Hola,
I'm leaving the Gateway, AIM's Matamoros base, tomorrow at 7 am and meeting my group in Donna, TX. We're going to go across the border, get our visas and travel permits, then go to Reynosa, check into a hotel, do our training, and spend the night.
We'll leave at 7 am and arrive in Saltillo around 12:30 pm.
Please continue to pray for my family and for me. Also, please pray for the participants on the trip. It is very important that they focus on why they're here - to build relationships and share the gospel.
mark
Friday, June 24, 2005
Saltillo, Pre-Trip Stuff
I got to the Gateway right before dinner and was able to eat with the group that is leaving tomorrow.
I found Giovanni, the guy I'll be doing the trip with. It turns out that I met him last year on the Johnson's Ferry Baptist Church trip. He's a good guy.
We spent about three hours talking through the schedule and all the practical stuff. I feel MUCH better about meeting the group on Saturday. I've got a real schedule and some things to tell them. We'll see what happens.
It is overwhelming the amount of detail that goes into a trip like this. I just keep thinking about II Corinthians 12:9 and I feel better.
I am excited about the opportunity to finally lead a mission trip, but scared that I'll forget something important. 'Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.' I Peter 5:13.
mark
I found Giovanni, the guy I'll be doing the trip with. It turns out that I met him last year on the Johnson's Ferry Baptist Church trip. He's a good guy.
We spent about three hours talking through the schedule and all the practical stuff. I feel MUCH better about meeting the group on Saturday. I've got a real schedule and some things to tell them. We'll see what happens.
It is overwhelming the amount of detail that goes into a trip like this. I just keep thinking about II Corinthians 12:9 and I feel better.
I am excited about the opportunity to finally lead a mission trip, but scared that I'll forget something important. 'Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.' I Peter 5:13.
mark
Thursday, June 23, 2005
To Saltillo
Hi all,
I'm in DFW about to get on a small plane to Houston and then to Harlingen.
Please pray for me and my family this week.
mark
I'm in DFW about to get on a small plane to Houston and then to Harlingen.
Please pray for me and my family this week.
mark
Monday, June 20, 2005
Ask The Lord
Ask The Lord (ATL).
Sounds innocuous, but do we really do it? By this, I mean, do we ask, then wait patiently and quietly for an answer?
Allow me to tell you what happened on my mission trip with AIM in Matamoros from 6/3 to 6/10. I'll preface this by saying that I was there and saw it with my own eyes...
The daily schedule for an AIM mission trip is divided into two ministry slots. The slots are usually 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm. Participants are scheduled for any number of different types of ministry: Prayer walking, door-to-door evangelism, VBS, sports evangelism, feedings, and construction. For instance, in the morning, your team of 6 - 8 people may go prayer walking. At noon, you would return to the church base area, eat lunch, then, at 1 pm, go out and work on the house that your team is helping to build.
Sometimes, instead of the activities listed above, AIM groups have an ATL (come on, one has to have a cool acronym). During the ministry time, this group will not have a scheduled activity. Their only mandate is to pray and ask God what he would have them do. After spending time in prayer and then talking about what they believe God wants them to do, the group goes out and does it. Whatever it is.
I know what you're thinking, "It's crazy, there's no accountability, it's dangerous, God doesn't work that way, fill in your own objection here." Stick with me, Chester.
I was able to lead four different teams on an ATL. In each case, I talked with them for five to ten minutes, explaining what we were going to do. I showed them examples from my life and the Word where God spoke to ordinary humans. Then, I showed them the test we were going to apply to each supposed word from God:
I would then say a short prayer asking God to clear their minds of the voice of the enemy, the voice of the world, and, finally, their own incessant voice so they could clearly hear what he had to tell them. After dismissing them, I would stay and pray for their protection as they opened themselves up to the God and Father of all.
While I stood there, I would do my own ATL. "God, should I tell them to come back now? How about now? Now? Is that long enough?" You get the picture. When I would finally feel that God was telling me to bring them back together, I would call them in and ask the question - 'What do you think God wants us to do?'
Of the four groups, three were very responsive and willing to share, while the fourth was significantly more reticent. More on this at another time. Also, let me stress that most of these kids were junior high kids.
So, in the first group, there were immediate responses to my question. One boy said that he saw a woman in a pink shirt, sitting with children at her feet who had their legs crossed and a green house with two windows in front. Another boy said he saw the number six. A girl said, rather sheepishly, that she saw a big, black hole. One of the other boys said he saw a milk carton. The leader, a young woman in her early twenties, said she kept hearing the word evangelism and that we were supposed to go 'right.' When I asked her, "who's right?" she said, "my right." We briefly went over the test, decided we passed and moved out.
Off we went, filled with excitement and trepidation. Would God show up? We walked for what seemed like forever in the heat of the Matamoros afternoon. I thought we should stop and talk about why we weren't seeing anything, so we stepped into some shade on the shoulder. There was a house nearby with some kids about junior high age and our kids made some awkward attempts at conversation. After it became apparent that they were not interested in what we had to say, we left the house and gathered under the slight shade.
I had them all turn around and look at how far we had come. Not far at all, less than half a mile. I think I pointed out something brilliant like, "this is just like the Christian life, isn't it?" and we decided to move on.
The next house was a green house with two windows on the front, a woman in a pink shirt was sitting on the porch with children at her feet (I found out later that they did have their legs crossed when we got there. Also, it was house number 36. Apparently, this didn't feel right to the guy who said he saw a 6). One of the younger participants starting talking to her and discovered that she had been a Christian, but didn't think she was anymore. He led her through the plan of salvation and showed her how she was still saved. Using scripture, he was able to let her know that she was still saved. This was, apparently, much needed comfort to her.
We left them and continued walking, still looking for a six and a black hole... After passing a few more houses, we came upon a house with a couple sitting outside talking. Again, some of the younger participants started up a conversation with them. As they were talking, I noticed a big, black , mostly empty, trash can. The woman they were taking to accepted Christ as her savior. Amen, praise God, way cool.
As we were leaving, I was told that it was house number 6.
I have to go to bed, more later.
mark
Sounds innocuous, but do we really do it? By this, I mean, do we ask, then wait patiently and quietly for an answer?
Allow me to tell you what happened on my mission trip with AIM in Matamoros from 6/3 to 6/10. I'll preface this by saying that I was there and saw it with my own eyes...
The daily schedule for an AIM mission trip is divided into two ministry slots. The slots are usually 9 am to 12 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm. Participants are scheduled for any number of different types of ministry: Prayer walking, door-to-door evangelism, VBS, sports evangelism, feedings, and construction. For instance, in the morning, your team of 6 - 8 people may go prayer walking. At noon, you would return to the church base area, eat lunch, then, at 1 pm, go out and work on the house that your team is helping to build.
Sometimes, instead of the activities listed above, AIM groups have an ATL (come on, one has to have a cool acronym). During the ministry time, this group will not have a scheduled activity. Their only mandate is to pray and ask God what he would have them do. After spending time in prayer and then talking about what they believe God wants them to do, the group goes out and does it. Whatever it is.
I know what you're thinking, "It's crazy, there's no accountability, it's dangerous, God doesn't work that way, fill in your own objection here." Stick with me, Chester.
I was able to lead four different teams on an ATL. In each case, I talked with them for five to ten minutes, explaining what we were going to do. I showed them examples from my life and the Word where God spoke to ordinary humans. Then, I showed them the test we were going to apply to each supposed word from God:
- Is it scriptural?
- Does it exalt Christ?
- Do other Christians confirm it?
- Does it bear good fruit?
- Does God bring it to pass?
I would then say a short prayer asking God to clear their minds of the voice of the enemy, the voice of the world, and, finally, their own incessant voice so they could clearly hear what he had to tell them. After dismissing them, I would stay and pray for their protection as they opened themselves up to the God and Father of all.
While I stood there, I would do my own ATL. "God, should I tell them to come back now? How about now? Now? Is that long enough?" You get the picture. When I would finally feel that God was telling me to bring them back together, I would call them in and ask the question - 'What do you think God wants us to do?'
Of the four groups, three were very responsive and willing to share, while the fourth was significantly more reticent. More on this at another time. Also, let me stress that most of these kids were junior high kids.
So, in the first group, there were immediate responses to my question. One boy said that he saw a woman in a pink shirt, sitting with children at her feet who had their legs crossed and a green house with two windows in front. Another boy said he saw the number six. A girl said, rather sheepishly, that she saw a big, black hole. One of the other boys said he saw a milk carton. The leader, a young woman in her early twenties, said she kept hearing the word evangelism and that we were supposed to go 'right.' When I asked her, "who's right?" she said, "my right." We briefly went over the test, decided we passed and moved out.
Off we went, filled with excitement and trepidation. Would God show up? We walked for what seemed like forever in the heat of the Matamoros afternoon. I thought we should stop and talk about why we weren't seeing anything, so we stepped into some shade on the shoulder. There was a house nearby with some kids about junior high age and our kids made some awkward attempts at conversation. After it became apparent that they were not interested in what we had to say, we left the house and gathered under the slight shade.
I had them all turn around and look at how far we had come. Not far at all, less than half a mile. I think I pointed out something brilliant like, "this is just like the Christian life, isn't it?" and we decided to move on.
The next house was a green house with two windows on the front, a woman in a pink shirt was sitting on the porch with children at her feet (I found out later that they did have their legs crossed when we got there. Also, it was house number 36. Apparently, this didn't feel right to the guy who said he saw a 6). One of the younger participants starting talking to her and discovered that she had been a Christian, but didn't think she was anymore. He led her through the plan of salvation and showed her how she was still saved. Using scripture, he was able to let her know that she was still saved. This was, apparently, much needed comfort to her.
We left them and continued walking, still looking for a six and a black hole... After passing a few more houses, we came upon a house with a couple sitting outside talking. Again, some of the younger participants started up a conversation with them. As they were talking, I noticed a big, black , mostly empty, trash can. The woman they were taking to accepted Christ as her savior. Amen, praise God, way cool.
As we were leaving, I was told that it was house number 6.
I have to go to bed, more later.
mark
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
The Gateway
AIM's base in Matamoros is called the Gateway. The facilities are on sixty acres of land between Matamoros and the border. (Please forgive my spelling) There is a comidor that feeds 150 people at a time, dormitories that sleep 300+, a bodega (garage) to maintain a fleet of 6 to 7 vans and 3 buses, sleeping areas for staff, and offices for the Mexico branch of AIM. All in all, a very good facility. Everything is air conditioned, except the comidor and the garage, and there is hot and cold running water and internet access for staff - as is evident...
All AIM activities in Matamoros start from the Gateway. Participants drive over the border and stay in the Gateway for the length of their trip. They wake up in the morning, have breakfast, do devotionals and chores, have praise and worship, then head out into Matamoros to do ministry. As an aside, there is another AIM ministry that stays in Matamoros all the time, the First Year Missionaries.
A typical day has participants (who are all in teams of 6 - 10 with an adult leader), going out into the community to minister to the locals. The teams go in two shifts, the first in the morning, the second in the afternoon. Who woulda thunk? For example, a team would do VBS in the morning, then, after a lunch break at the church, do door-to-door in the afternoon. The next day, the same team may do praywalking, construction, visiting a rehabilitation center or the youth detention center, and so on throughout the week.
All activities in the city of Matamoros are focused on whichever church AIM is helping that week. This way, the local church benefits, not AIM. When participants are doing to door-to-door and someone makes a decision or requests more information, those details are given to the local pastor. When participants give a VBS, it is usually done at the church, but always in the name of the church. Sometimes, as is the case this week, a project is so large that it requires two ministry sites - this is AIMSpeak for the church in a colonia (neighborhood).
Yesterday, 6/7, I was in the evangelism coordinator for site 2. Basically, all I had to do was make sure the groups had their materials and knew where they were going. I also had to make sure that they turned in any response cards at the end of the day.
Tori and I went out on door-to-door with one of the groups. Actually, I forgot Tori at the VBS site and had to go back and get her...oops. Anyway, the group was pretty solid, so Tori and I just hung back, watched and did the prayer walking thing. First, they went to a house they have visited the day before. The guy there had seemed very interested in what they had to say about the gospel and had requested they come back. They stood outside the fence and called to him and, just as we were walking away, he came out. He was pretty young, maybe 25. Some of the participants talked with him and shared scripture with him while the rest of us prayed and talked. After some discussion, he accepted Christ as his savior. Sorry about the dry sounding report, I was standing in the back and couldn't hear...all I know is that there is another brother in the kingdom. Amen.
The group then went to another house and talked with the lady there. As we were leaving, another lady came up to me and motioned for us to go to her house, which was next door. Through one of our translators, she asked if we had any holy water. She said that her son had seen a red-headed doll walking in the house and that she felt a demonic presence. She wanted us to come in and pray for her and her family. We prayed as a group, then sent in Mike, one of the adult leaders, and Trinity, the translator. Three of the participants also went in - they're all seventh and eighth graders and are mostly all very bold in their faith. The rest of us stayed outside and prayed for their protection.
I don't know exactly what went on inside, but outside we had church. I was able to lead the group in prayer and they jumped in. We prayed, read scripture and sang. Totally awesome.
It was a great experience for me to be there and to be a part of what God is doing in Matamoros. It is different, being a staffer and not a participant. That is a story for later... The most incredible thing, for me as a father, was to see my Tori. She did not want to be there and wanted to be back at the Gateway in the air conditioning. Through some circumstances, she was not able to stay at the Gateway and I had to take her with me (Carla was following the project leader around for the day and Kaylie was at the Gateway). I talked with her about letting God help her make it a good day, rather than dwelling on the circumstances that kept her away from the ac. Apparently, she did it. While I was talking with a young man who had brought his daughter for VBS, Tori took his daughter to the playground and played with her. He accepted Christ as his savior and I can't stop thinking that Tori had a significant role in this by playing with his daughter and allowing him to focus on our conversation. When we went on door-to-door, she was very bold, walking up to mothers and children and, with the help of a translator, engaging them in conversation. I even saw her praying on the curb as others of our group talked with someone.
Please don't think this is one of those, 'look how great my kids are' things. Although, of course, it is. This is an answer to prayer for me. Tori can be very compassionate, but only does this from time to time. I have been praying about this and it is wonderful to see it happening.
mark
All AIM activities in Matamoros start from the Gateway. Participants drive over the border and stay in the Gateway for the length of their trip. They wake up in the morning, have breakfast, do devotionals and chores, have praise and worship, then head out into Matamoros to do ministry. As an aside, there is another AIM ministry that stays in Matamoros all the time, the First Year Missionaries.
A typical day has participants (who are all in teams of 6 - 10 with an adult leader), going out into the community to minister to the locals. The teams go in two shifts, the first in the morning, the second in the afternoon. Who woulda thunk? For example, a team would do VBS in the morning, then, after a lunch break at the church, do door-to-door in the afternoon. The next day, the same team may do praywalking, construction, visiting a rehabilitation center or the youth detention center, and so on throughout the week.
All activities in the city of Matamoros are focused on whichever church AIM is helping that week. This way, the local church benefits, not AIM. When participants are doing to door-to-door and someone makes a decision or requests more information, those details are given to the local pastor. When participants give a VBS, it is usually done at the church, but always in the name of the church. Sometimes, as is the case this week, a project is so large that it requires two ministry sites - this is AIMSpeak for the church in a colonia (neighborhood).
Yesterday, 6/7, I was in the evangelism coordinator for site 2. Basically, all I had to do was make sure the groups had their materials and knew where they were going. I also had to make sure that they turned in any response cards at the end of the day.
Tori and I went out on door-to-door with one of the groups. Actually, I forgot Tori at the VBS site and had to go back and get her...oops. Anyway, the group was pretty solid, so Tori and I just hung back, watched and did the prayer walking thing. First, they went to a house they have visited the day before. The guy there had seemed very interested in what they had to say about the gospel and had requested they come back. They stood outside the fence and called to him and, just as we were walking away, he came out. He was pretty young, maybe 25. Some of the participants talked with him and shared scripture with him while the rest of us prayed and talked. After some discussion, he accepted Christ as his savior. Sorry about the dry sounding report, I was standing in the back and couldn't hear...all I know is that there is another brother in the kingdom. Amen.
The group then went to another house and talked with the lady there. As we were leaving, another lady came up to me and motioned for us to go to her house, which was next door. Through one of our translators, she asked if we had any holy water. She said that her son had seen a red-headed doll walking in the house and that she felt a demonic presence. She wanted us to come in and pray for her and her family. We prayed as a group, then sent in Mike, one of the adult leaders, and Trinity, the translator. Three of the participants also went in - they're all seventh and eighth graders and are mostly all very bold in their faith. The rest of us stayed outside and prayed for their protection.
I don't know exactly what went on inside, but outside we had church. I was able to lead the group in prayer and they jumped in. We prayed, read scripture and sang. Totally awesome.
It was a great experience for me to be there and to be a part of what God is doing in Matamoros. It is different, being a staffer and not a participant. That is a story for later... The most incredible thing, for me as a father, was to see my Tori. She did not want to be there and wanted to be back at the Gateway in the air conditioning. Through some circumstances, she was not able to stay at the Gateway and I had to take her with me (Carla was following the project leader around for the day and Kaylie was at the Gateway). I talked with her about letting God help her make it a good day, rather than dwelling on the circumstances that kept her away from the ac. Apparently, she did it. While I was talking with a young man who had brought his daughter for VBS, Tori took his daughter to the playground and played with her. He accepted Christ as his savior and I can't stop thinking that Tori had a significant role in this by playing with his daughter and allowing him to focus on our conversation. When we went on door-to-door, she was very bold, walking up to mothers and children and, with the help of a translator, engaging them in conversation. I even saw her praying on the curb as others of our group talked with someone.
Please don't think this is one of those, 'look how great my kids are' things. Although, of course, it is. This is an answer to prayer for me. Tori can be very compassionate, but only does this from time to time. I have been praying about this and it is wonderful to see it happening.
mark
Friday, June 03, 2005
Matamoros Project Leader Training
We have been at the Gateway, AIM's Mexico base, since yesterday and are doing some serious Project Leader training. We've had a chance to get to know four other people who are going to be project leaders and spend time with them.
Today, we went around Matamoros to the different ministry sites and were exposed to the abject poverty of some parts of Matamoros.
We also met two pastors, Peter and Teofilia, that will be working with AIM and for whom AIM will be ministering this next week.
Please pray for us as we go through this next week. Carla got very sick tonight and needs to rest.
Today, we went around Matamoros to the different ministry sites and were exposed to the abject poverty of some parts of Matamoros.
We also met two pastors, Peter and Teofilia, that will be working with AIM and for whom AIM will be ministering this next week.
Please pray for us as we go through this next week. Carla got very sick tonight and needs to rest.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Matamoros Project Leader Training
Carla, the girls, and I will be heading to Matamoros, MX on 6/2 for project leader training. We will be renting a car and driving to Harlingen, TX where Steve Basden will pick us up. We'll have our first meeting Thursday night and then we'll be following my friend Cesar Gonzales as he does the project leader thing.
In order to be a project leader for AIM, one has to go to project leader training. They used to do it in Atlanta. One would sit for two days in a classroom in Atlanta and learn all the stuff one had to do to be a project leader. Woo. Hoo. Now, you get to go on a project and learn on the job.
I'm really looking forward to this as this will be the first time my daughters have been out of the country. Also, they will have a chance to meet and play with other AIM kids. Cesar's two girls and Thomi Wilson's five kids will be there. They will all get a chance to go on the mission trip and follow the mission participants around. Most importantly, we will be able to do ministry as a family.
When I went to China last year, I felt like I wasn't all there. (Insert joke here) Without my girls with me, I didn't feel like I was experiencing it fully.
Please pray for us as we do this work. We will need all the prayer we can get.
Our mission schedule for the summer is as follows:
In order to be a project leader for AIM, one has to go to project leader training. They used to do it in Atlanta. One would sit for two days in a classroom in Atlanta and learn all the stuff one had to do to be a project leader. Woo. Hoo. Now, you get to go on a project and learn on the job.
I'm really looking forward to this as this will be the first time my daughters have been out of the country. Also, they will have a chance to meet and play with other AIM kids. Cesar's two girls and Thomi Wilson's five kids will be there. They will all get a chance to go on the mission trip and follow the mission participants around. Most importantly, we will be able to do ministry as a family.
When I went to China last year, I felt like I wasn't all there. (Insert joke here) Without my girls with me, I didn't feel like I was experiencing it fully.
Please pray for us as we do this work. We will need all the prayer we can get.
Our mission schedule for the summer is as follows:
- June 2 to 10 - Matamoros
- June 13 to 18 - VBS at LABC
- June 23 to July 2 - Saltillo, MX. I'll be without the girls
- July 9 to 18 - Harlan, KY
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