Faith Without a Home

I read this article today in the Washington Post and thought it was really interesting, here is an excerpt. The post has had lots of articles recently on religion and politics, especially the concept that all evangelicals are not Republicans automatically.

But there is something essentially countercultural about Christianity that should make evangelicals restless in any political coalition. Christianity indicts oppressive government -- but also the soul-destroying excesses that sometimes come in free markets and consumerism. It teaches enduring moral rules -- and an emphasis on justice for the least and the lost. It is often hard where liberalism is soft, and soft where conservatism is hard.

If evangelical Christianity were identical to any political movement, something would be badly wrong. It is supposed to look toward a kingdom not of this world, one without borders, flags or end. And by this standard, homelessness is a natural state.

Link to the Washington Post article

Bible Study, soccer and LAM retreat

Hey guys, hope all is good. Just wanted to give you guys another quick update, I have continued to have the english Bible study at Madero and am probably going to switch to having two different ones. About 15 different people have attended the Bible study with about an average of 6 or 7 each week. I continue to meet new people and invite them to come. Continue to keep that in your prayers. This weekend I will be going to the LAM (Latin American Mission) retreat where all the missionaries from Mexico will be together for the weekend, I'm looking forward to a time to catch up with old friends, spend more time with my team and to just get a bit of relaxation. On a last note I've started to get more into Mexican football (soccer for those of you that are wondering, which on a sidenote here even in Mexico I hear a lot of people call it futbol soccer as opposed to futbol americano, which always kinda makes me chuckle). I went to a game a week ago and my team here in Puebla is playing well which is kinda fun. Just thought I'd post a video from ESPN deportes so you can see the team in action in the stadium here in Puebla.

Goodbye for now...

Well, yesterday was a day that brought me sadness, but yet somehow I remain hopeful. Yesterday I got to church at 10 and there was Jaime waiting for me outside the church and he told me that things hadn't worked out with his job that his coworkers didn't treat him well and that he had spent the last few days living in the park again. He told me that he had to get out of Puebla and just came to say goodbye before he was on his way. I felt torn and helpless and didn't know what to do. He thanks me for all the love and care I had showed him and said that he will continue his walk with God, just not here in Puebla. I can't say that I blame his desire to get out of a city where he has no family except for maybe me and just feels like there is nothing that can be done here. I admire him to the extent that he doesn't settle for stealing or panhandling or something else that most people do. He said the guy from my church who got him the job promised to come visit several times but didn't and that he felt like he never developed confianza (trust) with his boss or coworkers; that they viewed him as an old homeless guy who couldn't get much work done. I told him that I wouldn't let him leave just walking and so offered to help him with his bus ticket. He kept saying I had a service to go to, but I told him people were more important than services. Finally he agreed to let me help him a bit and we returned to my apartment, he ask me if he could have my Bible and so I gave it to him and wrote a little note and just keep him in my prayers and know that God will go with him. I wanted to take him to the bus station and buy his ticket all the way to Monterrey, but he said that isn't what he wanted to do. He said he felt like a baby and wanted to go on his own terms and not on mine. After I insisted several times I decided that I should respect his wishes and gave him the money I had on me that will help him get about half way to where he is going and he said he knew someone in that city where he could get a job. Before he left I asked him if I could pray for him and I prayed that God would cover him and protect him and help him to get reunited with his family. It was sad to see him leave, but as I watch him walk into the distance I felt some sense of peace that God was with him. I sat on a bench as he faded into the horizon before I hopped on a bus and went back to my church to get to the next service at my church. I got there a bit early and had a great conversation with a bunch of the younger guys from my youth group which was really encouraging and am going to share there not this Sunday, but the next. Finally, I was sharing my sadness about Jaime with Jorge, who I have gotten to know pretty well, and was saying how I felt like now I couldn't do anything and that it's out of my hands when it finally clicked in my head that it was never in my hands, that I never had any power, that it was always in God's hands. I thank him for the opportunities that he gives me to share his love and hope with the world. I thank him that this undeserving, sinful, doubting servant can still be used despite his flaws and reservations. That somehow God manages to use us, despite our fragile nature to share his love with the world. Much love to all of you and God bless.

Bible Study, Jaime and Mexico City

Hey all, just got back from a meeting in Mexico City with the rest of my team, it was good to catch up with them as I hadn't seen most of them since before Christmas. The Bible study on thursday went really well with 7 people attending and we began studying the book of Mark, continue to keep that study in your prayers and that I would have the chance to meet more people and build more relationships there. Also, Jaime again came to church on Sunday, he was shaved and showered with new clothes and looked great, like a new man. Don't have a lot of time right now, but just wanted to give you all a quick update. Much love and God bless.

English Bible study and a soccer game

Hey all, just another quick update, tomorrow I hopefully will have my first Bible Study in English at the university I work at. I am excited and hopeful and would covet your prayers for the people that come and for God to speak through me. I am always some what hesitant to do things in English because I feel it is my job to adapt not theirs, but it seems to be an effective way of reaching people who wouldn't normally come to a Bible study so i figured I'd give it a try. On another note I got the opportunity to go to a soccer game tonight which was fun with some people from my church, they originally invited me, but I couldn't go because I am kinda pinching pennies these days but then someone canceled last minute and told me I could have their ticket. I had a really great time and it was cool to see the passion of Mexican football fanatics. I've been to two previous games, but this one was by far the best. Thanks again for your prayers, please continue to keep Jaime in your prayers, I didn't see him today, but hope that he finished his first day of work. Much love and God bless.

Praise God, Jaime update

So I went back yesterday and met up with Jaime, brought him something to eat and gave him some money to spend the night in a cheap hotel near the park he has been staying at. We talked for quite a long time about God, life, being homeless and even about Barack Obama (I was surprised he knew who he was and actually said that he hoped he'd become president). He shared with me much of his life story and pain from getting his then girlfriend pregnant and having to marry her not from love but from necessity and the shame in ending a twenty year marriage and then fleeing the only city he really knew. He was so desperate for hope, for God, for a miracle, for something. He shared with me that at points he wanted to turn to drugs and alcohol, that he had many times contemplated mugging someone or robbing from a store, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He shared of his struggles to find God, but felt God didn't hear his cries. He shared about how men would occasionally approach him and ask for sex and how he almost prostituted himself because of his desperate hunger. He told me he was tired, that he couldn't hold on much longer, that he had to do something. He said he was going to start to walk to Monterrey (which is on the border and would be a 20+ hour drive, not even to imagine how long it would take to walk). I told him that would be dangerous that he could die, he told me he preferred dying to not having any hope here. Yesterday, I was sad to leave him, I brought him some money, but not much to do a whole lot and some food. I prayed for him again and was torn as I left him to go to my english classes. A man from my church was supposed to come and meet us to maybe give him a job, but he never came. I could tell Jaime was disappointed, but that it was nothing new for him. Today I showed up again at the park in the morning and brought him a new shirt that he had requested, brought some deodorant and a few things to eat. We again talked for along time about the world, about politics, sin and life. He asked about the ring I wear that says Jesus and I told him of the time I had to preach without any notice and how someone gave it to me afterwards to always remember about what I preached. He asked me what I preached about and I opened the Bible to Lamentations 3 and began to read of the lamentations, the struggles of the prophet Jeremiah, I was just about to get to the part that says God's mercies are new every morning when my phone rang, it was the guys from my church, who i had tracked down the night before and told him again where I'd be and prayed and hoped he would make it. He came and brought some more clothes and the good news of a job. We talked a bit more and then he went off to buy some soap and a few other things for jaime. I then shared the rest of Lamentations 3 and I could see Jaime relate to the struggles and pain. We then read about the prodigal son as Ruben (guy from my church) came back and we went to lunch. I could see the tears welling in Jaime's eyes at the prospect of home and a new life. Ruben shared with him his testimony and told him of God's free gift of salvation. I then asked him if he wanted to pray with me and he prayed to accept Jesus into his life. He starts tomorrow with his first day of work and I pray that I will see him on Sunday, a new man and a new brother. He shared of how many people had looked they were trying to help him, but always wanted something from him. He shared how it was nice to know people care and I continually told him that it was only because of God's love for me, for us that we can turn around and share that love and joy with others. I can honestly say that just for these past few days getting to know Jaime my how year would be worth it. Praise God for his mighty work and pray for Jaime in these next few crucial transition days, pray that God would continue to work on his heart, to give him peace and that the job would work out. Pray that he truly would be a changed man. Pray for more opportunities for me to reach out to him and others like him and to be an effective minister of God here in Puebla.

me and Jaime
Jaime reading the story of the prodigal son shortly before deciding to come home himself

Jaime, being sick and almost drowning

I just got out of the bathroom from throwing up, but am starting to feel a bit better, still keep my health in your prayers. Thank God that I managed to last all day feeling terrible at a few different church things and then literally the moment I entered my apartment throw up.

On another note, Jaime came to church this morning and sat in for the worship before saying he felt self conscience because he hadn't bathed in a long time. I told him not to worry about it, but he decided to leave anyone, but I will see him in the morning tomorrow and one of the youth leaders at my new church is going to come with me.

Finally, i totally forgot to write about this from when I went to Acapulco, but I was out swimming with a friend in the ocean and we were having a good time until we realized we were out really far, the beaches here go from shallow to really deep very fast. I started to swim in and found myself only being pushed farther out. Luckily I was with a very accomplished swimmer and water polo player who came back and helped me to get to where I could stand, but it certainly gave me a good scare, i never panicked and think i might have been able to get to the shore myself, but we'll never know. I thank God Jorge was there to help me and that I am alright. As a last note being a little sick really makes me appreciate my health and I give thanks to God that 98% of the time I don't even think about. Much love to all of you and God bless. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Quick update, red card and Jaime

So I played in a soccer game with my ministry team today and managed to get a red card, which made me really mad because my only crime was playing hard and being bigger than the other player, but likely in times of anger my spanish seems to go away so i didn't say anything stupid. Also, today I got a call from Jaime, who was calling from a pay phone and told me that he was hungry and hadn't eaten for a few days, so I took him some food on my way to the game and talked to him briefly. Pray for him, for his situation that he might be able to find work and/or be able to go back to his home in Monterrey, also that he might come tomorrow to my church. Much love and thanks for the prayers.

Acapulco, missions team from MD and Jaime

Hey guys, hope all is well. Sorry I haven't written in a while, but I've been keeping pretty busy. I went to Acapulco last weekend with some of the people from my youth group. One of the girls has an apartment there and so we went up on saturday morning and got back on tuesday evening and had a really great time. I'll post some pics and also put a link up to see some more. It was cool though to get to know some of them more and to build confianza (trust) with them. We had some great conversations and I came back with a nice tan. This week I have continued with my classes and with meeting people and might even add more classes. I started teaching a group of mexican missionaries that work for campus crusade twice a week. A lot of people at the Crusade Mexico national office (in puebla) speak english, but I work with a group of 5 of them and help them learn english and am trying to kinda build a bridge to them to join the mexican and us cultures because I feel like sometimes in the office that the US culture reigns. I tend to work more with the mexican side of the office. Anyways, in other news this week a team came down from Sykesville, MD (my home town for those of you who don't know) and I spent thursday helping as a translator mainly for a doctor who came with them. The team included a friend from a church I grew up in, a good friend from high school who was an atheist back then and whom I hadn't talked to in almost 5 years (we had actually had dozens of conversations about God, religion, and science in HS, so it was cool to see him on a missions trip in Puebla), the host parent of my good brasilian exchange student friend from high school who I had lost touch with and now can get back in contact with, as well as the fact that the doctor's wife went to my high school too, it was neat to see all the connections and to be able to help them out a bit. On friday I went with the doctor, Tom, to a park in the center of Puebla just to pray and maybe talk to some people. We only had like an hour and a half because I had to get to my english classes, so we prayed for a bit and then decided to go talk to some people. The first person I started talking to was named Jaime, he told me his story about how he lost his job, was divorced from his wife and separated from his whole family who lives in Monterrey. He said that he is homeless and spends his nights in the streets and sometimes goes to look for work when he has energy. He just needs 800 pesos ($80) he said to get back to Monterrey and try to reunite with his family. We talked for over an hour about God and life sometimes Tom talked and I translated, other times just I talked. It was heartbreaking to hear of his struggles and longing for God. He told of his search for God, with Jehovahs witnesses, mormons and other groups, he said he wants to believe, that he admires those who believe, but with all his problems he has a hard time. We prayed with him and he wanted to know where my church was and I gave him the address to my church and he said he would come on Sunday, if not, I told him I'd meet him in that same park Monday morning, please pray for Jaime, pray for wisdom as to how I can help him and pray for his battered soul and broken heart, that God might come in and give him peace. That is all for know, much love and God bless.

pictures from my house
http://umd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2231022&l=8e035&id=5706269

pictures from Acapulco
http://umd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2233779&l=e76b9&id=5706269

Teaching and Acapulco

Hey guys, hope all is well, i started teaching english on Wednesday and will be teaching 6 different classes once a week for an hour each. I have enjoyed my first few classes so far and even had one kid who expressed interest in coming to a Bible study in English, which is cool. I think most people were surprised when they walked into the room and saw me and were wondering who I was. I also started teach two days a week for a few people that work at the Mexican headquarters of Campus Crusade and don't speak English. It is a group of 5 girls and when I asked them why they wanted to speak english most of them said because they wanted to understand the American missionaries when they talk in the office. This kinda made me sad, that even in their own country they feel somewhat out of place because people are talking english. I don't think its anyone's fault but still to think about it makes me sad. Also, this monday is a national holiday for Constitution day and as such I am going with some friends to Acapulco for the weekend. I am going with some people my age from the new church I go to in Puebla. As a funny side note, when you go into grocery stores and big box stores like that you have to leave your bags at a special desk. Some lady in front of me dropped off a bag that I noticed was making noise when I realized that she left a little bag that had a duck in it and when I returned to pick up my bag the duck was making all kinds of noise and the walmart workers didn't seem to know what was going on. Just thought it was funny. Hope all is good with you. Thanks for your continued prayers.