The House of Cornelius exists to support outreach teams that go into Mexico and preach the gospel, visit in Jesus’ name, play with orphans, etc. Living here, we work to support those teams and the facility itself. We also spend time in Mexico scouting for upcoming outreach events, and where possible, visit as a family. But in the midst of these things, normal life continues. I think the two greatest realizations I have come to since we have moved here are; that our primary ministry is to American Christians, and that day to day life is the same here as anywhere else.
As God arranged the circumstances and opened the doors for us to join IFM and live at the House of Cornelius, 2.1 miles from the Mexican border, I think we had visions of spending more time in Mexico. The joys of sharing the gospel in the outdoor markets, visiting orphans and the poor in Jesus’ name, and of seeing new believers, were the joys that drew us here. But it hasn’t worked out quite that way. Although when we are "attached" to an outreach team, either as a team leader or in a support role, we get to do all those things, the reality is that our ministry involvements in Mexico have not progressed beyond those basic things. I had hopes that our being here would result in longer term relationships and activities. That’s the bad news. But the great news is that we have been here long enough to see some of the depth of what God is doing in Juarez. So while we are just observers, what we have observed is awesome. We now have close friends in Juarez who are undergoing an intense, three-year, biblical discipleship program. We have seen the richness and fruit of dozens of ministries such as Christian drug and alcohol rehab centers, orphanages, and vibrant churches. And the IFM outreach teams bring meaningful support and encouragement to these ministries by working alongside them in evangelism, by helping the poor and needy through a neighborhood church, or by simply visiting and encouraging.
An IFM outreach team consists of families and individuals, usually from a church or some other group, that have taken great steps of faith (for everything from trip finances to time off, to direct spiritual attack and personal vulnerability, to worries about how to handle small children in a hot, foreign context) to come on an outreach. They are excited (and nervous) to share their faith and to be used by God as a blessing for others. The House of Cornelius is a wonderful blessing from the Lord in that it provides a comfortable base from which these families can function in ministry. When the teams are here, the Holy Spirit is hard at work in them, challenging and encouraging. We have had the blessing of being an encouragement and of helping people take what they learn and experience here back home with them to integrate into their daily lives. Prayerfully, this ministry to American Christians will continue to have an impact for God’s Kingdom well beyond the week that they are here.
Meanwhile, life for the Norrises continues as usual. We had a baby boy, we are home schooling, cooking meals, doing laundry, going on hikes, visiting friends, etc. My constant prayer for my family, even long before we moved here to the "front lines" is that we would be missionaries wherever we happened to be and in whatever context we are in. Of course secretly, at the back of my mind, I was thinking that it would be easier to be a missionary on the "mission field" but it’s not! After all the dust settles, life is the same, and whatever excuse I may have had for not sharing my faith is the same. It has been very good to face that truth squarely. There is no circumstance that will make me what God wants me to be. Only by seeking His face and His heart will I be useful to Him anywhere.
--Thaine