The Beginning
Two years ago, God transported us from our normal and ordinary (never been that ordinary) lives into Colonia Estrella De Poniente. We didn't even know what a "Colonia" was really. It was at the end of January. The first thing that struck me driving in was this amazing tangle of hand run wires and cables. Wires and cables shot every which way in the air and on the ground. This all hung, maybe 8-10 feet off of the ground. As far as the eye could see, there were make-shift telephone poles. They used anything that they could find. NONE of these was a sturdy and tall board. The tangle led from a power station where the power was pirated for those living within Estrella de Poniente.
The second thing that immediately struck me as we drove up the hill, was the number of little children playing in the dirt road. City buses, cars and motorcyles were speeding past around these kids and that the kids were just playing around the wires. It was a different world from our suburban neighborhood of cross-walks, safety zones and neighborhood watch programs.
The final thing that struck me were the pallet houses. These were constructed out of pallets. Now we had been told about these. However, nothing can prepare you for the realization that in the midst of 25 degree nights (winter) and 108-110 days (summer); that in the midst of blistering Chihuahua desert sand storms; that in the midst of the constant sewage and trash that covers the ground in tiny houses made out of other peoples trash, people live out their lives.
I'll admit it, I cried. I wept like a baby. It broke my heart to see these beautiful little children perched so precariously on the edge of this broken and barron waste land. It wiped me out and left me senseless. I believe this was God's heart.
We react to human suffering in one of three ways (all of which I've done). First, we can harden ourselves to it. Just ignore it, it will go away. Steel ourselves and resign ourselves to the weight and magnitude of our own circumstance. If we see it then we have to deal with it, so rather than that, we quiet our consciences and look elsewhere or throw up our hands and say "what can I do?" Second, we might entrench ourselves in the unfairness of it and in either the meeting of physical needs or in the combatting of injustice try to assuage the cries of our heart. Finally, we can seek God's heart and find that though each one of these hurting people makes their way through that which we would find unacceptable, God's heart is far greater. He wants us to feed the poor, but far deeper then that, He is drawing to Himself a people for His namesake. This, of course, He is accomplishing through the blood of His Son Jesus! "I am not afraid of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for SALVATION, to all who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith; as it is written: 'but the righteous man shall live by faith'" - Romans 1:16-17
It was THIS that Jesus has us here to pull these from the fire (Jude 1:23) that our gracious and merciful Savior made abundantly clear to us during this first visit to the Colonia. For those who know this testimony, you know that in our hearts, even then we knew that we would return.
Coming Home
Most know the story. Jesus continued to work in our hearts. We returned one time a few months later during a subsequent outreach. This time God confirmed what He had been saying in our hearts. We were to return to this place. And the relationships that had begun were refreshed and in joy we saw His loving hand guiding us to this place. This is, of course, a testimony for another time.
To make a long story short: we returned in May of 2005, having sold our house, quit my job and having been sent by our home church Lakewood Christian Fellowship. The transplant was tough. God blessed us beyond measure in countless ways and yet the cost of it was very real. There is nothing that our Lord can NOT do.
There have been times during my walk with Jesus that the ministry that He has given me to do has seemed to me as a burden. Difficult times, large tasks and WORK (LOL) can tend to make that which is blessing seem as burden. However, having experienced this, I've also experienced the conviction of the Holy Spirit that the cost of ministry is actually a genuine and important blessing.
If I could paraphrase this lesson for me it is: that no ministry to Jesus comes without sacrifice and effort. And in our world of instant-gratification and microwave ovens, the Christian must never lose sight of the monumental, and indeed IMPOSSIBLE, nature of the Kingdom of God. It is by this reality that we are driven to faith. We CANNOT accomplish that which has been given to us. Therefore, we must run to the cross, in faith for every aspect of ministry and our lives. Nonetheless, it requires the sweat of our brow and the impossibleness of a weight that we can't lift for God to demonstrate His power, goodness and love (The Jordan River, The Red Sea, etc).
During my time earlier this year in Louisiana during the Katrina Relief effort, the Lord had very poiniently and lovingly given me this verse: "Unless a grain of wheat falls unto the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life, loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me the Father will honor me. But for this purpose I have come to this hour.'Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour?' But for this purpose I have come to this hour." - John 12:24-27. So I saw that I must follow Jesus to our death (of self). And that if I am His servant I will be where He was, in the position of self sacrifice. Finally, Jesus Himself expresses the anguish of His calling. If there is no difficulty or pain with our self-death it isn't the same. Jesus Himself allows Himself to feel the weight of the burden of His calling. So, that to say that our blessing in Poniente has been with cost in mind. And in our early stages we were shocked by the cost and even felt.
This summer was awesome amazing and profoundly challenging. Into that God impressed upon us that He had called us to be active in the Kingdom work that was being accomplished in Estrella de Poniente. Indeed our ministry in the Colonia would be deeply important to us. However, we have a few handicaps.
First, arriving in May neither Lori nor myself speaks Spanish. In fact what little Spanish we spoke initially and even now could be used up in about 3 seconds. Three then and now maybe 4 minutes. Making most conversations occur like: "Hola! Como Estas?" "Bien, usted?" "Uh, Bien gracias. Dios le bendiga!" "Equalmente, [spanish that I can't speak] me hermana tiene [more words, but it looks serious] por favor?" "Uh... no intiende, uh LO Siento, me Espanol is mal." This is a very fun handicap in ministry. As the "Visit in Jesus Name" is very much about communication.
In fact, one day I drove all the way over to the Colonia to meet with my friend Santiago. Now, Santiago is a good friend. I enjoy my time with him because he is a very cheerful man with a great family. However, I also enjoy spending time with Santiago because he speaks fluent English and we're able to communicate well. This day I arrived to find that he was at work and I used up all of my spanish quickly with Elvira, His wife. So I drove away. In my mind I thought: "Why bother staying, I don't speak Spanish well. I have a lot to get done back at the house. I'M GONE!" I drove out of the Colonia and the Spirit was pounding on my heart. He spoke into my heart that I would regret not being there. So I returned and though there weren't amazing fireworks on that day. It was God's will that I return and visit.
This sort of thing has happened repeatedly. God has made clear that while there are a number of ministries that visit Estrella de Poniente (most for building projects in the summer), there are only a few people who God has there as full time missionaries to those people. There are currently a small handful. His calling for our family in this place is to develop these long term relationships for His glory. To spend time in friendship, evengelism, discipleship and prayer. In a later blog post we'll cover the ministry. However, the Lord has blessed our bad Spanish and our bored kids and all of the various difficulties that are a part of our time in the Colonia. He has blessed it by providing strong friendships and opportunities in abundance for many other aspects of ministry.
Secondly, we live 40 miles away and the drive over is expensive. This reality hit early on. If we get 20 miles to the gallon and we drive 80 miles per trip, we use 4 gallons of gas per trip. If gas is almost $2.25 a gallon, each trip costs $9. In addition, most weeks we go to the Colonia twice a week. That is $18 or more per week of travel expenses in addition to our numerous trips to El Paso. However, even in this, God has provided abundantly. Along with the early realization that it was going to be costly to spend time in the Colonia was God's blessing to us in His word that He would provide for this need. And He has been faithful to this.
It has been a profound and costly blessing to be privilidged to work in the Colonia. Our family has been able to continue and invest in relationships that were started during our first visit. As well as to begin building new relationships. God has richly blessed our time and it is clear to us that we need not fear or focus on our inadequecy but that as Jesus said "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." - Luke 12:32
We have enjoyed deeply knowing that God has called us to be here and that He is the author of the ministry and of each one of our lives. And that at this moment and time, Estrella de Poniente and the Mission Church is home to us.
A City On A Hill
God has been moving in power in this Colonia for some time. One thing the Spirit has made clear is that what God is doing in Estrella de Poniente is unique. Many residents of the Colonia are newer Christians. All of them have been touched by the IFM outreaches in the past. It has been neat to see as God begins to build fellowship. And as we meet more and more Christians, we find that He has been bringing many to His throne of mercy throughout Estrella de Poniente.
Geographically, the Colonia is located on a mesa formation, above a highly populated valley below. Especially at night, the Colonia is very clearly visible for a long way off. However, it is not just physically set apart, it also has NO gang problem. Which for all of the surrounding Colonias is a persistant and severe problem. While the Colonia does have its share of problems, many residents (including those who have not been born again) believe that God has protected them.
Many within the Colonia believe that as the IFM buses started coming God began to move in power there. Subsequently many have given their lives into the hands of the living God. Additionally, as the Colonia grows, houses are improving dramatically. Houses that were once one room pallet shacks are quickly becoming 1-2 room cinder block homes. As of yet, there are still no emmenities such as sewer or running water. However, within recent times, the electric company has built all of the necessary infrastructure to begin safely serving the residents of the Colonia. It's fair to say that Colonia Estrella de Poniente is an up and coming Colonia. All of this is seen as God's blessing being poured out in the Colonia.
Consistently the Lord has healed many. Including a boy we met on our first trip. Jesus Armando was suffering with Luekemia and all though he was receiving sporatic treatment seemed to be worsening. Jesus' father had died a year and a half earlier. Jesus' sister suffered with epilepsy and his mother had no job and they begged for food. We prayed for them instensly. I can clearly remember his mother sitting there, looking off in the distance, numb to reality. The other day I was visiting and I saw Jesus. I stopped him and spoke with him and the Lord has healed him of his cancer. His mother confirms this and she herself is a different woman. She shines with the joy of the Lord. The amazing thing that God did was to lift up this poorest of poor families. In addition, He has healed her daughter as well. She is not taking medication and has been without epilepsy for a long time. If that weren't enough, Lupe is now working in a factory 4 days a week. And while this is a hard life. She credits God for the amazing gifts that He has provided for them. And they are active participants at a church in downtown Juarez, near the outdoor market.
On another occasion this summer we were in the Colonia with an outreach team. A woman that we know "Maria" came and asked Kathy Hart if we could send men to pray for her husband who was extremely ill. He had a very high fever and she was trying to figure out how to get him to the hospital. A number of team members and I went to see him. He was indeed very sick and as we layed hands upon him we could feel the intense fever. As we prayed the Lord moved in power. All of us felt his flesh cool down dramatically. When we finished we shared with him the Gospel and he responded and received Jesus. After this, he told us that he was no longer sick. God has blessed us by allowing us to pray for a number who desired to heal.
The primary thing that has occurred is the number of those who have received Jesus as their Savior. It is a bright and hopeful day in the Colonia and it seems as though God has brought a harvest. God is raising up various Bible studies, etc to begin to feed the many that have placed their trust in Jesus.
Our prayer for the Colonia and we would ask that you would pray as well, is for salvation for the Colonia. That God would continue to move in power their. Additionally, please pray that those who have bowed their knee to Jesus would find a church home, either in the Community Center or at a Godly church elsewhere. Finally, that God would raise these up as fruitful "outreach" minded servants.