Just a taste of what life is like: I had a neighbor yesterday ask me if we were able to sleep over the weekend with an event that had a live band playing so the whole neighborhood could listen to their music.  It was actually comical because I do remember hearing the music but it nothing like what we used to endure being right behind the main bull ring in town. I didn't think anything unusual about hearing the music. I did mentioned it to Jessie that there was a concert going on and it was not the traditional banda music that is played in these parts. (Banda is Mexico's version of country music often sounding like polka music). When we sleep at night we sleep with the fan in the wind trying to blow cooler air into our bedroom. When the temperature drops 5 to 10 degrees cooler at night, it makes all the difference. So my neighbor laughed at me as I asked "What event? We slept fine." 

Some other neighbors of ours have between 30-50 roosters. They raise them for cock fighting. They still allow it here in Mexico. They raise them until carnival comes in the spring in March or April. While I write this now there are 20 different roosters crowing. After a while you get used to these noises. When we first moved here last year at this time, they were so loud. Now they are just part of the normal noise.

There are also times of the day when the guys who own the roosters come in and make sure they have food and water. They usually have their car playing loud banda music, so there are times of the day. This does bother me but I put headphone on to keep me focused on preparing for a bible study or sermon. It is weird how things become so normal you don't notice them any more. I guess it is why people who live by train tracks can live so close to them is that your brain gets used to the sounds. 

Today, as I start my day in my office, I found someone from where I graduated from Bethany Global University (used to be called Bethany College of Missions) shared a video on facebook. I understand that some of you may not be on facebook. But after listening to the message that Francis Chan shared, I am encouraged. One of his main points that we need to be lovers of Jesus and lovers of our brothers and sisters in Christ. I have found this to speak right into a difficult situation we are facing right now with someone saying they are leaving the church. We are scheduled to meet towards the end of this week. Basically when it comes down to the root of it, how do you love your fellow brother and sister in Christ when they have offended you? This is the question. How do you go about getting past a difficulty you have with being around that person who has offended you? If you are not able to find reconciliation then what do you do? Do you just leave? Do you follow what Jesus said in

Matthew 18: 15-17. 
If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 

So the question remains, do you break fellowship with the body of believers before you follow the steps of these few scriptures? I would contend that you need to follow what Jesus said and see what happens. What do you feel like doing?  No, it's easier to leave and not deal with brother's sin and in fact deal with your sin. Pray for us as we continue to walk through this situation this week. 
Here is the link for the video below. 

www.facebook.com/BeGlobalU/videos/311124439699588/

I have added some miscalancous photos under our photo tab. 

Last year around late October, a lady walked through the doors of La Roca church. For a visitor to come to church, they are usually invited by someone. Emma Gomez was invited by a guy who had only been to the church 3 or 4 times. She had been attending another church for a few weeks but felt she needed to keep looking. When she came, we spoke to her to find out more about her. She had come to Autlan to hide from an abusive husband who she was going through the process of getting a divorce. After hearing some of the stories she shared, it was clear that this man who was her husband is in fact very dangerous and she needed to cut ties with this man. So for a time she was living with her mother. She had no money, no job, basically had come to Autlan with the clothes on her back. Over the course of the year it became more difficult for her to stay with her mother who is extremely catholic, to the point that her mom would begin to scream in rage about Emma's christian faith. So we invited her to come live with us.

If I could describe her to you, she is a warm, caring woman who is a mother to everyone in the church. She has been a christian for many years. We knew after talking with her she was going to be an asset for us in the ministry of the church.  She did indeed become an asset to our ministry. She was teaching Sunday school every other week, cleaning and preparing for church or bible studies on a weekly basis and helped with the two groups that came over the summer from the U.S.. A cousin in Seattle invited her to come for a visit so with this invitation she applied for a visa.  She asked us about the application process which we have no idea about the process. The only thing we could tell her was to be honest and not lie. We told her that God only blesses obedience. We prayed with her about it. If the Lord was going to move her in this direction, He would do it with the truth. They gave her a six month visa! 

On Sunday we prayed for her as the body of Christ sending her out from us. We do this more often then we like to as you have seen with Josue going to bible school. This morning she left to be with her two sons who are 19 and 21 and both in college, before she flies out on Sunday. We will miss her. We know that God is directing her. We know that we may have only had a year with her, but because of Jesus we have more than just friendship, we have fellowship as brothers and sisters in Jesus.  Jesus knows His sheep, and knows what they need when they need it.

John 10: 27-30
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

When you get out the habit of something, it takes awhile to get back into the habit. I am back. We are finally getting back into a rhythm of life after months of summer with a short trip to the states, two different teams from the states coming down to do ministry, and some visitors. Then Jessie and Anna are in the middle of a trip being gone for two weeks. This means I am spending my mornings with the kids doing home school each morning. Getting back to the blog here and also finishing a newsletter are on my top priorities. 

A few weeks ago, we again had the pleasure of praying for a young man named Josue who decided to attend bible school before moving on to study something else. When you are in ministry you see so many different kinds of young people who grow up. Sometimes you see them follow after what they think is going to make them happy often leading to rebellion and sin. It is those times, you have to trust that the truth of God's word you have poured into them, will continue to take root even in the midst of their unfortunate decisions they are making.

Josue is not the case. I think of Paul writing to Philemon about Onesimus in which he wrote: 
"I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me."   Philemon 1:10-11 ESV

This is how I feel about Josue. He was just a kid around 8 or 9 years old when he started attending the church. I have watched him fight for holiness as he confessed sin to me at various times over the years. I have watched him grow into a man with strong integrity and good work ethic. It was may privilege to watch him grow into a young man who loves the Lord. That is why, when he asked me what I thought about him attending bible school, I was was thrilled. If you have followed our ministry over the years, he is the younger brother to Chavo and Vicente who both graduated from our mission's bible institute who are both in full-time ministry. He also the younger brother of Rosa, who is studying to be a pharmacist and started a cell group on her college campus. Being in ministry, when Paul mentioned child/father relationship you get to see the transformation of these kids who turn into adults with a love and passion to follow Jesus in whatever he calls them to do. Josue truly learned to be a servant. Jesus said in Mark 10:43b-44:

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,  and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. (ESV) 

I have translated what Josue posted on Facebook the last night he was at the coffee house before leaving for bible school. You get the idea of what I have been talking about. 

"Today was my last day of service that I offered in "La Roca Coffee Shop", a place where I had the joy of growing both physically and spiritually, having the opportunity to share good times with my family and friends. A place where I learned that you serve in spite of the small things that you know and can support. I learned to work in a team despite different qualities and defects that we have. A place where I learned that not all work is tedious and boring. I learned to arrive with a purpose every Sunday, where the purpose is to glorify God with our work and serve our neighbors before ourselves. It certainly breaks my heart to leave this place, however I know that I will have the happiness of working here again, I keep hope :)  I thank God so much for allowing me to grow here and meet those people who have been tools of growth throughout my life! Cafeteria and Church "La Roca" I love you!"

Glory to the Lord for what He has done and what His going to do!  It is our privilege to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of His people. 
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This is a question that needs to be asked no matter how old you are. It implies that you are not blinded by your own pride. Pride is so often what causes so many to feel there is no need for me to learn some thing new. Being teachable and correctable I think go hand-in-hand. Pride is what stops this from happening. When you are young growing into an adult you have the idea in your head "I can do what I want because I am an adult now." In some ways this is very true in other ways not at all true. The reason I bring this up is that I am leading a youth bible study now. There is a huge difference between one who is teachable and correctable and one who is full of pride. Instead leading by example there is a desire for recognition. This is the same old problem that caused the great tower of Babel. It was to make a name for themselves. It was also what Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden. "Don't you want to be like God?" In essence it is what is the driving force of our sin. Pride. I can do it by myself. I don't need anyone to help me. Yet no one can save themselves from sin and earn their salvation. 

Ephesians 2:1-10
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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This verse are so clear. God rich in mercy ( Mercy=not getting what we deserve) ...... by grace (Grace= a gift that you don't deserve) you have been saved. Not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Our salvation is so different that all the other religions in the world. You have to please the '"god or gods" in order to find favor maybe having that god give you what your works deserve. Our GREAT GOD the FATHER who is rich in mercy loves us even when we don't deserve it and pours out his grace on us giving us our salvation based on what he has done through Jesus on the cross putting on him the cost of our sins. How amazing is this?!!! We can never do enough to pay for what our sins deserve. It is only through Jesus that we find reconciliation to the Father. What a gift. To spend eternity with Jesus and God the Father because we believe and receive the gift that God offers. May you receive much joy as you ponder and reflect of this great gift and ask Jesus to reveal pride that is in your heart. 

Easter came and went did it not? We had good Friday service at our house. It was a blessed time of fellowship. We spent time worshiping together with singing. Then we watched about of half an hour of the Jesus film from when Jesus entered Jerusalem until his death and resurrection. You may not be familiar with this particular film but it has been translated into hundreds of different languages. Before we watched it, I told everyone that this is according to the gospel of Luke. After we celebrated communion together reading from the gospel of Luke. It was almost word for word to the movie, which one of the reasons I felt we should watch it along with listening to it. I know that some of the younger people need more than just listening to scripture being read. The fact that the movie is almost 40 years old doesn't matter if it is right from the bible. After communion, we shared in a meal together. You could tell just being together was a blessing for everyone. Having time of fellowship and laughter leads me to believe how the disciples felt when they were eating together with Jesus. Such a sweetness to it. Oh how our fellowship will be blessed when we are in heaven together with Jesus!!!

On Sunday, we decided to spend the day at a local water park in celebration of Jesus resurrection from the dead. Why not celebrate together!!! It is for this reason we have victory over death through the precious blood of Jesus who willingly gave his life for us. Romans 5:8 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

2 Corinthians 5: 17- 21 
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (ESV)

What a glorious truth we have in Jesus. Was it not him who took our sin and bore it on the cross. We are new creations in Christ Jesus. Is this not a time of celebration for those who have a new joy in life. To live is Christ and to die is gain!!!! 

Why can we not spend a day at a water park together in fellowship together? If we are the body of Jesus and we are all temples of the Holy Spirit can we not have a time of fellowship together anywhere? I would say yes. We are reconciled to God through Jesus. As he hung on the cross, the veil was torn from top to bottom giving us a way to the Father into the holy of holies. This is the reason we live and have our being to fellowship with the Father. If we look back to the very beginning when Adam and Eve sinned against God, while they were hiding in the garden. God said "Where are you?" The God of all creation asking his creation where are you. It demonstrates is love and affection for us his image bearers. What a joy that God wants to spend time with us. 

May you have the joy in your heart multiplied greatly during this season of celebration of Jesus death, burial and RESURRECTION!!! 

On the 18 of March, we had a wedding ceremony at a event hall here in town. Jessie volunteered to help plan the wedding. She is very good at it. We spend the days leading up to the wedding get all the details worked out. We spent all of Saturday at the event hall decorating. It was a beautiful wedding. I was my honor to officiate the wedding. It was only my second time. It was a huge blessing to share in this beautiful occasion. Jesus is the bridegroom and we are the bride. Such a beautiful illustration of our relationship with Jesus. 
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One thing I would like to comment about is that for many who attended the wedding, it was the first time they had been to a Christian wedding. It is not a common thing to be invited to a "Christian" wedding. Right in the beginning the couple expressed that they had never been to a Christian wedding so they had no idea where to start. So we gave them some ideas and what they could do and they went with it. 

One of the interesting things is that having a Christian wedding here in rural Mexico there is no alcohol. It is a huge problem for the extended family members who see a wedding as a time to party and get drunk. The couple told their family members that there was no alcohol being served, so what did they do? They brought it themselves. Can you believe that? After the meal, there was a dance. If you wanted to dance with the bride or groom, you would attached some form of money to their clothing with a clothes pin. A great way to help the bride and groom financially. But after speaking with them they said that there were several extended family members who were actually drunk. How uncomfortable. 

Also another interesting thing is that the event hall, had a worker there. Not uncommon. Just to be there in-case something happened. After it was all over, I was gathering up all the stuff we had to take home, I was talking with Juan Pablo. I told him it was going to be about 11:30 when we would have to come back to get another load of stuff. He said, no problem. This is early still. He actually put all the tables and chair away by the time we got back. He said he normally doesn't get to do that after the events, it usually is too late and he has to come back the next day.  It was then I realized that we were maybe the first Christians to have done a wedding and reception there. Even now realizing just how much we can have a good testimony by how we conduct ourselves and by how we can celebrate without any alcohol. We can still celebrate. We can still have a good time. We are always giving people a taste of Jesus through our lives in how we act or what we say. 

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

NEW POST IN PICTURES ADDED!! (It has been awhile) 

Every year we are faced with the question of "Do we as Christians fast during lent?" This is a normal question because of how so many family members of our church members practice the catholic tradition of only eating meat on Fridays. Each year we are faced with the whole city following suit with what they have been doing for years. One of the first place I go to in scripture of how Jesus talked about it in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 brings to light what many have never even considered here. It says: Matthew 6:16-18
16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (ESV)

The point is clear. The key word is secret! What does secret mean? Secret means private, no one knows about it and it is between you and God. Don't get me wrong here, there maybe are times when the whole church deciedes to fast for a time together during certain season. But most often it is a practice I believe is often forgotten that is secret. To be honest, I haven't fasted in some time. But studying this topic again has reminded me. I think this is the case most often that I simply forget the practice of fasting. 

Another thing that as I have been studying this topic is that fasting is always connected to prayer. If you take the prayer away from the fasting you are only making a physical attivity which the whole world practices. You can even find on the internet the healthy reasons for fasting. If you look at what is just before those verses in Matthew, Jesus also talks about prayer in a similar fashion. 
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (ESV)
Not only does Jesus teach us about fasting being secret but prayer as well. This is one of the major points I make to people about fasting when I am talking to people here. Why do they fast? Do they pray during the time they would normally be eating? Is it just a tradition? What kind of prayer life does the person fasting have? Is it an act of faith? Like I said before you can't separate fasting from prayer. Fasting should be a time of fellowship with Jesus. 

I wanted to study more on this topic, so I started reading John Piper's book Hunger for God, Desiring God through prayer and fasting. Here is a quote from his book. (Free PDF file at this site: www.desiringgod.org/books/a-hunger-for-god )
"If you don't feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Your soul is stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great. God did not create you for this. There is an appetite for God. And it can be awakened. I invite you to turn from the dulling effects of food and the dangers of idolatry, and to say with some simple fast: "This much, O God, I want you." pg 25-26

I found this to be extremely helpful to fully grasp what fasting is all about. How much do I want to enjoy God and not his gifts? 

I hope this has been an encouragement to you as it has been for me. If it has feel free to let me know.