Serving Christ in México
The streets are named things like “Cross of Love”, “Christ the King”, “Hope Corner”, and “Joy Corner”. If you walked those same streets you´d see the irony of their names. More apt names might be “Garbage Hill” and “Crystal Corner”. So when a family who lived there asked us to do an evangelistic event, we readily agreed.
Continue reading “Cross Hills”
We like power. Nothing inflates our ego and makes us feel good like a shot of power in the arm. Power makes us feel important, confident, and secure. We have no problem imagining what we would do if given unlimited power. Whether getting rid of rules, traveling the world, solving poverty, or curing cancer, it´s easy to come up with a long list.
Continue reading “Big Power”
“Three is a start,” we thought.
About a year and a half ago we ran an Easter kids’ club and on the final day, the parents could put their names on a sign-up sheet if they were interested in a bible study. There were probably about ten moms who signed up. Not long after, we contacted all the moms via a WhatsApp group, informing them of the time and place of the bible study if they wished to attend.
Continue reading “Women in the Word”
“Folk religion” is a term used in the study of missions to refer to the beliefs and practices of a religion that happen at a popular, everyday level, but are outside of the accepted teaching of said religion. The religion and its elite officially teach one thing, but the religion that is actually lived out among the people is different, usually incorporating the traditional beliefs of the culture. This means, for example, that people may publicly pledge allegiance to the Church, but during the week, when real-life problems happen, they go to see the witch doctor or consult the horoscopes.
Continue reading “Angel on the Wall”
In chapter 38 of Jeremiah’s prophecies, we meet two men and their friends. The first is King Zedekiah and his friend Pashur son of Malchiah, a royal official and advisor. Pashur was the kind of friend who would bend over backward for someone else if it benefited him. Pashur’s advice was given in self-interest, but the king was fool enough not to care or know the difference.
Continue reading “Bad Friend, Good Friend”
Crepes for breakfast and then we are out the door shortly after 11:00 am. On the way to church at Pan de Vida we pick up Laura who lives in Santa Barbara and also attends at Pan de Vida. Return home at 2:00 pm and at 3:00 Armando and Laura, and their two daughters, come over for lunch. After that, we head over to the outreach centre for our 6:00 service. Sermon on Ephesians 2:19-22 – being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets and Christ the cornerstone.
Continue reading “A Week in the Life – VBS Edition”
Isaiah says in chapter 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.
What does it mean that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts?
Let’s think about the thoughts that the original hearers of Isaiah’s message might have had.
Continue reading “My Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts”
One of the harder beliefs to accept, especially for our modern world, is the exclusivity of Jesus Christ – the claim that Jesus is the only way to salvation. In general, people are hesitant to single out just one correct way of doing things, which is fine if we are talking about how to make pancake batter, but decidedly not fine if your diseased body needs a very specific medication.
Continue reading “Jesus Was In The Boat”
It’s been over two years since we moved to the Santa Bárbara neighbourhood and if you have been reading our updates you know it has been an up-and-down journey. That is still the case, but we can see progress, opportunities, and certainly God’s goodness.
So here is a little bit of what’s happening:
Continue reading “What’s Happening?”
When learning language it often happens that you go months, perhaps years, being oblivious to certain words or phrases. You can be so focused on understanding what a person is saying that your brain just skips over a word you don’t know and it never registers in your mind. Or maybe it is a phrase you learned but you haven’t yet heard it used in a real-life context, and so the phrase is merely theoretical.
Continue reading “Bread for the Scare”
The Rabbi's Burrito 