Guest Relations job is to help the groups with all parts of their trip here.  From planning through follow-up after they are gone. We are a hotel concierge, work supervisor, travel agent, laundry operator and tour guide. 

Where is God at work in this?  God is at work in each guest’s heart.  To get here, each guest had to say Yes.  The prompting to go on a short-term mission trip came from the Holy Spirit.  He may have spoken through a spouse, child, pastor or friend but the opportunity to come was from Him.  He selected each and every one to be here.  He knows they are here and is working in their heart for His purpose.

Guest Relations gets to work with people that are in all stages of their walk with Christ.  Some guests come with a life of commitment to follow God.  They come responsive, humble and with a servant’s heart.  Many already have established relationships with the children and staff from previous visits.  They understand and are striving to be obedient to God’s will.

We get to see God draw His people closer.  Many guests come that are in the beginning stages of a walk with Christ.  They may not say they are Christian.  But, God is at work in their heart – they also had to say Yes.  Those of us working in Guest Relations have many opportunities to share our journey and tell the guests of God’s saving grace.  We are privileged to see them get closer to bending their knee in accepting Christ as their Lord and savior.  We may never know their decision, but this is one more step in their faith journey – and by-the-way our faith journey too.

I’m headed to Wichita

I’m doing some traveling this month. I’m headed to Wichita and will be there from Thursday, November 21 through Thanksgiving day. I’ll make a trip to Madison, WI and be back in Wichita Monday and Tuesday, December 2 and 3. I’ll also have a chance to see Henry and Ellie both ways in Albuquerque, NM. I’d love to catch up with you. I’ll be at the November 24 church service. We are also planning a time for Sunday evening. More on that later.

Prayer Requests

• Safe travels to Wichita and back.
• Continued prayer for learning Spanish
• The mission is in the midst of being more relevant for the entire area. Pray we are able to provide needed assistance in community development, empowering individual growth, providing a vision for the possibilities God can accomplish.

A Few Photos

Here’s some photos of what it’s been like for me at the mission. Probably does not represent the number of taco runs though!

I might have just had the best group ever here, excluding those from home of course.  It was a group mostly from Quebec and included a couple from Mexico City.  They were hard working, responsive, fun, loving and willing to try something new.  Most of them worked for, or were family of employees of DemoSpec, a demolition company in Quebec.  They were also associated with Dr. Luc Chaussee and his church.  Dr Luc was on staff in the clinic about 20 years ago and was sent by the Mission Church as a missionary to Quebec.

We had three big jobs for them.  One of the duplexes needed to be demoed for remodeling, there were some slabs of concrete where trailers were parked that were removed and the pig sty was to be taken out.  They were used to this kind of work and jumped in with enthusiasm.  There was also the usual kitchen work, nut house and painting that occurred.

It was significant that their first language was French, most of them understood English very well but some of them spoke Spanish and French only.  When we were together we often had 2 translators so the message could be communicated to everyone.  It was all a lot of fun!

If you’ve been to the mission, there’s not a lot of this story so far that sounds noteworthy.  The best part is that nearly half of the group were not Christian.  You could hardly tell from their willingness to connect with the kids, the men at Rancho, and the staff that they would not say that Christ is their savior.  One of the company owners and his wife are Christian and they want they are creating disciples among their employees.  This is the third mission trip he has taken employees on.  He pays for the trip for all participants and its open to anyone in the 300-person company that wants to come.

It was a blessing to work with someone that is shepherding so many non-believers through their journey to faith.  I truly believe God (whether they knew it or not) was working in each one of their hearts and they were responsive to its softening.  I’m certain God’s power will continue to work in their hearts and I’ll see many of them in heaven.  They are Christian, but just don’t know it yet!

One of the blessings is the amount of support I receive from so many of you!  I’m on my own faith journey and could not do it without your response to God’s moving in your hearts.  Thanks!

www.ffhm.org

It’s about time I updated my blog.  While it’s been several weeks it seems like it has gone by quickly.  I’m still trying to figure out the new normal, it may never come to me.  I’ve been here for about 12 weeks.  The first three were with Robert, learning his job – not a normal period of time.  The next 6 weeks were hectic with a full visitors center and the kids out of school.  In the last three weeks we haven’t had visitors and we don’t have any this week either.  The kids are are back in school. There here have been a total of more than 475 visitors in these 9 weeks.  It has been an enjoyable and blessed time.

While different, the last three weeks haven’t been wasted.  I’ve been working in the carpentry shop working on desks for the school.  I’ve been asked to work with a group on updating the policy manual and am working on a summary of the Beatitudes for Sala at the end of the month.  It has not been without pangs for home though.  I really didn’t think I was homesick until I was at church and longed to worship and hear the message in a language I could understand.  I feel sorry for anyone around me when I’m singing, not only is my voice a beautiful noise but I’m butchering the language too.

One of the visitors this summer occasionally needed a walker to get around.  In preparation for his trip he shopped garage sales for a good used walker he could use and then leave as a donation.  On my way to the warehouse to drop it off, I thought I’d go to the clinic to see if there was an immediate need.  Wouldn’t you know it, earlier that day the doctor had a visit with a young man with spina bifida that had out grown his walker.  I should quit being surprised at how God prepares visitors.

I have shared with some of you the changes here at the mission.  It has been a long-term objective to open an orphanage in Sinaloa.  FFHM has had a presence there for several years and have made prayerful attempts to find and purchase a location.  There has been continual resistance in acquiring property.  Recently, several administrators were visiting the Mexican run daycare in Tijuana, similar to the one the mission runs in San Quintin.  There was a moving of spirits and a realization that Tijuana is a more likely place for an orphanage.  The Mexican department of children (DIF) was in agreement and now FFHM will pursue Tijuana as a place to share God’s love with the least of these.

The current Baja Administrator will move to Tijuana to prepare for this new venture.  She will also become the Director of Mexican missions with the Baja and Oaxaca administrators reporting to her.  The new Baja administrator will be Sara Peterson, she currently runs the daycare in San Quintin.  I see this as a positive change.  Both Jill and Sara love God and have been His servants in Mexico for several years.

One of the last groups here was from Canada and there were several members of the team from Newfoundland. Come to find out Newfoundland was settled largely by Irish immigrants.  When they put on their Newfie it wasn’t easy to follow.  I was taught to say: “Stay where your too, til I comes where your at.”

I believe this means, don’t leave, I’ll be there shortly.  This is appropriate because I’m planning a trip back to Wichita in November.  While I don’t have all of the details yet I will be there around Thanksgiving.  I will also work in a visit to Henry and Ellie in Albuquerque and my brother in Madison, WI.

My prayer requests:

• Learn Spanish.  I’m going through Duolingo with moderate success.  It is frustrating to struggle with everyday conversations, Sala and church service in a different language.
• Continued growth in relationships with other mission workers and the kids.

Thanks for all of the support you’ve shown me.  Let me know what’s new with you!

Vaya Con Dios

www.ffhm.org

This has been a good few weeks in Mexico.  The groups have gotten plenty of projects done.  Some, like pouring a sidewalk, took about half the time expected and others, like cleaning out a shed are still not complete.  I’m learning that my plans don’t matter.  I may think I know what the day will bring but others have different ideas and in the end it’s God’s plan anyway!  As an example, there were 5 kids in the nursery (cuna) where the youngest are cared for.  Three of the kids were siblings under three and the Mexican National System for Integral Family Development (DIF) arranged for a family member to care for them. Certainly a blessing for the kids but, that left a whole in the caregivers’ lives to have three leave.  God’s provision is perfect, DIF brought 3 others that needed the love provided here when the others were picked up. 

Family Camp was this week.  Three or four miles up the riverbed is a place called the pools.  There are three swimming pools, camping spots, shelters, and a meeting place.  All of the casas (kids and house parents) were there for four days and three nights of church camp.  On Friday, all of the staff was invited out for the final day of swimming, games and a cookout.

This is a chance for these kids to be “normal”, to have a week of the same kind of camp experience you’d want your own kids to have.

One of the most appealing aspects of being on staff is that the administration is willing to change based on the needs of the community.  For instance, there has been a wheelchair shop here for many years.  It has provided much needed mobility for hundreds in a terrain that can be difficult to negotiate even for the surefooted.  A former staff member started a ministry that focuses on the needs of the physically disabled.  That’s all the ministry does and it’s done well.  The mission is in the process of closing the wheelchair shop and the supplies and equipment will go to Eternal Anchor where it can be better utilized.

At one of the recent church services, the preacher talked about Matthew 27:22.  This is when Jesus was brought to Pilate, Pilate offered to release Jesus or Barabbas and the crowd shouted for Barabbas’ release.   Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”  They all answered, “Crucify Him!”  Historically we know what happened but if someone asked you today what you will do with Jesus, how would you answer?  We have a choice to accept the truth of the sacrifice our Lord and His Father made for our sins or to ignore it.

My prayer requests:

• Energy to finish the summer strong.  There are several more weeks full of visitors and I want to do what I can to ensure each one has their “You will never be the same” moment.
• Pray that my heart is broken by the same things that breaks God’s heart and the discernment to know what I can do about it.

Thanks for all of the support you’ve shown me.  Let me know what’s new with you!

Vaya Con Dios

The last couple of weeks have been a tremendous blessing.  The two groups from my home church have come and gone.  There was plenty of laughing, praying and work by these servant minded teams.  Their time here has been bittersweet.  I can’t describe how great its been to have new and old friends from home here.  I also know it isn’t normal to have visitors that are so close to my heart around all the time.  I’m excited to see the other blessings God has in store for me.

It’s also bittersweet that the Work Group Coordinator for the past fifteen years will start a new chapter in his life starting Friday.  Robert has a servant’s heart, an unmatched love for the kids at the mission, and an enthusiasm to make the mission the best it can be.  He has a magical way to make every job assignment be the exact reason you are there.  I sure have my work cut out to replace him.

School is out for the summer, there have been many graduations among the kids.  It’s a milestone in their lives.  It’s hard to imagine the same opportunities an education provides the graduates without the love and direction provided by those in contact with the kids, especially the house parents.

In my devotions this week I saw the Holy Spirit in a different way.  1 Corinthians 3:16 says that the Spirit of God makes his permanent home in you.  We’ve all known the Holy Spirit resides in each Christian additionally, 1 Corinthians 2:11 tells us it is only God’s Spirit that knows and understands Him.  Matthew 3:16 tells of Jesus’ baptism and that the Holy Spirit came down on him when He came out of the water.  It was such a surprise to me that the same Spirit that knows God and His intentions, came down on Jesus, and makes a permanent home in Christians.  It is our selfish sin nature that prevents unity between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and Christians.

My prayer requests:

• That the groups from here go home and show how they were changed by their experience here through showing love for others in obvious ways.
• For Robert as he moves his family to Ensenada to start a new chapter in his life.
• That each of the graduates are able to leverage their education to be the person God designed them to be.
• That I continue my adjustment to a new culture, job, and group of people.  That I continue my growth in Christ and am able to show His love to those around me.

Vaya Con Dios