Remebering What it is Like

Today was a good day. Today I messed up a lot of Spanish! Today I misunderstood what people were saying to me. Today I sweated from the heat. Today I got dirty. Today I remembered what it is like to be a Missionary again, and I loved it!

Let me give you a little pre-amble. Sheri and I came to Hermosillo Mexico with a vision. We came with a vision of seeing a community of like minded believers reaching out to care for those who are struggling, in the church and outside the church. We came with a vision of service to those less fortunate than ourselves and with the hope that the church would join us in reaching out in practical ways to those who are in need. We believe that Jesus ministered to the physical and emotional needs of the people He came in contact with and then He gave them the good news of the gospel. We desire to do the same. I think that loving people first before you present the gospel to them is an effective way to do evangelism. It is something the church should be doing and it is our aim here in Hermosillo.

Enter Jorge (not his real name). You see God has also planted this vision in him and has given him many practical skills in which to serve with as well. Jorge attends the church and wants to see the church reaching out in love to those in need as well.

Enter a team of 7 men from our area of Alberta. These 7 arrived on Saturday night and will be leaving this coming Saturday. They are here to further the construction of the church building. However they also said that they wanted to serve a person or a family in need in some practical way.

There is a lady in the church who is raising 3 kids (16, 13, 7) on her own and she is getting by, but with no room to spare. She lives in a tiny 3 room house in a very modest neighbourhood where there are many abandoned houses. Two of these abandoned houses front her property (one on the side and one behind). Now these types of houses tend to attract people who are up to no good. Often drug deals and other such things happen there. This family doesn’t have a wall to separate their property from the others and therefore after doing their “business” in these abandoned houses, the people will often walk right through their yard or even through their house! The 16 year old girl often cares for her younger siblings while Mom is at work. This obviously isn’t the type of environment in which anyone would want to raise 3 kids on their own!

This morning I met Jorge and 4 of the men from the team (the other 3 were working on the church) at this lady’s house and we began the construction of a proper wall made of brick to provide much needed security for their home. This project is happening because of the combined efforts of people in the church (Jorge specifically), the men from back home, myself, the other Missionary Family that serves here and the Mom of the 3 kids who is going to pay for part of the materials needed to build the wall.

I spent a good part of the day driving around with Jorge picking up materials needed for the construction and we also ate lunch together in his home with his wife. It was wonderful and difficult to speak Spanish as we drove for so long with no way of escape! After we ate lunch I thanked Jorge and his wife for the lunch they provided and then as we got into his vehicle, I thanked him again. After a minute or two he told me “I have something to teach you about our culture”. He proceeded to tell me that very few people say “thank you” here and that it bugs him when people do thank him! I told him it would be very difficult for a Canadian who has been invited over for a meal to not say “thank you”! Ah the intricacies of Missionary life!

I don’t want to be too idealistic or get the horse in front of the cart, but I was so encouraged by today! In working toward seeing the church reach out to others in practical ways, it is absolutely key for them to “catch the vision”. Today I saw a leader emerge from them, one who has the same vision and one who will hopefully draw others into service as well. God is obviously at work and today was just the beginning we trust.

Today for me was the beginning of seeing this dream realized. Today I saw Mexicans serving Mexicans. Today I saw Canadians serving Mexicans and being changed in the process. Today a family was blessed. Most of all, and I believe this with all my heart, today God was pleased.

Please continue to pray! We need your prayers!

Lane for the Elliotts.