House up for rent AGAIN!

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!

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

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:

1. Write a check to Hebron USA and mail to 6080 Old Brickstore Rd., Greensboro, NC 27455
2. Give using your debit or credit card through Hebron USA's site on Change.Org (http://www.change.org/nonprofits/view/123708)
3. 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!!

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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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!

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?

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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? ;-)