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.