"Think About Such Things"

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Philippians 4:8

The last Sunday of December we gathered with the families of Reflejo, our faith community, reflecting on the year gone by. The room was filled with thanksgiving as each one shared something they were grateful for—life, health, another year, the support of friends and family, God’s provision, growing in faith.

David then challenged us based on the verse above to choose to think positively in a world that tends to be negative and pessimistic, to set our minds on what is excellent and praiseworthy. And then in the following verse, he urged us to go beyond thinking to doing, with its promised result.

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Verse 9)

These are inspiring thoughts for a time when the words crisis, recession, violence, war, disease, poverty, corruption and others fill the air waves as well as casual conversations. We need to remember that these verses were written by a man who was imprisoned, shipwrecked, beaten, stoned and run out of many towns for telling others about Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God—the One who transformed him and the One whose birth we celebrate during this season. Surely his admonitions for right thinking and applied action can bring that same peace to all of us in our lives.

We hope that as you read this you will be reminded to pray for us, to pray for our city, for our faith community and home church, for the small groups and those we are discipling to continue growing in their faith and commitment to Jesus.

We thank you too for being a part of our lives, our family and our work. It is a privilege to serve knowing that we are supported by such faithful friends and partners. May the God of peace invade your lives in new and astounding ways as you “think about such things.”

A Small Bone Turns Into a Big Break

It all started with a distracted misstep and a fall. It ended up with a broken bone, a cast and three weeks of bed rest.

Small things can make a big difference.

It was just a one inch step I did not navigate well. It is just a little bone under the smallest toe. It took just a second or two to happen. But the results are significant. A purple and swollen foot…Pain… Immobilization…Cancelled plans…Tasks undone…Reliance on others.

As I have had more time on my hands lately, I have been reading a lot more than I usually do. It seems that everything I read and even the DVDs that I have watched have served to communicate the same message—have faith, trust in God. A small portion of faith, as small as a mustard seed, can cause big things to happen.

We, like many of you have been confronting some major obstacles and challenges (more long- term than a three-week convalescence.) The economic crisis in the U.S. has hit us and many of our friends hard. There has been unprecedented violence in our two neighboring cities of Tijuana and Rosarito that has made this last month the bloodiest ever. We know many people who are facing serious health issues, family crises, death in their families, marital problems, depression and even thoughts of suicide. People are scared, worried, hopeless and tired.

Honestly, there have been times lately as our energy and resources have run low that we have been prone to worry, fear and even despair. But God has faithfully been reminding us that we need to trust in Him and not in what we have or what the prognosis is for the future. He has used the book of Nehemiah to show us what leadership submitted to and dependent on God looks like and what He can accomplish through those who look to Him and trust in Him. He has used friends to give us other books that carry the same message--believe in God’s Word and His promises, not in our feelings or our circumstances.

We know many of you are facing overwhelming obstacles in these days as well. We want you to know that we are praying for you and asking God to bless you and your families, your households and your businesses. Just as in our community, you have the opportunity to be a voice of faith, to declare that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” and “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 13; 19)

Let’s take God at His Word. Let’s be a voice of hope and healing for our communities, our cities, our nations and our world.

A Place to Find Hope and Healing

It's a humble setting--an old house with sparse landscaping and modest decorations. But for many who live on society's periphery or on life's edge it is an oasis providing help, hope, healing and the resources to overcome overwhelming obstacles.

CAME, as the Center is referred to, provides services to women and families in crisis. For thirteen years is has functioned as a non-profit NGO supported solely through volunteers and funds provided by events and donations.

In opening its doors, CAME found a niche in the strata of the Ensenada community. Many schools, hospitals and even the state and local governments refer people to the Center knowing that they will receive prompt, personal and professional attention. Not being bound by quotas, bureaucracy, political or religious affiliations has allowed CAME to operate on a shoe-string budget but continue to open its doors to people from all walks of life and levels of need.

Recruited as one of the first volunteer counselors shortly after the Center was founded, David soon realized that working with CAME offerred a tremendous opportunity to help people in need, while at the same time affording him the freedom to be more open about spiritual themes than at his other position with the government social service agency (DIF). Soon he was elected as part of the governing board of the Center, even serving as the President of the organization for two years. In that role he made many contacts with other leaders in the areas of government, health care, social services, NGOs and business. There were also many occasions to attend local functions, appear on radio and television programs and promote awareness concerning the problems women and families face in our society--opportunities that he used to share, as he always does in his sessions, about the spiritual needs behind the physical and emotional needs.

David later recruited Karen to also serve in the role of volunteer counselor. Currently they both dedicate six hours a week at the Center seeing patients, as well as assisting in fund raising events to keep the center's doors open to the community. This is just one of the many doors that God has opened to us here in Ensenada and we thank Him for the privilege to be used to share His love and hope with people who are yearning for exactly those elements in their lives.

Following God's Agenda

Sometimes it is hard to accept that the “interruptions” to our plans are really our calling…and that the tasks we have planned need to take a back seat to God’s agenda.

Take today for example. Tomorrow I am going to the U.S. and I have to send the donor receipts for September but I have not written the letter yet. So, the girls are off to school. I have a chunk of time to get the job done. After meeting with a few people I go home ready to do a few chores, start preparing lunch, write a memo for Jessica’s class and work on the letter. But just as I sit down at the computer my cell phone rings. It is one of the women we disciple. She is faithful, teachable, committed and responsible, but life has hit her hard. She is just recovering from the latest punch when an incident this morning involving her youngest child threatens to cut the thread on which her life is hanging. I drop everything and run to be with her. The chores, the lunch, the memo and the letter can wait.

This afternoon I take our girls rock climbing. Can I watch a friends’ daughter until she can get home. “Sure!” Homework, baths, dinner, violin practice, bedtime Bible story and prayers…soon I can get back to the computer and get that letter written. Then there is a knock on the gate. Someone is yelling my name…a mother of one of Geneva’s classmates. It is her second visit in the past couple weeks. She needs counsel, encouragement and a listening ear. And the letter to our partners—maybe later…She does not leave until 10 p.m.

Urgent needs and emergencies are never scheduled and are rarely convenient. But being a part of meeting those needs or responding to those emergencies is a conscious choice we make. Apparently Jesus lived life this way. In the midst of sharing an important spiritual message, someone who needed healing would “interrupt”. As He tried to get some time alone to pray or rest, the masses would follow Him wanting more teaching…or more bread. Walking along the road, a heartfelt question from one of His followers would warrant a pause in the journey to speak to that specific need. My heart tells me that He knew all of these “detours” were part of the plan for His life and He invested the time and energy to show us this is how God loves.

May God continue to prepare all of us to respond as He does to the daily “inconveniences” and “interruptions”. May we give His love freely and trust Him for the rest of the important tasks and responsibilities...including belated letters and blogs.

Challenges...On the Wall and In Life

Challenges…When faced and confronted they provide opportunities to excel, to thrive, to succeed, to go beyond what you thought or believed you could accomplish. But when resisted or avoided, they generate fear, regret, worry, failure and insecurity.

David shared recently with our faith community a well known passage that speaks directly to this concept. In Matthew 6:25-34 Jesus reminds us of several things. One is that in this life there will be situations that challenge us on a daily basis. Secondly, He shows us that when confronted with these situations we have a choice as to how we are going to react—either by worrying about how we are going to resolve the need or by trusting in Him to provide for that need. Third, we read that we are to rest in the fact that our Heavenly Father is perfectly aware of our situation and its accompanying needs. Finally, we are to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and these things we need will be provided. David concluded by challenging us with this thought: If we are filling our hearts and minds with trust in God, then there is no room for worry!

During the last couple of months our girls have been fantastic examples of facing challenges and of trust as they took up a new sport…rock climbing!! From the first day they listened intently to their instructor, followed his instructions and met the challenge head on, reaching the top of the wall. They love it!!

God has used our daughters’ new activity to remind us how to respond to the challenges of everyday life. We must listen to our Instructor (God), follow His instructions (the Word) and face the challenge head on (trust).

For us a substantial challenge lately has been administering our resources—both time and finances. Choosing to face the challenges and trust has been a recurring theme for us and we are growing as we see God’s direction in our lives and experience His faithfulness. We are in the process of forming a Board of Directors and our hope is that as we seek God together they will provide a steady source of wisdom and counsel in these and other areas. Please pray for us as we will meet for the first time on September 20.

So, we are going to follow our daughters' example and let God show us how to climb the walls in our life that can be challenging and intimidating. We'll see you at the top!

Independence Day and the Dependent Life

With a brand-new elementary school graduate in the family, we departed on commencement day to spend two weeks in the U.S. visiting partners in Bakersfield. One of the highlights of our time away was a gala 4th of July party (that included people from Columbia, Canada and Australia in addition to our Mexican delegation!)

Independence is a wonderful concept when you are referring to a country being freed from oppressive rule, or maturing in their ability to self-govern. Just as in the U.S., in Mexico Independence Day is celebrated with lots of fireworks and good food to commemorate the ultimate price that was paid to secure freedom for those of us who enjoy it decades and centuries later.

Independence however is not something to be celebrated as it relates to our relationship with God. As the result of seeing a movie that debilitated her with fear and worry, our oldest daughter has gone from a young believer who loved God, to a maturing pre-teen who needs God on a daily, sometimes hourly, sometimes moment by moment basis and someone who has experienced in a very real and personal way God's presence and activity in her life.

Before this event she read the Bible while preparing her Sunday school lessons and prayed when she ate her meals or went to bed at night. Now she regularly asks us to pray with her, suggest Scripture passages for her to read or verses that she can memorize. God is no longer just a positive influence in her life...He is a necessity.

Our daughter still has her moments when she struggles, she still has to make choices to dwell on scary images and fearful thoughts, or God's promises and truth. However, more and more she is returning to her carefree, social self, but with a new depth of faith in, commitment to and dependence on God. What a good place to be when you just started Jr. High!! What a great place to be whatever your age...for the rest of your life.

(Read about this experience from our daughter's perspective in the preceeding blog.)

Battling the Effects of Batman!

Hola,
I'm David and Karen's oldest daughter and I'm going to tell you guys a story that just happened very recently.

I was invited to go see Batman: The Black Knight by a friend of mine. Like I'm terribly bad at saying NO I went to see it. At first I was fine but later on I got scared. I got traumatized. (DO NOT TAKE YOUR KIDS AND TWEENS TO SEE IT! They might get mad, but it's better not to see it than to scare the living daylights out of them. Trust me I learned from experience.)

Well back to the subject, I was so scared I couldn't sleep. That was the moment I was scared and helpless. I knew clearly I could not get over it alone, so I asked God to help me because this was definitely my time of need. It was and is the strongest spiritual battle I've had in my life. As time has gone by I've certainly improved, but the process of improving has been very dificult. I've shed my buckets of tears but what has helped and what I've had to do is learn Bible verses like "In my anguish I cried to the Lord and he answered me by setting me free."(Psalms 118:5) and "The Lord is with me I will not be afraid."(Psalms 118:6)

But what was most difficult for me to do is TRUST God. I'm still in this spiritual battle. I know I am trusting in God but I need to trust more that he WILL SET ME FREE. In our lives we have all types of spiritual battles but what we have to learn is that we can NOT possibly overcome them alone. We need to trust in God because he is on our side and he has given us all the stuff to overcome anything. (I still need to get that stuck in my head:] ) Please pray for me because I'm not totally over it. It's only been a week and a half.

May this blog be a warning to kids, tweens, teens, etc. because movies have incredible control over our minds. Parents please be careful what you let your kids watch. I totally regret what I watched. Like that song that Steve Green sings that goes: "Be careful little eyes what you see..." And believe me, God means it!

May God bless you.
Love,
A "Tween"

Ensenada Women do B&B in Bakersfield

Bed and Breakfast, Babes and Broads, Baja and Bakersfield, have all been possible translations of the acronym B&B used to refer to an annual women's retreat. But whatever you call it the 4th annual gathering of women from Bakersfield, Santa Barbara and Ensenada was an incredible time of fellowship, sharing and teaching focused on friendship...friendship with God, friendship with ourselves and friendship with one another.

Eight women from Ensenada braved the endless miles and the intense heat leaving behind families, jobs and other responsibilities to join with our friends for spiritual rest and refreshment. We were not disappointed. From the first night God spoke to us directly from His Word in Jeremiah chapter 31. Then the next two days our dear friend and spiritual mentor, Jo, not only led us in a study focusing on the theme, but also was instrumental in bringing times of healing through counsel and prayer.

The location for the retreat is in itself a gift and a blessing. Being in the home of our dear friends and partners, Rick and Lorraine, is in physically, emotionally and spiritually refreshing. Two log homes, nestled along a stream and surrounded by lush vegetation provides an atomosphere of peace and tranquility. The first afternoon we even spotted deer! It also helps that the higher elevation and mountainous surroundings represent lower temperatures than the valley a few miles below!

Whether we take a hike around the area, share a meal together, rest in the natural surroundings, join together for times of singing, sharing and teaching, the annual B & B retreat is a time of refreshment for body, soul and spirit.

Twenty Years and Counting...

Over 20 years ago we met a young girl. She was the daughter of a local pastor with whom who worked during our years serving with Agua Viva.

Fast forward several years….The pastor’s daughter is now married to a bright, successful, athletic man—who does not share her depth of faith. At the time they have a baby daughter just five months younger than our oldest girl and we reconnect. We begin to reach out to them, we spend some time together and a few years later our daughters begin attending the same school.

Soon after that we invited them to attend one of our study groups and they accepted. The husband began attending church with his wife and growing in his faith as he learned more about God’s Word and His plan for his life. They began to work on issues in their lives and marriage as well as beginning to train up their children in God’s principles.

Having a burden for members of his family, and other friends, they began a study in their home and asked us to be the leaders. They have participated in all the seminars and retreats that we have organized for people in the community and are active with the faith community here, Reflejo. They also attend the Mount Hermon retreats each year with our contingency. The growth in each of them, as well as in their marriage and family has been dramatic, and although there are many areas where they still struggle, God’s work is evident in their lives.

As part of God’s plan, seven months ago our change of residence brought us to a home right around the corner from this family. (In fact, the wife was our contact with the owner of our house and our friend’s reputation was the only insurance that the owner needed to rent to us on the spot with no contract and no co-signer--an incredible testimony to our friend’s integrity!) Now every Thursday evening we walk to the study. This couple recently shared with us their continued desire for family members, friends and neighbors to receive the teachings that have helped them in their lives. After attending our last retreat, one of his sisters has joined us every week and is being taught from the Bible for the first time! We have encouraged them to pray and wait for God’s timing to invite others. They have introduced us to several people they are praying for and the seeds of relationship are being planted. Please join both of our families in praying that these seeds would find fertile ground and that soon more of our mutual neighbors would come to know our God.

Please pray for us as we are off to Bakersfield for some gatherings with friends and partners as well as the 3rd Annual B&B Women’s Retreat (Bakersfield and Baja) up there.

Washington DC Prayer Breakfast

The National Prayer Breakfast in DC is unlike any event you can imagine. Sponsored by the U.S. Congress, for the past 57 years thousands of people gather the first Thursday in February to pray for the President and all those in government as well as for global issues.

It should really be called the International Prayer Breakfast as representatives of many nations attend each year as invited guests. Besides the "main event" the activities of the week include meals with special speakers and highlighting ordinary people doing extraordinary things through God's guidance and power.

[View the full-screen slideshow]

For example, we heard from a young couple who as newlyweds started a business/ministry to make small business loans to underprivileged individuals in impoverished countries. Now they are handling millions of dollars in loans over the internet each year with a 98% repayment rate!

Then there were two inner city, black women who are spearheading a ministry focused on promoting reconciliation. That would just be a great vision except that the son of one of these women murdered the son of the other. Reconciliation is not just theory to these brave activists.

Likewise, following decades of war and strife, a Catholic and a Protestant from Ireland took the stage and were interviewed by two Senators, one Catholic and the other Protestant. God is doing miracles in that country because of the prayers of many and because a few are determined to stand up and resist prejudice and discrimination in the name of religion.

So what were two couples from little Ensenada, Mexico doing in the capital of our neighbor nation as delegates of this unprecendented event? First of all learning and listening to what our God is doing around the world. Secondly uniting in a vision for our own city, state and country and its leaders that they would know Jesus and be challenged to govern following God's principles. And finally meeting others from many places we may never visit in this life who have this same heart for the places they came from.

We truly believe that one day we will send out invitations to the Ensenada Prayer Breakfast. Now that is something worth praying about!

Cross Cultural Fiesta

Two wild and crazy groups of people joined together to eat tacos and show Christ's love to families and the communities of Ensenada and Tijuana.

Individuals and families from a church in Redding, CA (guided by our friends Shaun and Maria Sheahan and family) invested a week of their lives to shower the love of Jesus on a public school in a forgotten part of Ensenada, a boys' home in Tijuana and the home of a single mom from Ensenada. They did repairs, played with kids, built a "snack shack" at the school and made a difference in people's lives through their generosity and kindness.

In our newly rented home, we found that our patio can hold 60+ people eating tacos and mexican sweet bread and hot chocolate. The group from Redding joined with our Reflejo community to share the love and faith in Jesus that we all share. The principal of the rural school and his family also joined us. As you can see, there are no language or cultural barriers when it comes to fiestas!

A New Home...A New Area...A New Season

After living for our entire married life in one area of the city, we couldn't imagine any place else being as beautiful, as peaceful or as pleasant. There was the beach down the street, a brand new shopping center around the corner and the giant warehouse stores within walking distance . Who could ask for more?!

But in October when our landlord told us he was selling the house and gave us two months to move out, we took it as a sign that the Lord wanted us somewhere else. We wanted to be open to His will and prayed that He would show us just where He wanted us, the location that would be most strategic for the work that He has called us to.

We scoured the internet, called realtors, saw countless properties...but nothing seemed right. We were starting to feel the pressure when a month from M-Day (move-out day) we went to see a rental house on the recommendation of a friend. It was located on the other side of town, and even the friend who had recommended it had never actually been in the house, she just knew the owner.

We showed up for the 12:00 appointment and minutes later a lovely women met us there and let us into the house. We liked her immediately. She was very kind, polite and laughed easily. As we walked around the house there was a feeling that we could see ourselves living there. It was well kept up, mexican decor with nice features and the price was even in our budget (most of the properties we had seen were not). We had to make an immediate decision as there was another person interested in the house but the owner assured us it was "first come first serve. "

From then on it was, "Let the games begin...." We called the owner, called the bank, called our friends, called to buy a washer-dryer that would fit in the new space, went out for some tacos--and started moving. From the first vehicles that started loading on Saturday evening at 6 pm until the last load Monday night at 11 pm, it was a tribute to hard work and good friends and we had moved out, moved in and cleaned both places! Setting things up would be another story, but we were officially relocated.

So how do we like it? It's great! We love living on this side of town. We can get to the girls' school and the counseling center in five minutes. Most of the people we spend time with and are in our groups live from around the corner to a few miles away. We have hosted more gatherings in the last couple of months than we usually did in a year just because we are accessible. People drop by more, we carpool now, and we have more contact with our neighbors here. Although we miss the beach, if we hike up a hill about five minutes up the road, we have a panoramic view of the entire bay!

We are still hoping that God will provide a long-term housing situation for us (perhaps one that we can purchase). But we know we are where God wants us for now and we are happy to be here!

Move Over Santa...Here Come the Three Kings!

In Mexico our holiday traditions continue into January. On January 6 families celebrate the coming of the Wise Men as they arrived to honor baby Jesus bestowing Him with gifts. Children here await the “Day of the Kings” with at least as much anticipation as youngsters in the U.S. anticipate the coming of Old Saint Nick. In Mexico, Santa often brings “only” clothing or school supplies while Balthasar, Gaspar and Melchor are the ones who bring games and toys.

An important part of the festivities on this day is the cutting of the “King’s Bread”, a sweet bread decorated with dried fruits and shaped in the form of a crown. Inside there are one or more “Baby Jesus” dolls. Each person cuts a slice and if the doll is in their portion, the tradition says they will provide the tamales for the “Day of Candelaria” on February 2nd when once again the group will gather to eat a traditional meal. February’s date remembers when Jesus was taken to the temple to be dedicated to the Lord. Only then do many families put away the Niño Jesús from their crèche, often dressing it in fancy clothes and taking it to the church to be blessed by the priest before storing it away until next December 24th.

This January 6 we received an invitation from some new neighbors to cut the King’s bread with them. Having only lived here for a month and a half we were honored to be included. David got one of the Jesus dolls, so we will buy the tamales and gather with the group once again on the February date. These neighbors have introduced us to their friends, mainly professors and small business owners, and we have found that we also have many friends in common with these new acquaintances.

Another highlight this month was co-hosting a group from Redding, CA who fixed the bathrooms at a rural school and built them a snack bar where they can sell food. They also did an “extreme makeover” at the home of a woman we are discipling, as well as spent time with our community of faith here. At one point during the week we had 65 people in our back yard for a carne asada barbeque. Many good relationships were formed across the borders, as well as connecting the principal of the local school and his family with our fellowship here.

This next month we have the trip to Washington, D.C. with our partners and disciples, Danny and Lucy as well as the 2nd Annual Ensenada Women’s Retreat Feb. 22-24. Please keep these activities in your prayers.