Below is a video highlighting some of our Camino Global team’s activities over the past year. Our team currently serves in both Mexico City and Puebla.
The pictures came from all of our team. Special thanks to Nathanael for helping with some of the videography.
Incidentally, the team name – the “TLC Team” – is intended to have a bit of a double meaning. In English TLC is familiar as “tender loving care”. But in Spanish it’s Tratado de Libre Comercio – or free trade agreement, the equivalent of NAFTA in English. It reflects the fact that our team is made up of people from various cultures – currently from Canada, the USA, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
I should point out one more thing for those that don’t know Spanish – the newspaper clippings in the early part of the video show some of the sad things that you would see in most newspapers – death, unemployment, crime. We know that sin has done terrible things to the world. But then we look up and see who God is, and our perspective changes…
Do you share your faith with people you know? With friends and family? Some of you probably do … but statistically we don’t do it a whole lot.
But let’s say we did share – often. I’m not talking about inviting someone to church, or saying we “believe in God”. I mean actually sharing the Gospel.
Even if we did, we wouldn’t reach the world. At least, not for a very, very long time.
Why is that? For one simple reason. Many people in the world have little or no contact with any believer. In fact, they may not even know someone who knows someone who is a believer.
That means that certain groups would be reached, but others would still have little or no contact with the Gospel.
Please do read the article, but the point was this. 1 out of 5 non-Christians in the USA and Canada does not even know a Christian. That’s over 13 million people. (Yes, I know Mexico is a part of North America – but we weren’t included in this research)
Why is that? One of the biggest factors is that there are communities of immigrants that stay pretty close together, not venturing out into other cultural groups. And believers aren’t going in.
Worldwide, the numbers are worse – these statistics say that 80% of non-Christians do not know a Christian.
Yes, you read right. 80%.
Yes, a lot of those people know someone who knows a Christian – and so the Gospel might spread through that common connection. But that may not happen, and that’s not always the case. And for many people, time is running out.
These people are not being reached because cross-cultural missions is not happening enough. Basically, whether in our home country or in another country, Christians must GO – leave their comfort zones, and enter another culture.
Maybe it’s not even another language – maybe it’s getting to know some wealthier people in your area that have no contact with believers. But maybe it is visiting China town – and actually learning a little Chinese. Maybe it is going to an “unreached people group” overseas – or maybe reaching out to less reached groups or in areas (like where we are in Mexico) where there are few Christians and many communities with no Gospel witness.
Those millions in Canada and the USA with no immediate chance to be reached have one advantage – they are close to churches and believers, and there may even be a couple of good radio shows or TV programs they may come across. Imagine countries with much less Christian influence, where there are many more with even less of a chance.
There’s a reason why Jesus said “Go into all the world”. May God grant us the courage to do just that. Not just a one time decision to move to a new place – a daily decision to seek the lost.
Many of you may not be aware of the connections that Camino Global has had with the Philippines over the past few years. This video briefly explains, and offers another way you can help with relief efforts.
If you want to give, you can follow the links and you’ll find options to give either in $CA or $US.
This past Wednesday, we had a going-away-party (despedida) for our friend Tiffany. Tiffany just completed her term in Mexico – a one year commitment that turned into three and a half.
Tiffany first visited (coming to us from Arkansas) four years ago, an exploratory trip before coming mid-term. She was a part of the very first baking class, something that would become an important part of her ministry here.
She came the following year, and joined the summer interns (you can see lots of Tiffany in this video). She did some language school in Cuernavaca, and in the fall dove into classes at the community centre – shaking up Jesús MarÃa with a line dancing class!
She started helping with the youth, continued her work at the community centre, including those continuing baking classes, English classes, country dance, and eventually even classes for kids, and served the families of Jesús MarÃa in countless other ways. She helped with a “vision weekend” that brought together Mexicans, Americans and Canadians as we imagined what God could do in Ixtapaluca.
Somehow in the midst of all this, she served us by babysitting and even hanging out with us once in a while!
Tiffany shared the Gospel, served without words in the background, and energized others. Not only did she encourage us and others around her, she encouraged others from outside of Mexico to come and join in the harvest.
We didn’t always support Tiffany as we should have, and we probably didn’t tell her we appreciate her as much as we should have. During those three years, Tiffany has gone through challenges and trials that no one else can understand.
But Rod put it well at the party on Wednesday. Tiffany was faithful – when she said she would do something, she followed through.
And as rare as that is, there’s more. She did it in spite of the many challenges – expected and unexpected – that she faced. She did it with energy and a smile. And she still went above and beyond and did more than anyone expected.
So thank you, Tiffany.
Tiffany will be back. But everything is changing so fast, we know that things will be different. So it’s a good time to look back and say thank you.
Tiffany, we send you the prayer from Ephesians 3:14-21 as God continues to guide you and do amazing things.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith— that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
We enjoyed having the Holdeman family with us for the past month, visiting from Texas. They were able to be involved in the ministry here, learn some Spanish, and make lots of new friends!
Tonight we had a going away party for them, complete with piñata. Tomorrow I’ll be going before sunrise to take them to the airport.
Yesterday Shari had another baking class, and it was a great success! So – how did all this get started?
Back in 2009, Shari, Mayra and Aurora started doing baking classes in Jesús MarÃa. I should mention Tiffany too, who was there for the first class even though she wasn’t living here at the time.
Around the same time they also did a baking class in Santa Barbara.
This was the beginning of many more baking classes in both communities. So – what are they all about?
The ministry, known as Amigas del Alma, was described by Rod this way back when it started:
The phrase “Amigas del Alma” has two meanings in Spanish. The common meeting [sic] is “soul friends” or “best friends.” The second meaning is “friends of the soul.” Obviously the purpose of this dynamic trio is to reach women through different creative events, principally…are you ready for this…baking and cooking. So far, Shari has helped the women make banana muffins, and Tiffany assisted in making Christmas cookies. [original post]
Amigas del Alma has evolved quite a bit in over three and a half years, and the “amigas” have changed over time. But here’s the basic idea…
How it works
It’s nice to have a specialty, and Amigas del Alma has specialized in desserts. Yes, it could have ended up much broader, but sticking (more or less) to desserts has brought a nice focus, specialization and expertise. Shari has also tried to bring recipes that are less known here in Mexico City.
Actually, dessert-making here is not especially common. You can buy cakes at the store, and you might make flan or rice pudding, but there’s not the variety that there is when it comes to other types of food. Not to mention that many Mexican women use their ovens more for storage than for baking!
Shari usually hands out the ingredients and what-to-bring list a week early (not the recipe itself – that would take the fun out of it!). Everyone brings their ingredients and what bowls and utensils they can.
Then at the class, Shari goes through the recipe and everyone bakes more or less together. Some share ingredients, others bake their own thing – and it kind of depends on what’s being baked. But everyone wants something to take home! 🙂
As the goodies are in the oven, someone leads a short, simple devotional.
As time has passed, Shari has learned a lot (as have the rest of us!) about what and how to teach! For example, how to explain things in a culture that often just doesn’t have the specific words that we use in Canada when we bake (how do you “cream”? or “fold”?). Or what things are natural to those of us who have grown up baking, but are foreign to those who haven’t. (For example, a pie is not a stew – you can’t just put everything in at the same time and mix it like crazy and throw it in the oven!)
Some things we’ve more or less invented Spanish names for – fun!
Why it’s so cool
There are a lot of reasons why the baking class has been an awesome ministry! For example:
It’s delicious! What a great thing to share – and to bring home to your family! Good feelings all around!
It’s relational! What a great way to get to know people – believers, unbelievers – what a great way to make friends!
You can invite your friends! It’s a fun, non-threatening atmosphere.
It’s a great skill! As a matter of fact, some women have used what they’ve learned to earn money for their families!
You can bring your kids! And many women have over the years. It’s a great mother/daughter event! (And yes, some guys have come once or twice – but here in Mexico, that’s just pretty weird.)
You can pass it on! You can teach baking – and then someone else can take the same recipe and do the same thing – and some have!
Short termers can be involved! As Tiffany did when she first visited, many others from the USA and Canada have come and have been involved. Can’t speak much Spanish? No problem – just come and share a recipe, help stir, and share a smile. You’d be surprised how powerful it can be!
Oh, and of course when someone shares something from the Bible, something else happens. People start to think about spiritual things – and struggles, and hopes. And conversations get started. And people are introduced to – the Pan de Vida (Bread of Life)!
And His food and drink last forever!
Thanks to those who have prayed for this ministry, and those who have donated supplies. Sometimes at the end of a series of classes, the women are invited to one of our closing programs, and they get a little gift. It’s especially fun to get something that’s expensive or hard to get here, that can help with future baking exploits!
And looking back, it’s so neat to see women in the church who got to know other believers through Amigas del Alma. And of course, they got to know Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)
