took shovels out of my hands, resisted my efforts to help, didn't seem to want to connect at all with us, and frankly, I got the feeling that they really just wanted me out of their way! So, I moved out of their way and let them do what we asked them there to do - work hard, work fast and help get a HUGE job done.

I kept asking myself, "what's the God-message in this?" I pondered it as I did jobs they wouldn't do, like carrying buckets of water to cement mixers. I forced myself to reflect instead of ruminating about how much I didn't like working with them and about my suspicions that their high energy level was drug-induced. I keep pondering and finally it registered! Yes, the expected answer to prayers was that we had the help we needed to get the roof project done. But the unexpected God-message was, "Doesn't it feel great to work alongside those OTHER guys? Doesn't it feel great to work with your brothers in Christ who share the broader ministry project goals with you, who will pray with you, who want to be in relationship with you, who work with you in every sense of the word? Had you ever really thought about how meaningful that is?" In truth, I knew the worksite relationships were meaningful, but it took working with a bunch 'o goats to make me really appreciate just how special they are! Thanks be to God for giving us powerful messages in the most unexpected moments.

And how ironic that one of my favorite scriptures (Matthew 25:25-40) is prefaced with these words: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left."

And to paraphrase from Joshua, "but as for me and my house, we will hang with the sheep!"

What a difference 24 HOURS makes!

2007-07-21T14:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was THE BIG DAY! Mexican and American work crews scrambled all week hammering boards and tying rebar for the roof of Phase I of the Manos de Cristo medical clinic, We were trying to be ready for THE BIG POUR - the day to pour all 37 tons of cement in one fell swoop as required by the architects and engineers. By lunchtime yesterday, the certainty of being able to pour cement was not clear. Elders, deacons and church members from churches around the Maya Synod were getting discouraged and many returned to their homes - convinced that we weren't going to be able to pour. Oh what patience it took to let them go! But we weren't certain either, and we didn't want unhappy volunteers! But at 7PM last night, we cranked up 4 cement mixers and lots of portable lighting, and The Big Pour began in earnest.

Our regular clinic construction team of about 8 was joined by 32 Americans and about 30 extra Mexican construction workers. Extra help was needed in the kitchen, and fires were built at the worksite and in the open-fire kitchen to boiled huge pots of beef caldo (broth w/ meat and vegetables), rice, beans and coffee to feed this huge crew. By 8:30 PM, we knew we needed more help, so Pablo brought in another 30 or so Mexican workers who are affectionately called "goats." (Read more about the goats in a separate blog entry) Some Americans were fading by 11PM, several were pulled away to help with an injury, some of us made it until about 2:30, and there were a few brave American souls who made it until the end of the pour at 4AM. We served caldo, rice and tortillas at 7PM, 1AM and 4AM, and the main Mexican work crew finally headed for bed about 5AM. Together we poured 27 tons of cement and finished about 70% of the roof of Phase I, which was enough to satisfy the architect and the engineer.

We ask your special prayers for Randy Duvall from Virginia Beach who suffered a broken arm with a fall from one of the non-OSHA-approved ramps on the worksite as he headed home in the dark last night. Fortunately, he had a positive middle-of-the-night visit to a local public clinic and will be able to see his own doctor in Virginia within 72 hours. Since Mexican doctors typically do surgery to set broken bones, I was thrilled to hear that the doctor here seemed to see no reason to do anything more than apply a standard plaster cast to give the 2 hairline fractures time to heal. That was great news! Can you imagine his face had the doctor tried to explain that he needed surgery?! It amazes me that we haven't had worksite injuries galore over the years, but in fact, this was the first injury that I've seen that required off-site medical attention. Gratefully we had a good team of nurses, good meds on hand, and were received by an excellent physician who is well-known and respected by members of our Mexican team. In fact, I'd say that Randy (a white American with good translators and certain ability to pay for his services) was cared for in the same way we anticipate caring for all patients at Manos de Cristo in the future - with expediency, professionalism, compassion, friendliness and respect. God graciously provided all we needed in the midst of an unfortunate injury - which should come as no surprise.

We hope the be able to finish the remaining 30% of the Phase I roof with a more typical full-day of pouring (a mere 10 tons of cement!) during the upcoming week. So finally, after weeks of impasse over roof design, construction is back in full-swing, and it is a blessing to behold.

Pictures to follow with this blog entry later today, but for those who are waiting for a report on the big pour, thought I'd go ahead and post. For now though, I've got to run prep bathrooms and beds for the group from Maumee, OH who will arrive from Tuxtla tonight!

That's why we call 'em bureaucracies!

2007-07-21T13:58:00.000-05:00

Still no response from Mexico City about our FM-3s. So, beginning today (the day our car permit expires) we'll not be driving "The Beast" (our '94 Toyota Land Cruiser) outside of Ocosingo until we have what we need to get it renewed. This will mean that we have to change our method of transporting groups with the loss of one key vehicle, when we already don't have enough to transport groups without renting vans. Guess that means we'll be renting an extra van! Bummer. The $300 fine will kick in on our credit card, despite all our best efforts to renew on-time, and we wait with baited breath for our papers to come in. We still plan to visit NC from mid-August until mid-September, and we're just trusting that the bureaucratic wheels of motion actually move by then!

Bureaucratic mess - Please pray!

2007-07-16T09:09:00.000-05:00

One of the realities of missionary service in foreign countries is dealing with immigration issues. For years, most missionaries to Mexico simply traveled back and forth across the border every 6 months to renew their tourist visas and to get the car permits renewed. The conventional wisdom had been to resist the temptation to apply for temporary work permits (FM-3) because of all the bureaucratic red tape, but we had been advised by our partners in ministry here to apply anyway. We did both. We started the process of getting FM-3 status in 2/06 but continued with the 6-month plan for tourist visas to keep us legal until/if the FM-3 came through. Until we hit a bump in the road in January, 2007.

When we crossed the Texas/Mexico border on our last entry to Mexico, the border official asked what we were doing in Mexico for 6 months. John honestly and innocently answered that he was working with his church. This apparently raised red flags for the official who cited requirements for religious workers to have FM-3 status. He informed John that it would be the last time he would be eligible to enter the country on a tourist visa, that he needed to get the FM-3, and marked his passport to that effect so that the next border official would know of this ruling. Ugh...

So we quickly stepped up efforts to get the FM-3 approved, even though there had been no progress in 11 months! Well...here we are, days before our visas and car permits expire and still no FM-3. We've jumped through all the right hoops, thanks to the help of our pastor, Steve Lindsley, my dad, the NC Secr of State's office, Pablo, our attorney here, Francisco, and a friend in Mexico City. We even agreed to the biggest of all leaps of faith since we arrived....sending our ORIGINAL passports and tourist visas to Mexico City! Through the MAIL! (We have notarized copies, but....) As of today, we still have no FM-3. John and Francisco went Saturday to try to get the car permit renewed before it expires since we are sometimes asked to show it when we cross military checkpoints in Chiapas. They said they couldn't renew it without an original passport and visa. So we wait.

Please pray for all the cogs in all the wheels to fall into place this week so that we are able to get all our documentation approved and in hand. God has been truly perfect in providing for all our absolute needs at just the right time, so our experience leads us to trust God in this matter as well, but as is often the case, sometimes that's really hard. I find myself thinking, "...but God hasn't met the bureaucracy of the Mexican government!!!" But I suppose I'm like the father of the boy in Mark 9: 23-24...

"..."Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

What a difference a week makes!

2007-07-09T11:28:00.000-05:00

Over and over again we've seen it...the incredible differences between a worksite from the beginning of a week to the end. Just as "when 2 or more are gathered together in my name," when you gather together groups of people united around a common goal, amazing things happen!

When Hot Metal Bridge Group (PA) worked on the medical clinic, they helped dig out a horrible mud trench that went around the perimeter of one end of the clinic, filled it with gravel and helped prepare for the installation of retaining walls for the foundation of Phase II of the clinic.

The next week, a small group of Alpha Sigma Phi's (NC) multi-tasked in areas of engineering consulting, clinic construction and prison ministry. This group of special long-time friends also offered great personal support for our family as we geared up for a very full summer.

Salem Medical I and II (NC) provided primary medical care, dental care and optometric care for nearly 3500 who came for services over 10 days! Nearly everyone needed some prescription, tooth extraction or glasses, and we were able to respond to many of their needs. Wow!

Even the small group led by Nancy Samples (OR) tiled bathrooms and installed...drum roll please....a hot water heater for 3 showers at the bible school. That's right! There are now 3 hot water showers at the bible school in Ocosingo! Charles, Mel and Nancy, countless numbers of American short-termers and Mexican students, deacons, elders and pastors will be grateful to you for years to come!

In the 3 weeks since Hot Metal left, the Mexican work crews had been able to finish the retaining wall and were ready for help getting it filled it. Enter Salem Construction I (NC)! Because the area inside the retaining wall was so deep and the slope so deep, it was necessary to have manual help getting the retaining wall area filled in so that the backhoe could get inside to finish the job. This was back-breaking, pure grunt work, but as usual, Salem folks pitched in to get the job done. In fact, I think they saw it as a huge challenge and they were NOT to be beaten by the task!

When we went with the Salem Construction Group II (NC) to Tzajala, damage to a sanctuary floor was repaired, a sidewalk was poured around the church building, and the community kitchen floor was poured so that the ladies didn't have to cook in a kitchen with a dirt floor.

Now...make no mistake...all of the above-referenced weeks' progress was amazing. But let me tell you folks. Words do not exist to describe what happened in the one week between the time Salem Construction I left Ocosingo and the time that we returned from working with Salem Construction II. The impasse about the roof design had finally been overcome, and the wood form installation for pouring the concrete roof began. In just 7 days, Mexican work crews had received massive amounts of lumber and began constructing the forms. The progress was amazing, and the level of excitement about clinic construction was at an all-time high for us!

You can double-click on any of the pictures above to enlarge, but make sure to enlarge the last one. You'll be amazed!

In about 2 weeks, the forms should be completed. The "big pour" is scheduled for Friday, July 20th. A multi-state group of 27 (NC, VA, OH, FL) will join together with about 80 Mexicans to pour the entire roof for Phase I in a 24-hour period. It should be quite a day! Stay tuned for more info about that incredible day.

We spend a lot of time talking with groups about keeping the "project" in perspective. We do believe that the cross-cultural relationships that are formed here are the most important parts of the mission trip experience. Period. That said, it is amazing to see what like-minded people can do together, and we know that cleaner kitchens, finished sanctuaries, Sunday School classrooms, water cisterns and of course medical care (in temporary or permanent facilities) make huge differences in people's lives here. We are grateful to all the mission teams who come and who work hard, sweat hard, use their creative, intelligent minds and give their "all" to make a difference here. What a difference a week makes!!

Feeling "The Bite" (AKA Mordidas)

2007-07-08T04:14:00.000-05:00

We'd heard all the stories about "mordidas" before we moved to Mexico. Our friend, Ed Jennings from Raleigh, had to pay several mordidas on his way to Tabasco with a donated van from White Memorial Presbyterian. For those of you for whom this is a new word, it's the Spanish word meaning literally "the bite," but in practice it means a bribe. One writer called it the "traditional and customary way of getting things done in Mexico."

Before we moved, John and I discussed this tradition, our beliefs that mordidas are morally wrong, and our recognition that the mordida is such an ingrained part of Mexican culture that we should be prepared to face it. We agreed that we would likely fail to change anything by "taking the high road" in protest and recognized that it could be considered one of those "when in Rome" kinds of things. So we accepted that we could have to pay a mordida along the way.

Well....tonight was my night. Holly and I had enjoyed a delightful evening at a friend's wedding (Bani, Gaspar's daughter, was married tonight). On our way home, we found ourselves rather suddenly surrounded by police cars and taxi cabs. This was approximately 11PM on a Saturday night. Not exactly the best time to be the target of a police action! There were 4 police vehicles with lights flashing, about 10 taxi drivers, 10 policemen and at least 10-20 onlookers.

Gloria Dios that Holly was with me (for translation at the time) and that I was able to reach Pastor Pablo by cell phone (for more serious negotiations). I kept my cool, didn't get out of the car, and demonstrated respect for the police throughout the whole experience. It didn't take long to understand that they were accusing me of something, but since I knew I had done nothing, I wasn't really afraid.

It turns out that I was being accused of hitting a taxi cab. Because he had a "witness" to this effect, it became the word of 2 Mexicans against 2 Americans. The taxi cab company wanted 1000 pesos to settle the matter on the scene (about $100 USD). That I had not been in the area of town where the accident had occurred didn't seem to matter since I had no proof. Somewhere along the way the settlement request went up to 1200 pesos. Pablo's position (and mine) was firm....we didn't want to pay the mordida because we didn't want them to begin targeting us as Americans for repeat performances. We got an attorney on the scene and eventually matched up the two vehicles to confirm that there was no way that my car had hit the taxi cab. Then, the amount they wanted came down to 800 pesos. If I wanted to have my insurance company investigate and duke it out with the taxi company, I ran the risk of the car being impounded by the police for up to 3 weeks...all for the sake of NOT paying the equivalent of $74.29 USD.

In the end, the $74.29 was a reasonable price to pay for the convenience of making sure that I could leave with my car. Part of me hurt... I'm a lawyer's daughter. There was no justice in this. I had done nothing wrong. I'm sorry the guy's taxi got damaged, but I had nothing to do with it. I didn't even look when they were lining up the cars to compare scratch marks because I didn't need to. I had not hit the taxi, and I didn't need to look to know that. But the mordida was easier than the alternative. It was quite possibly cheaper than the alternative. And I paid it.

But what if I had been a Mexican woman whose husband made minimum wage, the equivalent of $5 USD a day? What if we had to find a way to provide for ourselves while still paying the mordida? The 800 pesos would have required 16 days of minimum wage income.The mordida represents silent conspiracy by government and unionized businesses and the people of Mexico that is exploitive and unjust. The same author writes, In Mexico it is endemic to almost all agencies of government: Treasury, immigration, customs, commerce commissions, police, judges, planning departments and even lawyers who will "throw" your case to your opponent in a law suit. It is a customary way of doing business in Mexico and most Mexicanos treat it with a shrug of the shoulders. They complain about it but accept it stoically as a way of life.

I needed my car. I didn't need to chance that it could be held in the police impound lot for days, weeks or months. I went home with my car and didn't have to worry if I would get it back, if there would be things stolen out of it or there could be further unseen issues. Practically, it made sense. We'd agreed that we'd probably have to do it sometime. So why do I feel so lousy? I think it has something to do with those 16 days of wages.

For more information about the exploitation of the people via the mordida and other interesting things about Mexico, check out : http://www.mexicomatters.net/retirementmexico/04_bribeslamordidainmexico.php

A One-Person Group?

2007-07-02T18:30:00.000-05:00

A one-person group? Sounds a little like an oxymoron, huh? Imagine this scenario...

Your pastor tells you that he needs you to take off a week of work to join with 10 other Elders from the area to join a group of foreigners on mission project. You know you won't be able to understand their language. You aren't sure that you'll be able to eat their food. You have no idea what to expect but you're a faithful Elder and faithful servant, so you pack your bags for the week. Upon arrival, you discover that your fellow Elders (the ones who speak your language, the one's you're planning to connect with while you're getting to know these foreigners) haven't arrived. The next day comes, and still no other Elders. In fact, there's not a soul there you know....all week long! What would you do? Catch a ride home? Be on the phone chastising those who were supposed to join you and never showed up? What's a faithful servant to do?!

Well, Antonio, the Elder from the Lacandon Presbytery who worked with the group from Salem Presbytery (NC) all week long, did his best to fulfill his charge. He experimented with different food, tried to communicate with members of the group and our team of Americans, and worked hard moving dirt, compacting and otherwise taxing his body on the clinic construction project.

At the end of the week, the group and our team had immense respect for Antonio as a person, for the feelings he must have had that week, and for his faithfulness to his pastor, his church, the clinic project, and to our God. When we gathered together one last time to dedicate our work at the clinic site, Antonio joined in our prayers, sang the Doxology in Tzeltal right along with us as we sang in English, and shared in our tearful goodbyes. By the end of that week, Antonio AND the group were sure of two things...we could find common ground for living, working, worshiping and loving together over the week's time AND we are joined together by our common love for our God - the same God that was, that is, that will always be. Amen.

Looking for the Good (AKA Small Group Dynamics)

2007-06-23T16:37:00.000-05:00

Life is full of all different kinds of people, most of them not like ourselves. We may work or live near folks who make different choices, have different preferences and different personalities. Even within our families there can be radical differences, but we're predisposed to love them and thus be a little more patient with our differences (in theory, anyway). But mission trips are a bit like summer camp and retreat experiences. We share bedrooms, dressing rooms, bathrooms and mealtimes together. Even though we're only together for a short time, because we're with each other virtually 24/7, the time together seems much longer.

When the time together is good, it seems like we've come to know each other so well - like we've known each other for years. It's like, now that we're friends, we know we'll want to stay friends forever. The little things that may bug others don't bother us because those things are easy to overlook because we're more attentive to the things about them that we like. That's when it's good.

When it's not so good, we can't believe that we have to spend the next X number of days, nights, meals, etc. with this person who makes us crazy! We begin to pick apart their every move and look for things to justify our bad impression of them. When they do well, we're likely to miss it. When they are a blessing to someone else, we may not care or even notice. Little things they do make us crazy, and we're more attentive to the things about them that we don't like. That's when it's bad.

I know this because I've done this.

But the truth is, each person who comes on a mission trip has come with a God-given set of gifts and talents to share, and they've chosen to share those gifts and themselves with us. We asked them to commit to honoring certain basic principles but we can't expect them to be perfect, just as we don't want anyone else to expect us to be perfect. But when the annoyance factor is there, it's real and can be a genuine barrier to experiencing all the best parts of the mission trip experiences. The feelings we have are real and do matter.

The work that people do in their full-time lives in the US may influence how we respond to others. Take this couple for example: "Peter: We have an interesting conflict with our two careers. She's always looking for the good in people, especially young people. On the other hand, I'm forced to look for the bad in people so I can protect myself and be prepared for impending danger. As a police officer, I have to assume what people are like based on my observations, and usually these assumptions are negative. This "cop mentality" often competes and conflicts with my wife's outlook."

So what if you're in a career that encourages you to "look for the bad in people?" What if you're just easily annoyed, not used living around so many people or otherwise just generally kind of a negative person? What if you're not normally critical or judgmental, but the stressors of adjusting to everything on a mission trip just has you really on edge? This doesn't mean that you're a criminal or anything, but it does mean that it may be harder to "look for the good."

If we can do that -- force ourselves to look for the good in the one who's making us crazy -- we're more likely to see their gifts -- more likely to notice when they are a real blessing to someone else -- more likely to find something to like in them. But make no mistake, you may have to really MAKE yourself do this! Ask someone (like one of the other group members you've been complaining to about the other person) to help you by holding you accountable. Ask them to ask you at least once a day, "have you noticed anything positive about John/Jane Doe today?"
When we're able to see the good, it makes it a little easier to overlook the annoying/infuriating/crazy-making things other people do. BUT, if we're honest with ourselves, we know that none of us goes out of our way to be annoying/infuriating/crazy-making to others (okay, so maybe there are a few, but that's just when they're having a really bad time). We just live and we're different, and when we live so closely together, those differences loom larger than ever. So next time you're thinking, "I just wish someone would take him/her aside and tell him/her __________!" then ask yourself, "I wonder what Jesus would find to love in him/her?" We know Jesus could do it, and so can each of us, but not unless we work at it.

Mission trip experiences can be life changing and a real jump start to a life of faith inspired to do good works. Instead of letting meaningless stuff get in the way of that, always look for the good, especially in those that challenge you during your mission trip experience.

Leaps of Faith (aka Summer Internship)

2007-06-19T15:27:00.000-05:00

Back in early 2007, we received an email from a young woman in Michigan. L.N. was 17 y/o and had been surfing the internet looking for mission opportunities for the summer, and somehow she ran across our website. She inquired about coming to work in a Mexican village, noting that she had spent 2 weeks living and working in a Kenyan village last summer. She shared that she had been saving her money all year to be able to cover her expenses and was volunteering in a classroom with Spanish-speaking kindergarteners. She seemed like a perfect fit, and her enthusiasm was so delightful! When I expressed a need to hear from a parent that she was, indeed, acting with her parents' approval and encouragement, I soon received an email from her mom that confirmed their support for L.N.'s plan.

And so we began discussing summer options via email over the next several months and finally agreeing for her to stay here at the bible school and work with the mission teams. The plan was turning into a reality. Packing lists were shared, questions answered, plane tickets purchased. The clock was ticking, and we were all getting excited!

Two days before she was to arrive in Mexico, L.N.'s mother's emails started sounding a little sad. It seemed that the reality of L.N. not being with her for the summer was hitting her, and I wanted to reassure her all that I could. We continued to exchange emails right up until and through the travel day, and I'm sure that we will continue to stay in touch throughout L.N.'s 8 week journey here.

So the big day was here! L.N.'s flight was delayed by 2 hours but her travels here were otherwise uneventful, and we were glad to be able to let her mom know when she was safely on the ground in Mexico and in our arms. In discussions the next day, it was made even more clear what an incredible leap of faith L.N.'s journey here had been and would be. Just consider the following conversation (a paraphrase of a conversation she said she had over & over in the weeks before arriving here):

"So, what are you doing this summer?" said the friend. "Well, I'm going to Mexico to do mission service," she replied. "Oh, that's great! Are you traveling with your church or with a mission organization?" asked the friend. "Well, I'm not really going with a mission organization or my church. I'm going alone," she shared. "What do you mean 'alone,'" he said. "Well, I'm going down there to stay with a family," she continued. "Oh, so you're going down there to stay with someone you know!" he said. "Well, no not really. I've never met them," said L.N. By now the friend is getting more confused and doubtful. "So let me get this right. You are 17 y/o, you're traveling alone to Mexico to stay with someone you've never met for the whole summer?" he challenged. "Yeah, that's pretty much it. I've been reading their website, talking to them by email, and I think it's going to be fine. I'm so excited to be going to Mexico and to learn more about what it might be like to be a missionary!" she shared. Finally, after getting too many worried, doubtful looks, L.N. explained, "Think of it like this. I'm interning with a missionary family in Mexico." "OHHHHH. Now I get it!" was probably the most positive response the friend could offer at that point.

Just imagine what the similar conversations would have been for her parents! And at some point, it did occur to me that this could be a real hornet's nest of a situation for which we might not be prepared. But quite honestly, I think it's clear that we all (L.N., her parents, Pablo & Jan, and our family) have taken a leap of faith that feels really natural and easy. It has been clear to us from the beginning that, if there was any way we could help L.N. answer God's calling for her to serve here this summer, then we should do it. Seems like her parents must have felt that way too!

And so it is that we find ourselves with one new member of our family. She's tall, bright, pretty, athletic, bilingual and a joy to have in our lives. To tweak her mom's comment a bit, "I'm so glad God chose L.N. to join our family for the summer!"

While I'm sure I will report again about this journey of faith together again, you can follow along with her on her own blog at: http://lorainmexico.blogspot.com/