We're packed and I mean PACKED (the boys might have to sit on the roof of the truck) and ready to roll up the mountain to Camp Koinonia for a few days. So, you'll get a short vacation from the blog posts. Yes, all 10 of you will just have to tune back in this weekend to see if we've got any news and photos for you. :-)
This is the first annual Spiritual Emphasis Camp for Homeschooling MKs here at Camp Koinonia and we're expecting about 30 kids to attend starting in 2 hours today through lunch on Saturday! Beth and I will both be serving through crafts, manning the store, helping in the kitchen, counseling, being "go-fors" and hoping and praying God uses these next few days to encourage, challenge and change our kids' lives! Pray with us to that end too, will you? THANKS!
(BTW, Mexico daylight savings starts this Sunday. Finishing 4 solid days of camp and add in springing forward on our clocks...hmmm...can you say "zombies?!?" No doubt that's what we'll be come the weekend!)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Ahoy There Eggies!
Our T2 meeting yesterday (Thursday)...third Thursday of the month is family meeting. Here we're searching for a lost contact lens. Not really...we had an Easter egg hunt with the kids. It was a lot of fun, a lot of candy and a lot of sunburns. I don't know what it is that makes it so easy to get sunburned up there. One would think that at about 93,000,000 miles away, being .25 of 1 mile closer to the sun wouldn't make that much difference!
Uncle Tim O'Brien teaching the Easter story using Resurrection Eggs. The wind was whipping through our little meeting at about 25 mph. We were fortunate to not lose any of the kids to the wind. Actually, we weren't worried because we were close to the barbed wire fence which would have caught them had they gotten swept away. (hey...it's my blog and I can write whatever I want! lol)
A homemade trailer makes the best pirate ship. Pretty good for an Easter-themed meeting. Well, maybe not but at least it's probably better than the Easter bunny.
Cake, cake, and more cake
Beth made 3 cakes last Saturday. One for Kristin's birthday. Two for the "despedida" (good-bye party) for the Yingling family and their years of work planting and cultivating the church (La Iglesia Bíblica Vida Abundante) as they move on to the process of beginning a new church here in San Juan.
Beth took Kristin out for a nice lunch at the local Cow Corral while Jason and I completed chapter 2 of our Bible study "Stranger on the Way to Emaus." Beth also made BBQ beef for Jason and me and the boys to eat while the ladies were out for their special lunch.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Check These Out
There's a new amazing post on our T2 Ministry Team blog, "20 OHMS" here: http://20ohms.blogspot.com.
We have a new niece! Eden Spring Hanna born 3/18/09 to Kenny and Esme Hanna of El Paso, TX. Eden has made us an uncle and aunt for the 25th time! Wow! See photos and video clips of the happy family and new baby at their blog, "A Day in the Desert" here: http://justushannas.blogspot.com/.
We have a new niece! Eden Spring Hanna born 3/18/09 to Kenny and Esme Hanna of El Paso, TX. Eden has made us an uncle and aunt for the 25th time! Wow! See photos and video clips of the happy family and new baby at their blog, "A Day in the Desert" here: http://justushannas.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Only In Mexico? (PART 2)
I posted yesterday about Martín, a believer from another city (Pachuca), who had quite an ordeal getting in for a surgical procedure in Mexico City and was totally overlooked for his scheduled surgery. I posted it mostly because I thought his situation kind of sums up the type of health care one can receive here in Mexico. We typically cringe when it's time to visit a doctor or a dentist here. One never knows what might or might not happen.
That's not to say that all health care is bad or negligent here. At times it is quite good like a few years ago when Dayton broke his arm and the local orthopedic doctor did a great job of mending the broken bone. But on the other hand, like when I had a small cavity to be filled that turned out to be a horrible root canal due to a mistake by the dentist, health care can and does go wrong here at times too.
Since I asked you to pray for Martín, I think it's only fair to pass along the update that sort of wraps up this event. Unfortunately, for Martín and his family, this is not the end of this health situation, but at least he's back home and knows more about his situation.
Here's the update in case you were wondering how it went:
I just spent 45 minutes talking with Martin about his surgery yesterday and here is what happened.
They did a heart catheterization through a vein in his wrist and discovered that the two arteries were not blocked due to cholesterol, but because they are malformed, they are kinda twisted, which is causing the restriction of blood flow. He will now be going to heart specialists here in Pachuca to see what to do.
Yesterday was bad, or even worse than the day before in terms of waiting. The catheterization only took about an hour, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. They did all they could do, and he COULD HAVE gone home as soon as the authorized personnel updated his medical record and another person signed his release form. But in Martin's words, "Much like they overlooked my surgery on Tuesday, they overlooked my release from the hospital yesterday."
He was finally released around 6:30 p.m., 7 hours after the catheterization procedure. He mentioned that in the two days that he was there, the 15-16 hours of waiting that he and his wife did, were unnecessary. And because it took so long to release him, they got stuck in rush hour traffic again, and it took them 3 hours to get back to Pachuca last night.
Martin wanted to let each one of you know that he appreciates all your prayers from the bottom of his heart. Please keep praying that the heart doctors here in Pachuca can figure out a solution for Martin's problem. It has been 3 months since his problems began and he has been out of work (receiving workman's comp), and now they are starting over as far as a solution for his problems.
That's not to say that all health care is bad or negligent here. At times it is quite good like a few years ago when Dayton broke his arm and the local orthopedic doctor did a great job of mending the broken bone. But on the other hand, like when I had a small cavity to be filled that turned out to be a horrible root canal due to a mistake by the dentist, health care can and does go wrong here at times too.
Since I asked you to pray for Martín, I think it's only fair to pass along the update that sort of wraps up this event. Unfortunately, for Martín and his family, this is not the end of this health situation, but at least he's back home and knows more about his situation.
Here's the update in case you were wondering how it went:
I just spent 45 minutes talking with Martin about his surgery yesterday and here is what happened.
They did a heart catheterization through a vein in his wrist and discovered that the two arteries were not blocked due to cholesterol, but because they are malformed, they are kinda twisted, which is causing the restriction of blood flow. He will now be going to heart specialists here in Pachuca to see what to do.
Yesterday was bad, or even worse than the day before in terms of waiting. The catheterization only took about an hour, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. They did all they could do, and he COULD HAVE gone home as soon as the authorized personnel updated his medical record and another person signed his release form. But in Martin's words, "Much like they overlooked my surgery on Tuesday, they overlooked my release from the hospital yesterday."
He was finally released around 6:30 p.m., 7 hours after the catheterization procedure. He mentioned that in the two days that he was there, the 15-16 hours of waiting that he and his wife did, were unnecessary. And because it took so long to release him, they got stuck in rush hour traffic again, and it took them 3 hours to get back to Pachuca last night.
Martin wanted to let each one of you know that he appreciates all your prayers from the bottom of his heart. Please keep praying that the heart doctors here in Pachuca can figure out a solution for Martin's problem. It has been 3 months since his problems began and he has been out of work (receiving workman's comp), and now they are starting over as far as a solution for his problems.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Only In Mexico?
I suppose this could happen in other countries...maybe even in the U.S. but for some reason I doubt it. Praise God there are no mistakes when it comes to the lives of His children. I'm sure there was a reason for this odd event.
The following are excerpts from two emails we received this week from another CAM missionary team asking for prayer for a leader in their church who went in to Mexico City for surgery yesterday. The first message below was from yesterday and the second one was received this morning.
Pray for brother Martín and this surgery and maybe a prayer for the surgeon would be in order too!
MESSAGE FROM MONDAY MORNING:
He (Martín) will be admitted to the hospital La Raza in Mexico City this morning at 9 and then have two stints put in to unblock two arteries to his heart. One is 25% blocked and the other 50% blocked. Please pray that the surgery goes well and for his wife Lucero, and their kids Gustavo, Ceci, David and Lucerito.
MESSAGE FROM TUESDAY MORNING (today):
We want to thank you for your prayers for Martín.
We accompanied Martín and his wife and arrived at the hospital La Raza at 9 a.m. on the dot, the time he was instructed to be there. We sat and waited, and waited, and waited and finally they called him at 4:55 p.m., 8 hours later! But it wasn’t for his surgery, it was to tell him that his operation was basically overlooked and the surgeon went home!
They did admit Martín to the hospital and put him in a nice room. When he finally got settled in, it was about 7:30 p.m. Now the plan is to put the stints in during the day today.
So all this to say, please keep praying for the surgery today, sometime...maybe.
Martín and his wife really appreciate your prayers. We’'ll update you when we hear something.
The following are excerpts from two emails we received this week from another CAM missionary team asking for prayer for a leader in their church who went in to Mexico City for surgery yesterday. The first message below was from yesterday and the second one was received this morning.
Pray for brother Martín and this surgery and maybe a prayer for the surgeon would be in order too!
MESSAGE FROM MONDAY MORNING:
He (Martín) will be admitted to the hospital La Raza in Mexico City this morning at 9 and then have two stints put in to unblock two arteries to his heart. One is 25% blocked and the other 50% blocked. Please pray that the surgery goes well and for his wife Lucero, and their kids Gustavo, Ceci, David and Lucerito.
MESSAGE FROM TUESDAY MORNING (today):
We want to thank you for your prayers for Martín.
We accompanied Martín and his wife and arrived at the hospital La Raza at 9 a.m. on the dot, the time he was instructed to be there. We sat and waited, and waited, and waited and finally they called him at 4:55 p.m., 8 hours later! But it wasn’t for his surgery, it was to tell him that his operation was basically overlooked and the surgeon went home!
They did admit Martín to the hospital and put him in a nice room. When he finally got settled in, it was about 7:30 p.m. Now the plan is to put the stints in during the day today.
So all this to say, please keep praying for the surgery today, sometime...maybe.
Martín and his wife really appreciate your prayers. We’'ll update you when we hear something.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Bedtime Quotables
Putting the boys to bed seems like a hit or miss proposition at times. Whether it be a late arrival home after a long day or some late arriving or late departing guests, routine and schedule sometimes consists of simply knowing we aren't going to have one.
Sometimes it's not so much what is done at bedtime but what is said at bedtime that makes life a little more interesting. I guess when you're tired the brain and the tongue don't always work together. In my case, it has nothing to do with tired but that's another story.
Here's a couple of memorable bedtime quotes from the ABCD hogar:
"Boys...wash your teeth and brush your face."
"Turn that light on and get to bed!"
"Blush your teeth, Dayton!"
and from tonight and my favorite so far...
"Dayton, brush your teeth and wipe between your ears!"
Sometimes it's not so much what is done at bedtime but what is said at bedtime that makes life a little more interesting. I guess when you're tired the brain and the tongue don't always work together. In my case, it has nothing to do with tired but that's another story.
Here's a couple of memorable bedtime quotes from the ABCD hogar:
"Boys...wash your teeth and brush your face."
"Turn that light on and get to bed!"
"Blush your teeth, Dayton!"
and from tonight and my favorite so far...
"Dayton, brush your teeth and wipe between your ears!"
Monday, March 09, 2009
a little update
A few folks asked me to update how the Bible study went on Saturday. Jason and I read through the first chapter of "Stranger on the Way to Emmaus." Of course, it didn't start there. I spent over 2 hours on Friday night reading it and looking up about 60 words I didn't know.
We discussed the main points of how to approach reading the Bible, and he was anxious to read the next couple chapters in the book. I have never read this book in Spanish nor English so I'm learning it as I go. We don't have it in English. So far so good. After a couple hours of discussion we talked another hour or so just to chat. I was glad Jason was so open to conversation as he is very much an introvert.
Kristin who'll be studying here in the morning with Beth (Tuesday) was very sweet to take little Justin over to a relative's home a block away and try and give us as much quiet time as she could. They made it back before we finished but we were close to done.
They live in a fairly poor neighborhood and we were interrupted about 4 or 5 times by knocks at the door and people looking to do odd jobs or sell something. This is normal in that neighborhood but Jason commented that this is a more common occurrence this year over last. The recession is hitting Mexico hard.
Well...I've got a lot more prepping to do this week to get in two chapters. Keep praying for this Bible study to yield abundant fruit for the glory of God.
We discussed the main points of how to approach reading the Bible, and he was anxious to read the next couple chapters in the book. I have never read this book in Spanish nor English so I'm learning it as I go. We don't have it in English. So far so good. After a couple hours of discussion we talked another hour or so just to chat. I was glad Jason was so open to conversation as he is very much an introvert.
Kristin who'll be studying here in the morning with Beth (Tuesday) was very sweet to take little Justin over to a relative's home a block away and try and give us as much quiet time as she could. They made it back before we finished but we were close to done.
They live in a fairly poor neighborhood and we were interrupted about 4 or 5 times by knocks at the door and people looking to do odd jobs or sell something. This is normal in that neighborhood but Jason commented that this is a more common occurrence this year over last. The recession is hitting Mexico hard.
Well...I've got a lot more prepping to do this week to get in two chapters. Keep praying for this Bible study to yield abundant fruit for the glory of God.
Friday, March 06, 2009
La Librería
After a community center meeting this morning I stopped off at our local Christian librería (bookstore). If you've followed our updates long enough, you might recall that this bookstore is called "Jornada Espiritual" (Spiritual Journey). Beth's mom works in the office there, although not actually working for the bookstore but for a Spanish Christian resource website called ObreroFiel (Faithful Worker). The site is located at www.obrerofiel.com.
OK...I guess I got in my advertisements...so like I was saying, I stopped off at the bookstore in order to look for a Bible study to begin with Jason tomorrow. Jason really likes to read, unlike his wife, Kristin who has been doing Bible studies with Bethie but who hates to read (Kristin, that is...not Bethie!).
Funny thing is that I really am not much of a reader either. Just give me the summary and let's move on...or if there's a good movie about the book, let's start there. :-) It's one of life's ironies that my mother was a career librarian and voracious reader and my wife reads books constantly, but I prefer something with pictures. I know there's lots of guys out there who can relate.
So, after looking through a number of options, here's what I picked up:
2 copies of "El Mensaje de Dios para el Hombre" ("God's Message for Man")...these are "homemade" and only 4 pesos apiece! (about 30 cents!)
2 copies of "6 Conversiones" ("Six Conversions") which is a study based on the book of Acts and are also the "homemade" type and cost 30 cents apiece as well.
3 copies of Más Que un Carpintero (More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell). These were under $2 apiece, and I just thought I'd get a few since they were sitting there looking unassuming amid the larger books on the shelf. (However, I knew that this was more than a small, average book. *duh!*) Jason would like one and I gave one to our neighborhood guard named Poli, an older, portly fellow who likes to read. Poli is actually short for Apolonio or Appoloosa or Neopolitan or something like that...I have trouble with Spanish names as you can tell. What's important about this is not his name but that he happily received this book as my unexpected gift. Pray for Poli's salvation...this is the 2nd evangelistic book I've given him.
2 copies of Como Nadie es Perfecto ¿Cuán Bueno es Suficiente Bueno? (How Good is Good Enough? by Andy Stanley). I didn't realize that Jason already has this book in English (he's bilingual) so I'll save these for another time, another face. This is the book I gave to Poli a few months ago and which he immediately read...I know because I saw him reading it intently shortly after I gave it to him. I'm sure I'll find a couple of good recipients. I might even read it myself...I hope there's pictures.
1 Bible...I realized Jason wouldn't have a Bible to read and if he did, it would likely be a Watchtower (Jehovah's Witnesses) version...which is no Bible at all. So...avoiding the Bibles which were too modern to be as accurate as they should be but not so formal to include the "vosotros" voice which Jason probably wouldn't be familiar with (Spain uses vosotros among some other places I'm sure...but Mexico doesn't really use it), I ended up with the Spanish version of the NIV (the "NVI"). (Don't worry...they don't make God out to be feminine in the Spanish version.)
I found out later that this is the version that Bethie had given to Kristin months ago so this turned out to be the best choice in order to avoid having to explain translation differences right off the bat. My bilingual Bible has NVI and NIV so this was another good reason to choose NVI.
2 copies of a book and corresponding work book El Forastero En El Camino a Emaús or The Stranger on the Way to Emmaus. Beth told me our co-worker and good friend in Dallas, Brian Masters, uses this one a lot. I knew that...really, I did. I just didn't remember that. This is the study I will begin tomorrow with Jason. It's a doozie too. Looks like it will take months of Saturday studies to work our way through it. However, it should be thorough, interesting and with enough references to Scripture to call it a Bible study. Best of all, it uniquely and especially weaves the message of the Bible and the message of the Gospel that is perfect for someone who really doesn't know the Bible at all.
I'm excited about starting this and hope I can get through the Spanish. Good thing Jason knows English so he can help me when I get stuck!
OK...so $43 and "one" Bible study later, I left Jornada Espiritual. Ready for my own spiritual journey. Well, not so much mine, but Jason's. He may not know he's on a journey, but he certainly is. And tomorrow we're going to embark on a new and important segment of it together. Please pray for Jason's salvation.
Oh...I just wanted to say that the reason I mention the cost of the books is two-fold.
One is that there are some amazingly inexpensive resources at Jornada Espiritual. A bookstore started by our co-worker, Scott Yingling, but now owned and operated by my mother-in-law's best friend, Ivonne Ruíz. I am always amazed that she and her family survive and that the bookstore remains open. I don't think they've ever made a profit. They always keep prices low so that people can afford them. Such a journey of pursuing faith over making profits. Reminds me of Zondervans...NOT!
Secondly, I wanted to express thanks to our small army of supporters who are financially partnering with us to live, work, and minister here in Mexico. Your generous gifts provide us with the funds that today ended up staying with and supporting Jornada Espiritual but giving me the opportunity to have the resources I need in order to work with Jason.
I didn't have to think twice about buying these valuable materials and I didn't have to forgo any meals to be able to afford it. Thanks! I like my meals! (a little too much but that's another issue...and I promise not to blog about it!)
Have a great weekend! Thanks for praying!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
War in Mexico
It's no secret that Mexico is engaged in a war against drug cartels. In the past year, there have been a growing number of deaths related to this war. In January of 2009 over 1,000 deaths were attributed to this war, over 60% more than all war-related casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq combined (with approximately 600 war related-deaths in January).
I can't remember a trip we've made recently to Querétaro along the main north-south corridor from Mexico City to Texas where we haven't noted a large convoy of troop carriers, loaded with armed soldiers, and heading north to the battle zones. Like in Iraq and Afghanistan, it seems to be a guerrilla war and enemy positions and personnel are not easily recognized.
We have never felt unsafe here in this region but apparently the war is capable of expanding. The following article claims that the Pentagon thinks the drug cartels have enlisted 100,000 soldiers to fight against 130,000 Mexican government soldiers. This obviously doesn't sound good.
Pray for Mexico and for peace. The years of corruption and the drug trade and trafficking are proving once again that sin brings horrible consequences and that we reap what we sow. What will be fought with guns and grenades can only be won with prayer and redemption through Jesus Christ. The real battle is in the heart of man.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/03/100000-foot-soldiers-in-cartels/
I can't remember a trip we've made recently to Querétaro along the main north-south corridor from Mexico City to Texas where we haven't noted a large convoy of troop carriers, loaded with armed soldiers, and heading north to the battle zones. Like in Iraq and Afghanistan, it seems to be a guerrilla war and enemy positions and personnel are not easily recognized.
We have never felt unsafe here in this region but apparently the war is capable of expanding. The following article claims that the Pentagon thinks the drug cartels have enlisted 100,000 soldiers to fight against 130,000 Mexican government soldiers. This obviously doesn't sound good.
Pray for Mexico and for peace. The years of corruption and the drug trade and trafficking are proving once again that sin brings horrible consequences and that we reap what we sow. What will be fought with guns and grenades can only be won with prayer and redemption through Jesus Christ. The real battle is in the heart of man.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/03/100000-foot-soldiers-in-cartels/
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Good News!
As you might know we've been slowly building a relationship with Jason and Kristin for a couple of years. Beth and Kristin have been having a weekly Bible study at our house once a week for awhile now. Kristin seems to be really engaging the topics and wrestling with the spiritual issues presented in the Bible.
Their current study has been on the attributes of God and most recently on God's sovereignty. This aspect of God has been very difficult for Kristin to accept but she seems to be genuinely struggling with it rather than simply rejecting this truth. This is a good sign.
What's even better is that as she has gone home and discussed these things with Jason, they've had some interesting discussions too. In fact, this past week it actually ended in an argument over Jesus being God. This runs against the grain of the false teaching of the Jehovah's Witnesses under which Jason was raised. Beth thought this might make a good time for me to invite Jason to have a Bible study with me.
In the past, Jason has worked his factory job 6 days a week and Sundays were for family...and I mean..."Mexican family" which includes a LOT of people. This meant that there really wasn't a good time to suggest a Bible study. However, with the economic downturn, his employer cut back all Saturday shifts so he's off on Saturdays and has more time now.
I haven't seen Jason more than two or three times since last summer so I wondered how he'd respond to the invitation over the phone. I've been praying that he'd be open to the idea and when I called him this evening he didn't hesitate to accept the invitation! This is good news! Not only that, but this is an opportunity to finally build a foundation of understanding for presenting THE Good News to Jason in a way that answers his questions and his reservations and that might overcome his past indoctrination into the teachings of this JW cult.
Pray for Jason that God will open his heart and mind and that he will come to receive Christ as his Savior, Lord and God! And also pray for me that I will be wise in my choice of words and choose the right areas to study and present to Jason. We're going to meet for the first time this Saturday at around noon in his home.
Thanks for praying!
Their current study has been on the attributes of God and most recently on God's sovereignty. This aspect of God has been very difficult for Kristin to accept but she seems to be genuinely struggling with it rather than simply rejecting this truth. This is a good sign.
What's even better is that as she has gone home and discussed these things with Jason, they've had some interesting discussions too. In fact, this past week it actually ended in an argument over Jesus being God. This runs against the grain of the false teaching of the Jehovah's Witnesses under which Jason was raised. Beth thought this might make a good time for me to invite Jason to have a Bible study with me.
In the past, Jason has worked his factory job 6 days a week and Sundays were for family...and I mean..."Mexican family" which includes a LOT of people. This meant that there really wasn't a good time to suggest a Bible study. However, with the economic downturn, his employer cut back all Saturday shifts so he's off on Saturdays and has more time now.
I haven't seen Jason more than two or three times since last summer so I wondered how he'd respond to the invitation over the phone. I've been praying that he'd be open to the idea and when I called him this evening he didn't hesitate to accept the invitation! This is good news! Not only that, but this is an opportunity to finally build a foundation of understanding for presenting THE Good News to Jason in a way that answers his questions and his reservations and that might overcome his past indoctrination into the teachings of this JW cult.
Pray for Jason that God will open his heart and mind and that he will come to receive Christ as his Savior, Lord and God! And also pray for me that I will be wise in my choice of words and choose the right areas to study and present to Jason. We're going to meet for the first time this Saturday at around noon in his home.
Thanks for praying!
Monday, March 02, 2009
Another Blog?!?
It occurred to me recently that until the Internet has at least 3 blogs per every living person in the world, there's room for one more. And you know where that thought led me, right?
Yeah...you got it. I'm helping our new T2 ministry team by developing a blog which will do something very, very important. I'm not sure what that thing is yet, but we now have our blog, we now have our first post to introduce our team name and blog site, and we'll figure it out from there!
Come on over and take a look at http://20ohms.blogspot.com.
(It really isn't hard to just push a button on your mouse...c'mon...you can do it! Push it...push it noawww!!!)
Yeah...you got it. I'm helping our new T2 ministry team by developing a blog which will do something very, very important. I'm not sure what that thing is yet, but we now have our blog, we now have our first post to introduce our team name and blog site, and we'll figure it out from there!
Come on over and take a look at http://20ohms.blogspot.com.
(It really isn't hard to just push a button on your mouse...c'mon...you can do it! Push it...push it noawww!!!)
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