Rivers in the Desert

Estrella de Poniente - Part II

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.