Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical

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!

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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!

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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)

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?

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)

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)

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/

May/June '07 Update

The last time you heard from us, we were gearing up for a very busy season of mission groups from the US. Well, weeee'rrrreee OFF !

General Mission Update:

• Facilitated a mission group of 22 from the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in Pittsburgh. This was a "sampler" trip with construction on the clinic in Ocosingo, a visit to the prison, and village visits to the Chiapas lowlands (San Javier) and the highlands (San Juan Chamula, Tenejapa and Matsam) for young adults exploring their own calls to ministry. Read more on the blog entry, "Never Judge a Book..."
• Hot Metal Bridge subsequently pledged one year of financial support for "Manuel," the missionary serving the Lacandon.
  
• Welcomed a small group of Alpha Sigma Phi brothers from NCSU who helped with clinic construction, engineering issues and prison ministry in Ocosingo. This particular group was very special to us since they included some of our very best friends. By joining us here, we hope that they now have some real appreciation for what has called us to serve here in Mexico, and we know it was a true delight for our family to have them here.
  
• Received news that the Rotary International grant for portable well-drilling equipment was approved! More details to follow as this story unfolds. Again, special thanks to Glenn Pierce in Asheville for his determination to get this project funded. Read more in blog entry, "Rotary International Grant Approved!"
  
• Helped facilitate the medical mission caravan of 25 Americans from Salem Presbytery in NC and 19 Mexicans to Tenango, Chiapas. These teams served over 3,500 people and filled over 8,000 prescriptions in just 10 days! Read more in blog entries, "Charity Humor," "Longing for News," & "Medical Missions in Tenango."
  
• Welcomed and oriented our summer intern, Lora Nelson from Grand Rapids, MI, and 3-week volunteer, David Meacham from Hickory, NC, as partners in missions working with summer work groups.
  

Manos de Cristo Update (Medical Clinic):

• With the architect tending to a family emergency in Mexico City, progress on Phase I construction is still impeded. We've gotten some excellent ideas from group travelers for correcting problems & getting over the stumbling blocks with roof construction. Hopefully the architect will be back soon, will respond to these ideas, and get things rolling again.
  
• In the meantime, Phase II building foundation is under construction.
• The next construction team coming down from the US is due to arrive on June 24th. Just us in praying that we'll be ready to move forward with construction on Phase I by the time they arrive!
  

Family Update:

• We are nearly done with our first year of homeschooling! Maggie, who is traditionally homeschooled, finished up her year on May 25th, and Holly, who is enrolled in an online accredited private school, will finish up soon. Hopefully next year will be a little more predictable, a little less disrupted and easier for us all.
  
• The medical mission trip was a great experience! Ginny worked in the kitchen the first week then worked hard and steady in the pharmacy in the second week. Holly's Spanish has improved sufficiently for her to be a Spanish translator for American nurses, so she worked in the consultation rooms every day. Maggie sampled many roles and found that she liked working in the lab and the pharmacy best. She translated prescription instructions and did lab tests for anemia, diabetes, pregnancy, etc. John, on the other hand, spent many late night hours (not his best time!) driving back and forth to Ocosingo nearly every night during the second week to replenish our constantly depleted supply of medications.
  
• Seeing hundreds of sick people every day for 2 weeks has taken its toll on both Holly and Maggie who are suffering with a wide range of health problems but nothing serious. We're just glad that they didn't get sick until the last day of the clinic. At least now they have a few days to recuperate before heading to our next village on Friday!
  
• 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.
  

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 continuously be on the lookout for opportunities to serve in their own backyards.
  
• 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 serve, bless and be blessed, and to come to Mexico with willing hands, open minds and loving hearts.
• For multi-week mission team volunteers: David Meacham (Statesville, NC), Lora Nelson (Grand Rapids, MI) and Andrea Plakmeyer (Garner, NC).
  
• Of gratitude for the generosity of Hot Metal Bridge for their support of the missionary to the Lacandon.
  
• Of gratitude for the funding by Rotary International for the well-drilling project. May we have the resources, wisdom, manpower and initiative to put help the most people possible.
  
• Of support and encouragement for those coping with illness, including 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. 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, future missionaries Julie Alexander and her husband, John, and Jim & Sharon Heneveld.

Opportunities

• Request that VBS offerings at your church be for the following high-demand, hard-to-buy products: generic versions of Advil and Tylenol (ibuprofen and acetaminophen); hydrocortisone cream; triple antibiotic ointment; children's vitamins, prenatal vitamins, and adult multi-vitamins; and dollar-store reading glasses and sunglasses. Contact us via email to discuss the best way to arrange for their transport to Mexico but plan to be able to store materials for up to several months until we can arrange to get them here.
• Donate to Hebron USA for Phase 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: 10 Commandments for Short-Term Mission Trips (borrowed from the website of Dr. Culbertson at Southern Nazarene University at http://home.snu.edu/%7EHCULBERT/ten.htm)

1. You shall not forget that you represent your home country and Jesus Christ.
   
2. You shall not expect that things will be the same as they are at home, for you have left your home to find different things.
   
3. You shall not take minor things too seriously. Accepting things as they are paves the way for a good mission trip.
4. You shall not judge all Mexican or Tzeltal people by the one person with whom you have had trouble.
5. You shall not let other group members get on your nerves. You raised good money and set aside this time. So, enjoy yourself.
6. You shall not be overly worried. The person who worries has no pleasures. Few things people worry about are ever fatal.
7. Remember your passport (or other identification document) so that you know where it is at all times. Once you have received a visa ("travel papers"), remember that you must turn that in when leaving the country or face a large fine. A person without documents is a person without a country.
   
8. Blessed is the person who says "thank you" in any language. Verbal gratefulness is worth more than tips.
9. When in Mexico (Rome), do as the Mexican or Tzeltal (Roman) people do. If in difficulty, use common sense and your native friendliness.
10. Remember, you are a guest in Mexico. He who treats his host with respect shall be treated as an honored guest.

"Okay, so these aren't the 10 commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. However, the principles enunciated here are foundational to success in short-term cross-cultural experiences. So, violating these 10 commandments (even if Moses didn't get them) can spoil your short-term experience and even tarnish your attempts to witness for Christ."

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

Longing for News

This week while leading a medical missionary team in Tenango, Dr. Bill Herring from NC was approached by a Mexican family who was longing for news about their son. They had gotten news that their son, who was in the US, was in the hospital. They knew no more than that. They didn't know which hospital, which city, or even which state he was in. They just knew he was sick, and they were terrified. Regretting that he could do no more, Dr. Bill promised to pray for their son and for their family.

The next day, the family returned to talk with Dr. Bill again - this time with a phone number. Armed with a good satellite phone connection, this phone number, funds to make several calls, and a good Spanish translator, Dr. Bill and Nurse Penny Musson began making calls. First they talked to the young man's roommate who confirmed that the young man was hospitalized and shared the name of the hospital. After more calls, they eventually reached a nurse of the floor where the man was being treated. As an American doctor in missionary service in Mexico, Dr. Bill pleaded with the nurse to allow the release of some information and/or to allow the parents to talk with their son, if he was able. As it turns out, the son was able to come to the phone and had a long talk with his parents - assuring them of his current safety but recounting his story of illness and treatment complications. Their reunion, albeit by telephone, was a joyous one and one that eased the anguish of the parents and their adult child - and warmed the hearts of Bill, Penny and everyone else involved.

As Dr. Bill shared with the group later, this was a poignant reminder of the thousands of families across Mexico who have absolutely no idea where their adult children are in the US. Are they safe? Are they hiding in a river or a desert while trying to find safe passage into the US? Are they in jail? Are they hurt, hungry, lost or lonely? While not disputing that the choice to immigrate illegally is one of their own choosing, there's also no doubt that family members here suffer from lack of information about their loved ones.

In this case, thanks to Dr. Bill, Penny, Joshua Feliciano, the roommate, the nurse, the satellite phone provider and the grace of God, these parents were comforted to learn that their son was okay and to hear his precious voice. Thanks be to God.

Charity Humor

These past 2 weeks in Tenango, our nurses and paramedics met with over 3500 people needing medical care. Many were from deeply impoverished situations and grateful for any and all forms of charity. One nurse reported that she provided care for an ancient Tzeltal couple that spoke no Spanish or English. The man was 90 years old and an obvious beneficiary of the generosity of someone. How could we tell, you ask? Well... his well-worn t-shirt read, and I quote:

Co-Ed Naked Bingo!

What do you think? Assuming that he had no idea what the words on his t-shirt meant, the nurse stiffled her chuckle and proceeded with her assessment of his needs. Since no one around him knew what his t-shirt said, this likely clothing donation was meeting his needs quite well.

Even in the midst of great poverty and distress, there's humor and irony. Let's hope the gentleman involved doesn't decide to take up naked bingo or those nurses would never be able to contain their laughter!

So what do you want to be when you grow up, Little Girl?

The medical clinic offered our daughters a great opportunity to learn more about different career options in the medical field. They worked closely with nurses, lab techs, pharmacists and doctors. They saw how PAs might work with doctors by observing the close working relationship between Dr. Bill and the Mexican paramedics. They translated symptoms, treatments and prescription instructions to help bridge the language gap between American healthcare professionals and Spanish-speaking Mexicans. So a natural question might follow this experience...

"So have these experiences created any new interest in careers in the medical field for you?" asks Mom.

The irony is that, in the midst of this micro-practicum experience, our daughters were surrounded by girls who will likely never be asked such a question. Just as it is assumed in our family that the girls will graduate from high school, go to college and pursue a career, it is assumed that these girls will not. It is assumed that they will marry and have as many babies as their bodies will permit. They may or may not go to primary and secondary school, even though there is free, compulsory education until 6th grade. "Free" is a relative term when uniforms and school supplies must be purchased. And "compulsory" is a relative term when there are no truant officers or enforcement officials. Very few will go to high school (or "prepatoria") since doing so requires living in a larger community away from their parents, paying tuition, buying uniforms, school supplies and textbooks, and arranging for room & board with family. For a girl to go to "university" is really quite rare and usually only considered by families who have had some exposure to American or European culture or those with professional parents.

On one hand, this seems so sad to me....for their fate to be decided for them so thoughtlessly. It seems like a wasted opportunity for girls and young women to discover their full capabilities and to honor God by using one's gifts to benefit a larger spectrum of the world.

On the other hand, their lives are blessed with simplicity that spares them the agonies so typically faced by young adults today. They never worry about whether their choice of high school courses will meet the approval of college admissions counselors. They never struggle to inch up their GPA by a few tenths of a point to improve their class rank. They never face the incredible anxiety of taking the SAT, GRE, LSAT or MCAT. They never have to choose a major. They don't have to worry about how they will pay back college loans, afford to strike out on their own, or survive without the comforts of being surrounded by family or friends. They aren't bombarded with credit card applications tempting them into thinking that they can afford a certain lifestyle. They never worry about whether they can make partner, get tenure or earn a merit raise.

They grow up surrounded by mentors - mothers, grandmothers, aunts and neighbors who teach them how to do all the things they will need to do over the course of their lives. They teach them by example and with patient instruction as well.

I know this because Holly was honored with a tortilla making lessons by the women of the village while we were in Tenango. They patiently showed her what to do, coached her, encouraged her and didn't criticize her first pitiful attempts. She learned how to pluck the hard field corn off the cob, how to wash it (with what had to be contaminated water), how to cook it, grind it into paste, how to form the tortillas and cook them on a large platter over an open fire.

We see girls as young as 5 or 6 years old carrying their younger siblings in the traditional sling and caring for them as if they were their own children. We see older girls caring for sibs, but they're also cooking and caring for the family home. Families live close together in little compounds - with each family having a separate dwelling for sleeping but communal cooking and gathering areas. These girls will grow up, get married, have lots of babies and follow in the same traditions as those before her. Their lives are poor, their exposure to the broader world virtually non-existent, and their work and lives demanding on their bodies. But they seem to be genuinely very happy. As they mature, they will be surrounded by a support system of family. They will likely never struggle through a personal crisis alone. They will know how to do the tasks of daily life so mindlessly that they will be able to talk and laugh throughout their day, and their lives will revolve around activities at their church.

Gee...makes the American way for girls seem pretty outrageous, huh?

The Birds: Mexico-Style

It was a typical day in the mountains of Chiapas, or so we thought. The second group of travelers from the US had just arrived in Tenango for a 2-week medical ministry there after a long day of driving in heavy rain. The rainy season had just begun, but the skies had cleared, and it was shaping up to be a beautiful afternoon. And then everything changed.

Many folks recall the Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Birds." In the film, there are several episodes of violent attacks by swarms of birds. Well, on that fateful day in Mexico, we happened to witness our first termite hatch. I've read up on this a bit and learned that literally hundreds of thousands of termites were released in a swarm - all leaving their nest to start a new termite colony. I can certainly vouch for the sensation of being swarmed by hundreds of thousands of termites, but I can happily report that they didn't bite, sting or otherwise harm us in any way. And the whole experience was over in less than 1 hour. That said, it was quite a sight!

Termites flew anywhere and everywhere - down blouses, up pants legs, into mouths, noses, ears and eyes. When they touch something often one or more wings fell off, so there were thousands of wings left in their wake. The wings ended up falling into even the tiniest of crevices, our suitcases, hammocks, you name it. Perhaps the funniest experience was watching Lindsey Abrams try to enter data into a laptop computer that had several termites flying around the screen and keyboard. How could she type?! How could she see what she was typing?!

And then, just like that, it was over. We had heard from Jan Feliciano that termite hatches often occur over 3 day periods, so we braced ourselves for 2 additional blasts. I'm happy to report that the Monday episode was the only one. Perhaps the other two had occurred before we arrived.

After one gets over the slight trauma of the experience, it is possible to reflect on it. It was an amazing illustration of the perfection of God's creation - even if we don't exactly cherish termites in the broad spectrum of creation. These relatively tiny creatures developed right on schedule, took flight as if synchronized by God himself, and then set out to create new colonies, insuring the continuation of their species. And while the swarming was disruptive to us for a few minutes, it was relatively brief in light of the potential for new life for this particular species.

So, should you find yourself in Mexico during the last week in May or the first week in June, be prepared to witness this amazing display of God's creation at work. If the trauma seems too much, go crawl in your sleeping bag in your hammock with a good book and headlamp. Be sure to pull the hammock completely and tightly over your head for about an hour. When you emerge, the hatch will likely have passed and all that will remain will be the discarded wings.

But...if you can stand it...it's quite a show!!!

A Variety of Gifts

We are reminded in 1 Corinthians 12 and in Romans 12 that God bestows upon each of us certain gifts. It would be easy to assume that the skills that we are able to learn are the same as the gifts God bestows upon us, but I really don't think that's what the scripture tells us. One can have a gift of knowledge about a particular area and never use it to the glory of God. Likewise, in 2 Corinthians 8, we are reminded that "he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little,"and "their plenty will supply what you need."

Over the past few weeks, we have seen lots of people come through our ministry here in Mexico, and each possesses gifts that they have shared to the glory of God. Some have been nurses, doctors, engineers, musicians, teachers, counselors, athletes and students. They have shared whatever knowledge, skill, talent or insight they have to make a difference in the lives of those here in Chiapas. The sun-sensitive engineer wasn't much help on the worksite, but his stepson was a huge help. While his son poured cement, he researched construction engineering solutions to some of our problems with getting the roof on the clinic. The counselor worked hard on the worksite, but it was his gift of faithfulness and confidence in God's miracles that he so powerfully shared with the prisoners here that was incredible! Some of the nurses wouldn't have made a great difference mixing cement, but their knowledge and skill with some of the 3500 patients we saw in the 2 week medical clinic was far more meaningful. Teachers, whether by occupation or spiritual gift, provide the encouragement, instruction and group management that is essential when leading Vacation Bible School with hundreds of excited and enthusiastic children. Students may still be discovering their gifts, but as they so willingly try out different tasks, they demonstrate obedience and servanthood.

It is so easy to tell ones' self, "Oh, well, I really can't be much help on a mission trip because I have none of the skills they need." But in truth, each of God's children has gifts to share to the glory of God, and when we come together, "their plenty will supply what you need." Whether part of a group of 20+ or part of a group of 2 or 3, each person can bring their gifts to share to the glory of God. Together with the gifts of those here in Mexico, there will always be enough. Thanks be to God.

Rotary Intl/Clean Water Grant Approved!

We received the news that Rotary International approved the grant application submitted by the Asheville, NC and San Cristobal, Chiapas Rotary clubs for portable well-drilling equipment. This project was the brainchild of Starfish Fund founder, Glenn Pierce. He garnered the support (and dollars) from his own club in Asheville, wrote the grant application, and met with the club members in San Cristobal to solicit their support.

The $25,525 project will have 2 phases:

• Phase I will use well-drilling equipment for the Manos de Cristo medical clinic in Ocosingo. Because the clinic is outside the municipal water system and bottled water of sufficient quantity for the clinic would be cost prohibitive, a clean water well and clean water storage is essential to the effectiveness of the medical clinic. It is projected that the initial phase will be completed during in 10-14 project this fall.
  
• Phase II will use the well-drilling equipment to surrounding villages to provide them with clean water. Glenn's research for the grant proposal reported that "73% of the country's water supply is polluted and 93% of the rivers (the main source of water in the south) are also polluted." The well-drilling projects will be arranged in cooperation with the Maya Synod of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico, Hebron USA, volunteer Rotary groups, and the Mills Family Mission.
  

This is indeed an exciting opportunity. I guarantee that next week's medical mission teams will encounter many, many patients whose health problems can be directly attributed to contaminated ground water. Diagnoses of water-related diseases are likely to be our single most prevalent diagnosis - all of which can be prevented with the availability of clean water.

We look forward to working with Rotary clubs and others to bring this dream to fruition in the coming months. Stay posted for more updates!

Never Judge a Book....

Perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of missions in Mexico is getting to know the different mission travelers from around the USA. In addition to groups from Salem Presbytery, mission travelers have come from the East Coast and the West, from the Midwest, the Deep South and the South Side of Pittsburgh.

Perhaps one of the most dramatically different groups came from the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community in Pittsburgh. They were funky, punky, tattooed and pierced, and they were absolutely delightful! They were all on a serious quest to experience a personal relationship with God and discern their own calls to ministry. Hot Metal is a church plant that incorporates mission in all its church activities and drama in all its worship services. Sunday worship is held in the dining room of their neighborhood Goodwill, and they have outreach programs in nearby tattoo parlors, coffee houses and other unlikely places. Their church has grown from 50 to over 300 in less than 2 years!

Hot Metal Bridge participants accepted and met the challenges of working, worshiping and celebrating their shared faith with the ultra-conservative Mexican Presbyterians, and in turn, the Mexican Presbyterians worked hard to overcome their fears and judgments about the “colorful” crowd from Hot Metal. Our Mexican brothers and sisters listened with fascination and amazement to translations explaining the powerful stories of faith as depicted in the tattoos of the Hot Metal folks. It was amazing to watch the bonding that occurred between people who were so radically different!

This was our first exposure to the “emerging church” movement and a delightful one. Just like the Tzeltal need to be able to read the Word of God and worship in their own “heart language,” the folks from Hot Metal helped us remember that even the funky and the punky need to have a chance to experience God in places where they feel comfortable. Together they are reaching out and serving God in “dramatically different” ways and bringing the Word of God to the people of South Side Pittsburgh and even Southern Mexico in a whole new way. Thanks be to God!

(To learn more, go to www.hotmetalbridge.com)

Feeling so comfortable in prison

It has been amazing to discover how comfortable I have felt when visiting the prison here in Ocosingo, and the experiences have helped me realize that I have a real soft place in my heart for repentant criminals. You see, because of some especially unusual circumstances of my dad's job, I had an opportunity to "consort with criminals" when I was a child. I know...it sounds odd and not entirely safe, but trust me when I say that it was totally safe and a true blessing in my life.

These criminals had demonstrated exceptionally good behavior and trustworthiness to be allowed to work outside the prison, and I had contact with them almost daily for 4 years. What did I learn from these "criminals?"I learned that any one of us can make a single tragic error that will change our lives forever --- and the lives of others too. I learned that having a gun within your reach in certain circumstances can lead to great tragedy - tragedy that might not have occurred if a deadly weapon weren't so easy to access. I learned that people who have done terrible things are not necessarily terrible people. I learned that I could entrust my life to someone who had taken the life of someone else. I learned that I did not need to be afraid.

Later in my life, I also learned that not all criminals were as repentent and as determined to change their destiny as those I had known as a child. I learned that those who have done bad things may do bad things again. I learned that, just because I had been able to trust some criminals with my life, that didn't mean I should trust anyone who'd done bad things. (Duh!) I learned that, while everyone can be redeemed, it's not my job to do the redeeming. I learned that I can demonstrate acceptance, compassion and kindness while still protecting myself.

Then I worked in the addictions field, and I learned that some people are affected by diseases of the mind that alter their capacity to make good decisions, honor their values/morals/beliefs, and consider others. I learned that, like any person affected by a disease, they need to know what treatment is available, what the course of their disease may be (whether treated or untreated), and what it will take for them to heal.

So it is that I now find myself visiting Mexican prisons. There I find prisoners whose apparent faithfulness is profound, whose repentance oozes from every pore, and whose fear of rejection by the church after they are released saddens me so. While I'm still learning about the Mexican justice system, I do know that it's possible that they could be in prison unjustly if they didn't have bribe money, etc.

I pray that I can apply what I've learned through each of the 3 episodes of life-teaching I described as I encounter these prisoners. I pray that I can get to know the person (not the crime), that I can honor their identity as children of God (not as perpetrators), that I can demonstrate compassion without risking harm to myself or my family, and that I can reassure them that, with their profession of belief in Jesus, they are blessed with God's forgiveness and love - period.

But if I stop there, I will have missed the opportunity to help others learn some of what I have learned. If I cannot help the churches here feel safe to open their arms to these Children of God, then I cannot encourage them to seek out churches upon their release. If I cannot know that they will be received by our churches, I cannot, in good conscience, offer that kind of assurance.

Mission groups are likely to command all my time and attention for the summer, so it will likely be a while before I can go back to the prison, but when I do, I know that I'll feel comfortable, safe and blessed to have the opportunity to demonstrate the love of Jesus in my time there.

Mother's Day surprise!

Not knowing that Mother's Day in Mexico is celebrated on May 10th, imagine my surprise when I heard my first Mother's Day serenade outside my bedroom window just after midnight last night! Since this is my first Mother's Day since my mother died last December, I must confess that I wasn't particularly looking forward to this one. But Mother's Day is celebrated very differently here! What a delight to hear the guitar, see the smiling faces on the kids, and to see how happy Holly & Maggie were to surprise me!

The serenade is traditional, as are the songs. John drove a group of church youth all over town to sing to 14 other mothers, and there were many others out doing the same thing. As the troupe went from house to house, they were invited in for refreshments and fun. They arrived home after 3AM! The next day, schools were out and businesses were closed. Our favorite special restaurant was full of families celebrating with their mothers, and we were happy to join them.

While many of the Mexican celebrations defy understanding, what a delight it was to be a mom today!

Baby Sofia!

Amalia & Albert's newest addition, together with Big Sister Priscila! Baby Sofia joined us on Sunday, April 22nd. Welcome, Sofi!