Then and Now

Then:  I moved into a barren apartment, with no curtains, bed, or any kind of storage for my clothes.  
Now:  In my own apartment, with all the necessary amenities,  as well as even some "unnecessary" ones.  My apartment has become a place of refreshment to me, as well as hospitality towards others.

Then:  No Internet.
Now: Still no Internet sometimes... ;-)  Much better, though!  

Then:  No phone or way to communicate with the outside world.  
Now:  Well connected with my friends and family both here and in the States.  Y'all, if you don't have it, get WhatsApp!  We can text!

Then:  Didn't even know how to get to church my first Sunday, and we ended up being 40 minutes late!
Now:  I am happily plugged into church, Sunday school, and a really great Bible study on Monday nights.

Then: Starting to get the hang of my role as Avance Program Coordinator (for more info on what that looks like, see my previous post).
Now:  Feeling much more confident in the role -- and loving it!

Then:  I was six weeks out of my latest surgery and nervous to do too much strenuous activity.
Now:  I was able to be part of a very intense choreography routine over the fall, and also enjoy jumping on my mini trampoline and doing strength training for exercise.  



Some things haven't changed:
I am happy to say that I was able to "hit the ground running" in many ways a year ago.  Because I was familiar with the city and fluent in Spanish, I was able to jump into ministry and life here much faster and with not nearly as steep of a learning curve.  I am also so blessed to have my host family, wonderful fellow staff members, and a community of Mexican friends, as well.  They helped me to avoid the "transition deficit" of missing community that so many experience when moving to a new country and leaving their former support structures behind.  

You all haven't changed, either!!  I am so blessed to have you on my team, supporting me personally and the work that I am doing here!  As I remember the love, prayers, and gifts with which you sent me off last year, I am so overwhelmed with thankfulness.  

I'm looking forward to what God has in store for the upcoming years!  :-)

What Do I Do?

For those of you who may be wondering, "What exactly does the Program Coordinator for Avance do?", I hope that this post will begin to answer that question.

-- Coaching/mentoring/discipleship/counseling.  This is probably my favorite aspect of my job.  I love pouring into the lives of the young women on the team, and helping them to grow in their personal walks with the Lord, as well as their maturity in ministry.  Some are on the field for a mere two months, and others up to two years, but, regardless of the time that they spend, I am always delighted to see the work that the Lord does in and through their lives during this time ... and it is such a privilege to be a part of that work!  Not only do I get to challenge them during their time on the mission field, but I also try to help them discern where the Lord is leading them as a next step after they leave the Avance program.  

-- Cultural Liaison with host families, churches, and ministries.  Our ministry is very personalized, in that each participant is placed with a local Mexican host family, participates in their church, and usually also serves with another Mexican-led ministry, as well.  While we believe that this is a very effective learning and ministry model, it also means a lot of work for those of us who make the connections with the families, churches and ministries!  We do a lot of communicating back and forth with our host contacts up front to set up the placements, and then also once our participants have been placed, we continue to follow up with our contacts to make sure that the relationships are going smoothly.   

-- Educational talks and practicums related to culture and ministry.  We believe that a large part of effective ministry on the field is due to ongoing training, both in terms of ministry and also an understanding of the cultural context in which one is serving.  Sometimes our ministry can be unknowingly undermined by attitudes and behaviors that we bring from our home cultures, but are not acceptable in our host culture.  Part of our job as leadership in Avance is to help to minimize any obstacles that might arise to hinder the message of the Gospel!

-- Mexican ministry involvement:  Since the majority of my workload through Avance is helping our participants to be effective in their service with Mexican ministries, I have been focusing largely on the aspects of the Avance program for the past year.  My own involvement in direct ministry among Mexicans has often been simply my participation with our partner ministries at events that they have. I have also been singing in a local worship choir comprised of young adults from many different churches.  Finally, I have begun to get more involved in my church, in attending studies and building deeper friendships.  Please pray for me that God would give me wisdom in balancing my ministry commitments and also that He would lead me to other ways that I can serve in local ministry here.

This is not an exhaustive list, and there is so much more that could be said, even under each of these headings!  Please, as you have other questions, send them my way, and I will be happy to answer them!

We Love Because He First Loved Us

Something that has been on my mind a lot this past week is the incredible love of God!  I know, this should be on my heart every day of every week!  It is true that I frequently see the love of God and His amazing grace throughout my life, but I wanted to share with you one specific aspect that I have been reflecting on.  

I have often thought of the verse: "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19) to mean, "we should love, taking the model that Jesus has given us".  However, as I have reflected on this more this week, I find that it means something more foundational.  If we are able to love God and others at all, it is because God loved us, and enabled us to love others and Himself.  

The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind, and the second is to love our neighbors as ourselves (see, for example, Luke 10:27).  So, how are we doing at that?  

Tim Keller, in a sermon that I listened to recently, shed some light on what it is to love with our heart.  He said that it is the thing to which our heart is inclined.  The place that our thoughts and affections go when we have nothing else that we need to think about (or, sometimes even when we should be thinking about something else!).  Do we love God that way?  Do we daydream about Him and how we could better show our love for Him by our service?  Are we, like the psalmist David, thinking about Him when we wake up in the night and throughout the day?  Or do other thoughts and dreams occupy our waking and sleeping?  Maybe we don't love and desire the Lord as much as we would like to think.  

How are we doing on loving others?  Do we want them to have the same joys and comforts that we do ... even if it means sacrifice on our part?  Do we love enough to release our pride and overlook an offense?  To even forgive freely?  Do we love them enough to show up on time to events?  To listen when we would rather be heard?  To be overlooked while they are exalted?  Maybe we don't love others as much as we would like to think.  

And I submit that even knowing of God's love as a model is not enough to generate this love in us.  We love because God gave us a new heart that is capable of loving.  And even so, we don't love perfectly on this side of Heaven.  But, for those of us who have been transformed by the love of God, we are beginning to show the fruits of love of even now.  When our mind is set on Christ and things above; when we efface ourselves and forgive others; when we work for the good of others with no one to witness it; then, we are beginning to see the evidence of a heart of flesh.  Then, we are beginning to love because He first loved us.  

Loving the Stranger

For this blog post, I would like to merely direct you to another person's blog entry, called 9 Ways to Seek Shalom With Immigrants  (http://www.alifewithsubtitles.com/2016/06/9-ways-to-seek-shalom-with-immigrants.html?m=1)  I will be copying the key points underneath, for those of you who wouldn't actually click on the link to another blog post.  I see you.  ;-)

I thought that it was an excellent post, because, regardless of your views on the United States' current immigration laws (too strict, too lenient, or just right), these principles are foundational for those who would seek to show Christ's love to those on the margins.  I hope that you find them helpful!


#1 - 40 Days of Scripture & Prayer
The Evangelical Immigration Table has put together 40 days of verses unpacking God's word about how we treat foreigners and aliens. Whether alone or with a group, praying through these Scriptures is a powerful way to walk with God on the topic of immigration.


#2 - Stay Informed
It can be challenging to get information about immigration news. Some great resources include the aforementioned Evangelical Immigration Table, #Pray4Reform on Twitter, CCDA Biblical Justice on Facebook, G92, author and activist Matthew Soerens on Twitter and Facebook, or Migration Policy Institute.


#3 - Smile
U.S. culture can sometimes project an air of "coldness," especially to folks from smaller communities in developing countries with a slower pace. Combine this with the fact that many immigrants seem "invisible" by choice or by status or by occupation, one simple step to promoting shalom can be simply acknowledging others with a smile and hello. For those who feel unwelcome, this gesture can be a gift.


#4 - Read Books
There are of course so many. I recommended both Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible and Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth in the Immigration Debate in the podcast. But I'll add here another book that's a memoir from actress Diane Guerrero (from Jane the Virgin and OITNB). It's a powerful story about her experience as a U.S. citizen child coming home from school at age 14 to discover both her parents had been deported. Check out In the Country We Love: My Family Divided.


#5 - Host a Film Screening
I promise I don't work for the Evangelical Immigration Table. But they've produced a film called The Stranger that is perfect for church groups to begin a conversation about this important topic.


#6 - Show Hospitality
According to the Billy Graham Center, less than one in ten immigrants will ever be welcomed into the home of an American. That statistic has stayed with me since the first time I ever read it here. Step outside your comfort zone and build relationships across citizenship lines.


#7 - Advocate
It's actually so easy to let Congress know that we need comprehensive immigration reform. I even went to Washington once, and I was amazed at the process. We must speak up!


#8 - Support Families Going Through Deportation
Billy and I are big supporters of the mission of El Refugio, a Georgia ministry that visits men in detention. They also provide hospitality and support to families of detainees. We're going to visit for the first time later this month, so I'm sure I'll share more. Consider getting involved with their (or similar) work.


#9 - Pray
I started this list with prayer, and it feels like the perfect ending. Systemic change needs the intervention of our God, who has a heart for those on the margins. I wrote this prayer years ago. Our broken immigration system affects those at every level. May we all pray for reform.

Prayer Requests for this Season

Please pray, as I mentioned in my last post, that I will be shaped into Christ's likeness and that I will live a life worthy of imitation.  That those I disciple will also look like Christ more and more!

Please also pray that I would grow in wisdom and knowledge as I am seeking to work in this new role with excellence.  May I balance my time with the North American team, with my Mexican friends, family, church, and other opportunities for ministry.  Please pray for me, too, as I am seeking to continually challenge myself to learn and grow.  Some areas that I want to grow in are counseling (I want to get further training and certification in this), missional theology, spiritual disciplines, leadership, and Mexican history and culture in general ... to name just a few things!

Please also pray for me as I will be going with a team of people to the state of Oaxaca at the end of October to participate in a missions fair.  I am so excited for this chance to visit a state I have never been to, but even more excited to help promote the Great Commission and to strengthen one of the churches there for greater ministry around the world!

Please pray for our team as they are settling into their ministry roles.  May it not be too overwhelming of a time for them as they are adjusting to so many new things.  Also, as the fall schedule is high on training, may they not be discouraged, if they feel that they are not spending enough time involved in ministry initially.

Thanksgiving:

I just want to say, too, that I am so thankful for all of you!  Even as I was praying through your prayer requests, my heart was so warmed as I thought of each one of you!  I am so blessed by the ways that God is working in your lives, even the times where you are feeling so discouraged and oppressed.  I prayed frequently that God would give many of you joy and a deep sense of His presence in the midst of your deepest heartaches (or physical aches, which can also be so draining and discouraging!!).  I am blessed beyond measure that the Lord has brought you into my life, and I will continue to lift up these needs as they are on my heart and mind.

I am also just so thankful for God's constant presence and comfort!  It is amazing to me how He always draws me close to Him even when I wasn't seeking Him.  This is what I believe about salvation -- that God loved us and called us when we were still sinners -- but I also thank Him so much that He still operates this way!  Even now that we are a part of His family, He still comes and calls to us even when we are distracted and following our own paths.  He is SO good!

Another opportunity that I am so excited about and thankful for is that today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday) I will be attending my first Ligonier Conference ... but in Mexico City!  :-D  It is so funny to me that this ministry started just about an hour away from my home in Pittsburgh, but I needed to come to Mexico to attend a conference with them for the first time.   This should be a great time of learning and being encouraged alongside many other Mexican believers, some of whom I already know and love, and many of whom I have never met before!  I am so pumped!

Imitate Me As I Imitate Christ

"Be imitators of me as I imitate Christ"  1 Cor. 11:1

"Therefore, I urge you to imitate me."  1 Cor. 4:16

"Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who live according to the pattern that we set for you."  Phil. 3:17

"Whatever you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, put these things into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you."  Phil. 4:9

Though these verses all refer to the Apostle Paul, I think that they are a good indicator for us that much of the Christian life -- and especially discipleship! -- implies setting an earthly example for others to follow.

I am very mindful of this as I set into this first Avance "YearOut" cycle as the program coordinator.  One of the main components of my role is to set an example for the young adults who are coming to learn about missions.  I have a full schedule of training, visiting host families, giving talks, and even one-on-one coaching times.  However, one of my biggest impacts will be how well I live my life as a Christ-follower in Mexico.  I want to be able to turn to my team and say, along with the Apostle Paul, "Here is an example that you can follow.  Live like I do." 

Wow.  That is scary to even type!  I know my own short-comings, and it would be so much easier to say, "Do as I say, not as I do." However, that is not the model that we have in Scripture.  I want to live my life in such a way that other, younger believers can be encouraged by my testimony and challenged to follow the Lord even deeper.  If you are reading this blog post, I would ask you to take a moment right now to pray for me that I would be able to live in this way.  


Note:  I have been so grateful for my church and team down here, who are tremendous helps in my spiritual growth!  I have also been more disciplined in spending time with the Lord in prayer and Scripture-reading daily.  I know that my life will only bear good fruit as I am connected to the True Vine (John 15).  

Take Me Back

Guest post by my dear friend, Brenda Burney

Written: 11/29/07

I spitefully turn and slap your face

Abuse your mercy, misuse your grace

Use my freedom as an excuse to sin

Then turn and run to your arms again.

Why do you take me back?

Why don’t you throw me out?

Please tell me…

What sin is one too many?

When will I outsin your grace?

Please tell me…

I tell you I’ll never leave

Make promises I will not keep

The first temptation has me running out the door

Like I’ve done so many times before

Why do you take me back?

Why don’t you throw me out?

Please tell me…

When will it be once too many?

When will I outsin your grace?

I feel you drawing me back again

I don’t understand, I can’t comprehend

Why one so Holy would desire such a one as I

Yet there you stand with love in your eyes

I cry…

Why do you take me back?

Why don’t you throw me out?

Oh Father…

It will never be once too many?

And I’ll never outsin your grace?

I deserve your wrath, yet you give me love

I deserve death, yet you give me life

I was a captive and you set me free

Even when I choose my captivity,

You still wait for me to come home again

And when I do, you’ll always

Take me back.