No, we weren’t doing Zumba this Sunday – sorry to disappoint you. (For those who don’t know, "Zumba" is a Columbian exercise program that has spread to something like 125 countries around the world. But that’s not important for this post.)
As you know, the building where we have been meeting on Sunday mornings does not have a lot of space. All right, it doesn’t have enough space – meaning people have been standing outside – they can offer great moral support, but they can’t actually hear what’s going on in the service.
We’re praying for a larger space, and we’ve started raising money for one.
In the mean time, we had to do something temporary.
So – there’s this "Zumba" place in Jesús María… a kind of a studio above a store. We have been able to rent it – at least for the month of May, and maybe longer.
So – this is good! Why? Well, we actually have some breathing room. There were plenty of people there on Sunday, but we could pack in quite a few more people without making things uncomfortable. So we’re very thankful.
However, the need for another place is more urgent than ever. Having this place just for Sunday mornings means that we still get packed like sardines during other events (you remember how packed Bible studies can get!). We have to move everything back and forth, which means a lot of extra wear and tear on instruments, etc – and a lot of extra work. For Sundays when we have Sunday school, our youth and kids will be walking to other locations (or they’ll be driven to other locations). And, of course, we’re paying rent each Sunday – money that could go to something more permanent. (And the acoustics are pretty depressing – but who knows if the next place will be better!)
So we thank the Lord for a little breathing room! But please pray with us for a more permanent place. To find out more about the fundraising that’s going on for this purpose, visit ixtapalu.ca and click on Making Space.
By the way, on Sunday we had a special service with communion, special music, testimonies, and more! Here are a few pictures…
We enjoyed a great weekend remembering the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. But over the past few days I have also been hearing a lot about believers around the world, and in other parts of Mexico, who are being persecuted. As we’re thankful for the freedom we enjoy, we also need to remember and pray for our brothers and sisters who don’t have that freedom.
On Friday, our friend David led us in a meal to remember the Last Supper of Jesus and the disciples (foot washing and all). We held it out on the street, and although people looked at us funny, no one threw grenades.
On Sunday morning we were up at the Valtierra’s home for a sunrise service, celebrating the resurrection.
José led the service, Rod led the music, and Samuel shared from Luke 24. His focus was on the peace that we have in Christ.
I’ve been thinking a lot about the peace and freedom that we have because of what happened those many centuries ago outside of Jerusalem. The wonderful thing is, whether we’re living in safety or not, whether we’re free or in prison, whether we’re loved or ridiculed (or both), in Christ we can still have that peace and freedom.
I’ve been reading about the life of John Bunyon, who was imprisoned for preaching God’s Word. Having left behind a young wife and children, he lived in filthy conditions with constant uncertainty about his future. Still, he refused to do what possibly could have set him free – promise not to preach. In fact, he preached in prison, and also wrote.
One of the things he wrote was a poem called Prison Meditations. It was written in 1665, five years after his arrest. Here are a few stanzas. Together with our persecuted brothers and sisters, let’s remember the freedom that we have in Christ…
Excepts from Prison Meditations, A Poem by John Bunyan
I am indeed in prison now In body, but my mind Is free to study Christ, and how Unto me he is kind.
Their fetters cannot spirits tame, Nor tie up God from me; My faith and hope they cannot lame; Above them I shall be.
Though they say then that we are fools Because we here do lie, I answer, Jails are Christ his schools, In them we learn to die.
God sometimes visits prisoners more Than lordly palaces; He often knocketh at the door When he their houses miss.
This jail to us is as a hill, From whence we plainly see Beyond this world, and take our fill Of things that lasting be.
From hence we see the emptiness Of all the world contains; And here we feel the blessedness That for us yet remains.
Here’s a quick look back at the special event we had at the community centre a week and a half ago. The event came at the end of another series of classes, which began in January.
We don’t have video of the whole event, just a few clips. But it will give you an idea of some of the eclectic activities that go on there.
The parts that concern us especially: first, you’ll see Jim during a keyboard class presentation, which was a take off of the Mexican version of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?. You’ll also see Shari making a presentation to the women that have come to the baking/desserts class (Amigas del Alma), which, as you can see, is very popular.
Tonight is our twice-yearly closing event for this set of classes at the community centre. Lord willing, I’ll be doing a bit of a contest with the keyboardists, and Shari will be doing a presentation for the Amigas del Alma baking class.
Nathanael caught some kind of a bug yesterday, so he’s sick still. We’re hoping that we’ll both be able to go tonight; if not, one of us may need a replacement (that would be Shari, since the "Amigas" are many but the keyboard teacher is one.) 😉
He seems to be a little better than yesterday, but just a little. So we’re just taking it one step at a time!
We’re hoping this will be a fun event, where we can get to know some people better. I’ll let you know how it goes! It starts at 6:30pm tonight (check the right sidebar for the local time).
There were times when it felt like everything was conspiring against me as I tried to prepare for the weekend in Hermosillo. Well, maybe some things actually were! Just when I finally got to the time I had set aside to really prepare – something else would happen, and the day would dissolve into nothing.
That being said, I think it went ok, and the weekend as a whole was quite good overall (though maybe not exactly what anyone expected).
The idea was to get some elementary age children together, ones who had probably made a confession of faith, to help them learn about sharing their faith, serving, discipleship, and all stuff like that there.
The theme was No Solo Poco Loco – in other words, we’re not just a little crazy, but very crazy – crazy to serve the Lord! And everyone got these great T-shirts designed by Greg Neufeld:
The weekend was full of fun events. We learned our verses in many different creative ways (2 Corinthians 5:13-17), they built shelters to sleep in (in the building, but in shelters), there was a campfire, theme meals, fun action songs, a "missions meal" (where we learned what people eat (or don’t eat!) in countries like Cuba, Haiti, England and India), and more. The kids had special teaching times learning how to be wise in choices of movies and TV shows, they could also choose workshops where they could bake cookies, learn chalk art, do drama, and more.
They were also involved in special acts of service. One afternoon they went to hospitals and other places delivering sandwiches and talking with people.
Incidentally, it was unbelievable hearing testimonies of the kids, who talked to people and got into rather deep conversations with them, promising to pray for them. WOW. And yet – why is that so unusual?
Shelli sharing the Gospel story
The children also learned about the Gospel, and various ways to share it. Although the weekend was aimed at Christian kids, we realized the need to continue to explain the Gospel, and learn to live in the light of it. And so it was repeated over and over, and there were actually some children who apparently made first-time confessions of faith in the Lord!
I spoke on the life and teaching of Peter. I learned a lot, and I hope everyone else did too! I ended up on Sunday morning talking about Peter’s visit with Cornelius in Acts 10. Here was Peter, being sent by God to a place that … well, it wasn’t his place! Jews simply didn’t hang out with Gentiles. And God does the same today, doesn’t He? He sends us to places that aren’t really our places … places where we’re not comfortable. And He does amazing things in those places.
The Campers sing in the service
On Sunday morning we enjoyed a great service led by Greg Neufeld. We worshipped in a tent (a big one!) set up with hours and hours of work in the heat by a number of people from Canada and Mexico. One of the leaders of the church gave a message that really tied things together.
The children served by presenting what they had learned in their workshops (drama, chalk-art, etc). I was drafted to lead the drama workshop, and we had a lot of fun with that. They did an excellent job in their presentation, considering the amount of time we had to prepare it!
Earlier in the week (before Hannah and I arrived) the team helped with a special camp for some of the children who had been in the terrible Hermosillo Day Care fire of 2009. These little campers came to the service as well, and were involved. They did an incredible job! It was so great to have them there as well.
On Sunday we also went to the beach for an hour or two, where Hannah played with the jellyfish, and then visited downtown Hermosillo.
Hermosillo is most certainly another world. It’s hard to know even how to compare the context that they are in with our context here. Still, I hope we can share more in the future, whether in person or from a distance.
Thanks to the Neufelds for hosting us! And thanks to you, the church, the Olds Koinonia team, and so many others who put so much work into the weekend!
Photos to follow in our photo gallery – watch for them! Oh, and here’s a post and video from a missionary family in the area – Lane and Sheri Elliot.
Campers (from both camps) and Leaders sing at the Sunday service!
A man from the north had travelled south. He was a fisherman, but he had left the boats of his family. Why? Well, to listen to a preacher.
This was no ordinary preacher. He was… a little bit crazy. He didn’t dress like everyone else. He ate crazy food – locusts, and wild honey. He was more like the prophets of the olden days.
You know who the preacher was, of course – John the Baptist. He was a preacher with a crazy message:
You must change the way you live! Turn your back on sin! Be baptized! The Messiah is coming!
And so, most likely, this northerner was baptized. He listened to what John had to say about God, and the coming Messiah.
One day John saw a man passing by. And John exclaimed,"Look! The Lamb of God!"
The Lamb of God? Could this be the Messiah?
The northerner went to meet Jesus. Yes – Yes! This is the Messiah! Jesus is the Messiah! I have to go tell my brother!
The man (whose name was Andrew) went to tell his brother Simon, who was also a fisherman. — "We’ve found the Messiah!"
Really?
Andrew and Simon went together to find Jesus.
Finally, Simon was standing there in front of Jesus Himself. Jesus, looking at him, said,"So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas." (Cephas in Greek is Peter)
From that moment on, from the moment he met Jesus, Peter’s life became … well … crazy!
