La boda
Yesterday we went to a wedding. Here are a few thoughts about the wedding, some of our friends, and even a clip of . . . well, you’ll see.
Jim
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Poverty and Community
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The poor lady sits by the market, begging. Is any other option open to her? How many children is she trying desperately to feed? Did she have a husband long ago, and where is he now? How many months – years – has she sat here, day after day, begging from strangers?
I say strangers, because I have a feeling she doesn’t get a lot from people who know who she is. Apparently, she’s quite wealthy, and owns land all around the city. Begging is a very lucrative business for her. Another story of Mexico for you.
I’m very frustrated with poverty, and very frustrated with the money that’s being made, squandered, and stolen in the name of helping the poor.
I’ve heard missionaries talk with that same frustration about the high percentages of aid workers who are only in it for the money, who scoop away the goods meant for the poor. Goods maybe paid for by someone across the ocean, who actually cares and wants to help.
Though I wouldn’t want to discourage large scale aid efforts, I’m increasingly convinced that a key element in helping the poor is community.
There best help comes when people really know and trust people. The money goes into the hands of someone you trust, and makes its way to someone who is in a community with the poor person or family, who knows the situation and knows what might help.
Paul wrote to Timothy,"Honour widows who are really widows" (1Tim 5:3). And how would Timothy know who was really a widow? Community. Most of all, the committed church community, but also the larger community.
Not long ago people in our local church built some cabinets and installed them into the houses of some "unsuspecting" families. These were families in need, who were somehow connected with people in the church. Creative, fun, and likely to be a real help, and a real demonstration of God’s love.
I tell this story a lot, but at one point researchers in Baja California discovered that the poor in many communities would wear their clothes once and then throw them out. They stopped doing laundry altogether. Why? Because a steady stream of groups came from the USA – well meaning, but ill informed. These groups brought down clothes in such large quantities that the poor no longer needed to wash their clothes – they’d just wear another donated outfit when one got dirty.
What was missing? A connection to the community. If they’d just asked someone, instead of using their eyes and making assumptions, they could have been a much bigger help.
Large scale help efforts can succeed, and small efforts where someone-knows-someone can also succeed. But I think an important thing to look at is, where does community fit in? Who really knows and understands the situation?
We need to help the poor, and help more. But lets do it with wisdom.
Is God in His holy habitation.
Psa 68:5
The Challenge of Mexico City
On Friday night I went to Texcoco (east of Mexico City, toward the north) to meet with some of the CAM International missionaries from the Mexico City area. We were there to see the mission director and his wife (Dan and Sue Wicher, who were served for years in Mexico City themselves), and two of the CAM board members; Jon Campbell (his wife is Wanda but she wasn’t there) and Walter and Dottie Baker.
One thing that was interesting was that everyone was sharing about the joys and challenges of working in Mexico City.
Many of the joys we talked about are what you might expect anywhere – watching Jesus "invade a family", for example (as Rod Fry said during his presentation). But I thought you might be interested to hear about some of the challenges we talked about.
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- Traffic. Just getting from one place to another. People may look at Mexico City and wonder why it’s so hard for us to get together with believers from other areas. But when people are an hour or two late for meetings like this one (even people with board members in their car), they are reminded. It’s not easy to get around in Mexico City. You plan for it, but it’s drastically unpredictable. When Mayra Fry came to pick me up Friday, she was stopped by the police. When Rod and I left from his house and headed to Texcoco, we were stopped by the police (not because any of us did anything wrong, by the way. No one got a ticket.). And we were among the first to arrive. There are accidents, construction, delays of all kinds.
- Fear. One missionary mentioned just the challenge of safety in the big city. Every missionary does need to take precautions and be aware.
- Discipleship. I was trying to carry on with my one-word summaries – maybe that’s not the best word. But one missionary shared what they’d heard from a Mexican believer. The Mexican pointed out that so many of the Mexican believers are first generation Christians. That means there is an incredible lack of role models. They’ve never seen a functioning Christian marriage, or how to parent as a believer, or what Christ-like leadership looks like. It’s exciting when your church is almost all new disciples – but it calls for a different kind of discipleship.
- Commitment. Someone else pointed out (and I’ve heard this a lot) the challenge of a lack of commitment. Now, a disclaimer here – there are many very committed people here – Mexican and non-Mexican. But when you’re on the front lines of disciple-making this is always a challenge, no matter where you are.
This reminds me of the great summary of challenges that Dennis Poulette shared in his post If you can minister in Mexico City… He listed space, transportation and time. That was in the context of youth ministry, but I think those three things fit everywhere.
If you work in Mexico City, I would love to hear what you would add to the list.
Last 90 Days Most Popular Posts (30 September 2008)
Here they are, with the most popular first. The first four (in bold) are winners two months in a row. For your interest, the most popular posts from the last month are the two posts about the 0 sticker – 0 (zero) and 0 (zero) -part 2-.
- Some of what’s on our minds (audio)
- The Prusias in Ixtapaluca (video)
- Kenya, English, Leaks and updates on everything
- Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Reformation
- First day of school in Mexico City (2008/2009)
- Jim on Canada
- View from our roof in Ixtapaluca
- Welcome home, Shari
- Yes, we have internet access!
- Interesting tidbits about Ixtapaluca
Happy 15th Anniversary, Peace
This past Sunday morning Shari and I sang a song that has almost become a theme song for us. I realized as I pulled it out to practise that it was almost exactly 15 years ago that I wrote it.
Though the storm clouds darken the sky
It was actually soon after I met Shari, when we were training for our year of ministry with our Friends and Followers team in 1993. I wrote it for a friend who was going through a hard time, putting it down on paper when I was supposed to be listening to one of our sessions (there’s still some critical bit of missionary training that I’m missing – that explains a lot!).
In Mexico, later that year, we worked with Becky Baron, a CAM missionary who was an accomplished musician and music translator. She translated Peace for me (Paz in Spanish), and our team used it as one of our songs through our tour.
After Shari and I were married, we started singing it as a duet, in both English and Spanish. And it still got a little extra polish earlier this year when we made some small additions in Spanish, while visiting Becky and her husband in Mexico City.
To celebrate its 15th anniversary, I thought I’d write this post and share a few of the verses that inspired the song. Singing Peace has always been a reminder to me that, even in the darkest times, Jesus is walking with us, leading us home.
Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. (John 6:16-21)
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jer 29:13)
Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. (Isa 55:6)
But as it is written:
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Heb 13:5)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28)
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. (Heb 4:9)
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. (Heb 12:22-24)
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Eph 6:10-11)
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Mat 25:13)
He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people he will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken. (Isa 25:8)
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (Joh 14:3)
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (Joh 14:27)
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phi 4:6-7)
And walk me gently through the sand of time
Forevermore
I know Your peace is mine