Rivers in the Desert

Hutchins Family

The view from the top

With each step Juarez came into greater view behind the rocks at the top of the mountain. Santiago and I had reached the summit of the first large peak in the Juarez Mountains. For months we had talked about climbing it, had stared up and wondered how and now we were at the top.

The wind whipped around us ferociously. This is high desert, an unforgiving desolate environment where the plant life waits eagerly to plunge its 2 inch razor sharp spines deep into your flesh. At times you are assured of your safety only as you cling to the rock, pulling yourself higher and higher and hoping that from the top you'll catch sight of a safer, trail down. A short day hike to be sure, but one with an abundance of danger in every foot gained towards the top.

As Santiago and I climbed and talked, we talked of the Christian walk and the similarities of climbing in the desert mountains. All the while a few thoughts were persistent in my mind. The first was that there are reports of people killed climbing these and the Franklin Mountains (a small chain of mountains in El Paso). The second was that in my lifetime there may be many hikes, climbs, etc. Yet, there is a finite number and therefore each one, no matter how painful, difficult, ugly or wonderful must be recieved as the blessing that it is. With that, it must not be taken for granted and the summit must ever be ahead.

The Lord in His graciousness has given each one of us a finite handful of situations. Each one has its ugliness, it's pain and it's beauty. Each one points us as Children of God towards our Savior. Each one is frought with danger, even and especially when unrealized and each one of these demonstrates His unseen and loving hands protecting, directing, guiding and caring for us.

It is in the times of hunger when we are most keenly aware of His every provision. It is in the times of heartache when we learn the depth of His love for us in of His sovereignty as it plays out. And at the times when we see our sinfulness, if we'll look, we see most clearly His rich and abundant mercy. But most often I don't see things from this view in the midst of it. I most often see only the circumstance, the struggles, the sorrow or hunger. Yet it is the summit that proves the real value of the climb. We must be ever reminded of the summit and the view from the top, because our time on the mountain, no matter how perilous it may be, is an integral step leading to the peak. Therefore as much a part of the gift as the summit itself and as we long for the summit we're filled with the hope of soon seeing it reached. Therefore we continue by faith, one foot and then another, a white knuckled bleeding hand holding fast as the wind threatens to blow us to our death below.

Peter speaks to these things in the first chapter of his first letter. "According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" He predicates his discourse on the living hope on the great mercy of our God. That is the forgoing of our rightly deserved judgment. It must be understood that we are of no ability to climb this mountain. In the midst of it, we have no business even setting foot near it. And all around us we see the lost as they're consumed and destroyed by it's perils. We are sinful, and yet He foregoes the righteous retribution that we are owed and sets our hearts on the summit. This greatest aspect of this holding back of His wrath is that He causes us to be reborn to a living hope.

"... who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." This living hope, the summit, can only be seen, by faith. It is not visible from the bottom, it's peak is far higher then our eyes can percieve and even with faith is often obscured by the steepness of the next ridge, or the treacherous course ahead, or the tears in our eyes and yet it is ever there. And it is God's power that keeps our foot to the slope and secures our climb, and He does this through our faith. Even the faith is a generous gift. And we are being kept for the summit, and we must know, that the summit has been given us. And we must know that every inch gained towards the summit is His power and not ours and we reach out our hand and grasp the rock by a given faith.

That is, our resurrection, our completion, Peter calls an inheritance. "... to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you ... " It is something that our God has built and earned for us and before us and then He freely gives it to us. He describes this gift as imperishable, it cannot be destroyed by the passing of time or be defiled by sin and if we look with eyes of faith, is unfading. Peter describes this outcome as the "Salvation of our souls". It will be revealed in the last time. As children of the living God, we anticipate this revelation and this anticipation, this hope is the salt that flavors the sorrow and the joy in our way, it is the reminder in the midst of our clinging to the rock, that we shall one day see that glorious summit. The glorious resurrection!

"... In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials..." About two thirds of the way up, I kicked my shin into a yucca plant, which gladly sunk a nice spine deep into my shin. It hurt, I couldn't get it out and it made it painful to use my leg. Yet I thought of the view from the top because the summit was drawing ever nearer. I came to see the summit. It was an absurdity that I might turn back, or lie there whincing. We are likewise often grieved by lifes trials. They are devastating, brutal and seemingly insurmountable. Yet these trials, Peter tells us, are there for the purpose of testing, refining our faith, burning the impurity off, purging the poisons that pervade all of us who have suffered the fall. And we rejoice in our living hope, we rejoice in our view from the top because we shall see it soon.

"... may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ ..." Every aspect of this climb is to result in the Praise and Glory and Honor of our mighty King. We shall all see Him very soon. Do you see it? In your heart, can you see the view from the top? Your glorious inheritance is it fresh? Does it lift your feet one more step? Set your life to it, to the view from the top. We are set upon this mountain, we have one climb and a finite number of trials, it is a gift and He has given us this gift and we shall soon see the summit!

The Sovereignty of God & Old Fords

Somewhere behind me, someone was slamming on their horn, their patience wearing thin. The starter wouldn’t even click as I frantically turned the key and for some reason no matter what I tried I couldn’t get the transmission into neutral. It was stuck in park. “Lord, please… please… let the van start!” I said out loud, over and over again. All at once, the precariousness of one hot afternoon in Juarez seemed to come to this culminating point, here on the other side of...(read more)

Estrella de Poniente - Part I

Part 1 of the testimony of what God is doing in Colonia Estrella de Poniente....(read more)

Estrella de Poniente - Part II

Part 2 - The testimony of the Hutchins family return to the Colonia....(read more)

Estrella de Poniente - Part III

Part 3 - What God is doing in the Colonia....(read more)

Ministry = Wrastlin' a PIG?!?

OK, I have had quite a number of STRANGE days in Mexico up to this point. There was the time that Lori, the family and myself were driving in one car and John Lambert in his truck as we tried to make our way home one summer evening after visiting Col. Estrella de Poniente and found ourselves lost in the heart of Juarez. Darting from street to street vainly trying to find our way to something recognizable. Neither John or myself spoke a WORD of spanish, which made the directions we were able to ascertain meaningless and found us completely lost. Then there was the time that the US Customs agent at the border asked me which middle eastern country I was from. Then there was the time in El Paso when our van was broken down in 108 degree heat. The only spot of shade that we had for the family was full of fire ants and some crazy guy drives up... sees my van... asks about it and then asks if I don't mind watching his dog as he goes into the store... to which I IGNORANTLY responded with a yes. OF COURSE as he gets his dog out of his truck, it's this giant rotweiller with a head as big around as my torso on a chain meant to pull a truck... I could barely keep him from eating the kids and he only understood spanish commands...

However, today was MORE ODD then perhaps any other day I've experienced in Mexico to date. John Lambert and I were visting the orphanage; Casa de la Nueva Vida in San Augustin, Mex, when Sergio's brother showed up. He told us this crazy story about chasing his PIG all through the neighborhood in hopes of somehow getting her into his van to cart her off to have her bred.

You don't just pull up to a 150 lb pig and shout out the window; "HEY, ya wanna go for a ride?" That's were we meet Blondie. It didn't take long for Sergio, John and I to jump into the van and race to Hector's house for some good ole' fashion pig wrastlin'. The entire way over to Hector's Ranchero, he told us the whole story. Chasing her through friends yards, houses, down the streets. Cornering her, grabbing her tail and holding on for dear life; attempting to bribe her into getting into the van and finally chasing her right back to her pen.

Blondie is a 4 month old, 150 - 200 lb Mexican pig. She quite enjoys her time in her pen, eating slop and rooting in the Mexican dirt. She found her current home, having escaped the confines of her previous (unknown where) residency and was just wandering the streets of San Augustin. She came right to Hector's house and found a fast friend and a new home. She has lived there ever since.

Blondie, is not much on change. We tried to explain to her the benefits of taking a trip to the breeders Ranchero, but she wouldn't have it. We reasoned with her about the joys of motherhood and the grand adventure of life with piglets, but she wouldn't have any of it. Instead, she chose to run as fast as she could squeeling in terror at the crazed missionaries who were coming at her.

Around the house she would go, followed by two or three of us. Back down through the yard. She would be cornered with Sergio, Hector and John grabbing for ears, a tail or hooves in an attempt to control this giant squeeling ham. Then as soon as it seemed that we had her almost under control, she would charge off squeeling with us running laughing hysterically behind. Finally, somehow she was cornered near the van and we were able to grab her feet and her head and toss her into the empty van.

A whole lotta squeelling, mud, make-shift fencing and the dragging of one very unhappy pig later, and uh... well... uh... she should be the proud momma of a whole mess-a-bacon some day soon!

-mike-