alaskan in leon

great day in Leon!

2009-11-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

This Wednesday was a special one, because I was able to baptize a 15 year old girl named Nadia. She is Evelyn Galvan's sister (Evelyn is currently in the AIM program, studying in Lubbock). First let me clarify something, that I have not played a huge role in her faith. I spent an hour or two on Monday studying baptism and "reviewing" some things with her - she already knew everything! She asked if I would baptize her, and I said sure, if that is what she wants. So I take no credit whatsoever in this awesome event. I think more credit goes to Shawn and Omar and the other missionaries who were here before us and who have influenced Nadia by their classes, sermons, and actions. They have done a great job sowing the seed here in Leon, and God has been producing the fruit. Nadia has actually wanted to be baptized for well over a year now, but after talking with her parents and some of the people from church, she had decided to wait for a while, study some more, and grow in her faith. She told me she was ready, and today she gave her life over to Christ! It's always exciting to see a new person added to the body of Christ, and it's a great reason to rejoice. A lot of thanks goes to Shawn, who helped me fill the baptistry and work out the whole situation. I should have been there early to start filling it, but we were running late to get to the church. When I got there, he was already filling it! Thats an awesome attitude. The AIMers and others pitched in to, and it was good to see everyone there taking a part in the special day. Please continue to pray for Nadia as she just begins her new life as a Christian. She has heard the good news, believed it, repented of her sins, confessed, been baptized, and now the hardest part, she must LIVE as a Christian.

Starbucks small group

2009-06-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about a night of the week that I really enjoy. More than a year ago, my teammate Donovan started a small group at a Starbucks in Leon. Throughout the years, the group has changed from being a little group, to a big group, to a little group, to almost not a group. But it is still going, thanks to people who are willing to study the Bible and listen to Gods word. For right now, Bill and I are going to be teaching. But our goal is to get one of the young Mexican men into a routine teaching and phase one of us out. Our main goal is evangelism. We want to show Jesus to people. Our friend Andrea, who is a member of the church here, invited her friend Denise to the group. Denise came, and she seemed genuinely interested. She went to the ladies breakfast this morning with Jazmin, and she might even be coming to the youth retreat this weekend. Please pray for Denise, that her interest wont fade over time but that she will truly come to know Christ. Also, pray for us not to pressure her or try and lure her into church to soon.

Life Update

2009-03-17T00:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Well I am still in the middle of our study of the spiritual disciplines, but since I took a two week break to go to Mexico and Texas, I figured I would give you all an update on whats going on! I went to Leon for a week and a half to spend some time with my beautiful wife Jazmin. We had a great time visiting with friends, buying some little things for our house here in Alaska, and planning out some of the future!! In Lubbock Texas, I was able to spend some time with my classmates and team and finally graduate from the 2 year AIM progam. It was an encouraging time and was filled with stories and memories from the mission field. Now it is time to step it up and continue with the Lords work. I am going to keep studying and trying to finish a preaching certificate with Sunset International Bible Institute, and also keep working with the congregation here in Alaska. It is important to keep making connections with people, keep teaching and preaching and studying the Word in order to be a better man of God. In the long run, Jazmin and I would like to be able to do full time mission work in Mexico. Here are some pictures to enjoy!!!

Cultivating Spirituality: Meditation

2009-02-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

Continuing in our study of the spiritual disciplines, we will follow the list of those which are contemplative, which leads us to the discipline of meditation. What is meditation and how is it to be applied to our spiritual lives as Christians? Meditation is simply extended thought, contemplation, or reflection. The percieved image of meditation is sitting with your legs crossed, hands held outward at the sides or held together, and eyes closed (much like the photo to the right). Although many religions practice the discipline of meditation, I want to talk about Christian meditation. There is a huge difference between Christian meditation and that of other religions. It differs in many areas; we do not empty our minds in order to look deeper into ourselves for guidance, nor do we meditate on a certain object or process. Simply put, Christian meditation is lengthy, focused, prayerful thinking on the truths of who God is, His attributes, His actions in our lives, and what He has done according to Scripture. Meditation is a key theme that is woven throughout the Old Testament. It is most evident when the Lord commands Joshua, after the death of Moses, in Joshua 1:18 -

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."

Psalms also includes numerous references to meditation, such as Ps 19:14 -

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

The New Tesament also speaks of meditation in Philippians 4:8 -

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

As we talked of silence and solitude in our last study, we realize that the spiritual disciplines go hand in hand with eachother, as meditation has much in common with silence and solitude. We can naturally assume that Jesus was a man of meditation, as he was of prayer and solitude. He was a brilliant teacher who's insight was beyond that of all of the other teachers of his time (and ours!), and he often spent time alone with the Father, as can be seen from that last study. In our meditation, its important to focus on the Scripture, just as God told Joshua in the Old Testament. This helps us to focus on God and gives us a direction in which to meditate. The "Hows and Wheres" of Christian meditation are much like those from the study of silence and solitude. Here are some things that can help you in your meditation:

Memorize or think of a word, phrase, verse, book or scene in the Bible which convicts you or comes to mind.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to teach you the Scripture, to convict you of your sin, and to give you a heart to obey His word.

Ask for understanding and knowledge from God.

Seek to find His will for you in His word.

Pay attention to the way Jesus spoke with the Father.

Repent of any sin that is in your life and talk to God about that struggle.

Ask for guidance and an obedient heart to God's word.

These are just a few ideas, but dont let them limit your time meditating in the Fathers presence! Remember, the spiritual disciplines are meant for us to grow spiritually, to know God more, and in reaction to this, tell others about Him and His love! More than anything, we want to follow the pattern and example of Jesus! Christian meditation doesnt have to be mysterious or confined to any sort of sitting position, but can be done by anyone who wants to be more like Jesus and has a heart to know Him better! In return, the Holy Spirit will convict and transform us in our own lives, causing our meditation to turn in to obedience and action for God. God bless!

Cultivating Spirituality: Silence and Solitude

2009-02-23T16:27:00.001-08:00

To start our study on the spiritual disciplines, we will take a brief look at the contemplative disciplines of silence and solitude. My question for you is, how often are you in complete and total silence, and how often are you completely alone and secluded from the "outside world"? In asking myself this question, I come up with "not very often" as an answer for both. I am hardly ever in complete silence, and even less so in complete seclusion, alone with only God. In our day and age, silence and solitude are often rare, unappreciated things. It seems to be a goal in life to stay connected and entertained, with our Ipods, cellphones, Facebook, email, clubs, groups, active social lives and busy schedules. Often, if we are alone, without anyone else around us, we feel awkward and unloved. Silence scares us, because we know longer know it or its uses. Jesus, however, knew the uses of silence and solitude. Take a look at these verses:

Luke 5:16 "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

Mark 1:35 "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

Silence and solitude go together like peas in a pod. Its basic logic that when you are in a solitary place, silence is also there with you. Jesus knew this, and used it to his advantage. Silence and solitude teach us to hear the voice of God and to "wait upon the Lord". Some of the benefits of silence and solitude are:

hearing from God - 1 Kings 19:11-13
waiting on the Lord to act - Lamentations 3:25-28

a place for one on one worship - Habakkuk 2:20

getting to know God personally - Jeremiah 9:24

praying effectively - Luke 5:16

Its hard enough to hear ourselves think in this world of noise, and its hard to know yourself when you are never alone and always with others - you become more like them and less like yourself! Its the same way with God! Its hard to hear Him communicate with us if we are always surrounded by noise, and its hard to know Him when we are never alone with Him in His presence - but if we are in His presence, we become more like Him and less like ourselves! Now that we know the benefits of silence and solitude, how do we truly discipline ourselves? How do we practice these disciplines?

Where:

a quiet place in your home

a corner in the library

a place in the mountains, by a stream, or somewhere in nature
somewhere you are guaranteed to not be interrupted!

When:

early in the morning while its still dark out (just like Jesus!)

on the drive to work

before you fall asleep at night

during your lunch break

How:

pray

contemplate an attribute of God (His presence, mercy, grace, love, etc)

consider His faithful actions in the past

listen for the Lord

My goal is to start spending at least 30 minutes a day in complete silence and solitude. Often in silence and solitude is where we find God waiting for us, so my hope is that you take some time out of your life to go to Him! God bless!

Cultivating Spirituality: Spiritual Disciplines

2009-02-20T15:06:00.000-08:00

The spiritual disciplines can be defined, in short, as the various activities that are used to cultivate spirituality in oneself. The definition itself is not subject or meant only for Christians, as Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and believers of every religion in the world practice spiritual disciplines to grow in their own personal faith and spirituality. For the next few weeks, I will be posting a series of studies and dissections of the spiritual disciplines that Christians often and should practice, in hopes that any Christian who is reading this blog can gain some insight and motivation on cultivating their own spirituality. It is also for the enlightenment and understanding of anyone who isnt a Christian, in hopes that they can get a look at why Christians do what they do! To lay a foundation, lets get some things understood. There are two types of disciplines, contemplative and active. They are pretty self explanatory, contemplative disciplines usually being done in silence, by oneself in the presence of God, and not seen by others. Active disciplines are engaging, in public, and expressed to others verbally and visually, and often are practiced in the cultivation of the spirituality of a group of people as well as oneself. Often, we as humans are either activists or contemplative in our personalities, being drawn to practice one type of discipline or the other. But, as Christians, we ought to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, which means following his entire example. Here is a list of some of the contemplative disciplines and also some of the active disciplines:

Contemplative Disciplines - solitude, silence, meditation, prayer, Sabbath/rest, worship, journaling, fasting, study

Active Disciplines - study, fellowship, teaching, evangelism, service

There are other disciplines that would fit inside of some of those that have been listed. These are basic disciplines, simply divided into contemplative or active. Starting next week I will post a study of the spiritual disciplines of solitude and silence. On many of these I will write about 2 disciplines at once, in order to move through the list faster. Let us strive to discipline ourselves in a way that cultivates our own spirituality and our relationship with God our Father. God bless!

Life and Times of Ben and Jaz

2009-02-20T01:01:00.000-08:00

A lot of things are going on right now! It has been a while since I have written anything of real substance in this blog, but I hope to be able to share what the Lord is doing here at the Valley Church of Christ in Wasilla, Alaska. There have been a lot of baptisms lately and it looks like a lot more to come, its awesome when a congregation is evangelistic and not just the minister/preacher or missionaries. When members start their own studies and are sharing their own lives and stories with the lost and converting them to Christ, its truly amazing! It is the dream of any worker for the Lord, to see the body working together to bring others to Christ! One aspect of the work which I am involved in and really excited about is the mens ministry. We have a small group of about 10 men who meet every Tuesday night to share our lives together but more importantly to study the nature of God in order to grow closer to Him. The past few months the men have grown really close and it has been awesome to see plans and thoughts and ideas put into action, as a group of men will be driving the 6 hour trip up to Fairbanks Alaska and serving the congregation there on a Sunday in March! I am unfortunately not going to be able to go with them because I will be spending some time in Mexico with my beautiful wife Jazmin, as we are still awaiting anxiously her visa and documentation allowing her to live here in America. She is waiting patiently and continues to grow in her relationship with God. I have decided to put off college for a few years and continue to pursue a certificate of Biblical Studies from Sunset Int. Bible Institute, which will aide me in becoming a better servant and worker for the Lord. I will be taking most of the classes online, so that I can gain Bible knowledge while in the meantime getting experience working with the congregation here in Alaska. Its an exciting time to be a worker for the Lord, as "the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few." I encourage every Christian to persevere in the work!

2009-02-03T15:51:00.000-08:00

My mom was begging me to do this. Well maybe not begging, but she really wanted me to. So here it goes:
"5 Things":
5 things I was doing 10 years ago
1. Going to school at Cottonwood Creek Elementary
2. Enjoying building forts in the front yard
3. About to move to England
4. About to start middle school
5. Having fun at church

5 things on my to-do list today
1. Go to the gym.
2. Study at Kaladi Bros. coffee.
3. Teach a mens bible study.
4. Read the Bible
5. Get some sleep

5 snacks I like
1. peanut butter on graham crackers
2. protein shake (chocolate and blueberry)
3. saltine crackers
4. cup of tea
5. leftover pizza

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire
1. Fill up a retirement account
2. Buy a church building for Leon Mexico
3. Buy a car for Jazmin's mom
4. Give enough for the building expansion project to continue here in the Valley
5. Pay for a college education

5 places I have lived
1. Maryville Tennessee
2. Wasilla Alaska
3. Barton Bendish England
4. Lubbock Texas
5. Leon Mexico

5 people I tag - I DONT KNOW IF THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS
1. Helga - Ant Collins
2. Kristina Collins
3. Jake Collins on Kristinas blog
4. Caitlin Baker - GET A BLOG SIS!
5. Anyone else who reads my blog

Tea Time

2009-01-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

Okay so this blog may seem a little strange coming from me: I have always thought tea was for women to drink, and coffee was for men. I dont know where that idea came from, but it had been somewhat drilled into my mindset. When me and Jazmin started dating, she really loved tea, and I didnt. When I got back to Alaska, I started to drink it because my parents are tea fanatics. Over time I have tried all kinds of teas, and my favorite is now Celestial Seasonings green teas, Blueberry Breeze and Mandarin Orchard being my favorite of those. They have flavors for any kind of taste you want. But to me its more about the health benefits of green tea that strike me. If you know me, you know that I enjoy excercise and healthy eating. When I started reading about the benefits of green tea, I was surprised. Here are some of them:

full of antioxidants, these prevent the toxins in your body known at free radicals. the antixodants found in green tea have been proven to be 100 times more powerful than those found in Vitamin C, and 25 times more powerful than those found in Vitamin E!

reduces risk of stroke and coronary artery disease

reduces risk of cancer

increase in metabolism and fat fighting properties

reduces stress

To get the full benefits from green tea, researchers say you need to drink about 3 cups a day. This isnt really a whole lot, as you can easily have a cup at breakfast, in the day, and then before bed (if its decaf!!). I guess it has just intrigued me, the effects that this potent drink really contains. God has blessed us with little things like this, and I think its important to take advantage of them!

Picture time

2009-01-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

Me and my beautiful niece Marie

Jake, me, and my uncle Bill

my sister and I, 21st birthday!

Me snowshoeing, and I bought my mom cast iron cookware for Christmas

New Year update

2009-01-12T21:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! Time is flying and I find myself getting farther and farther behind on my blog!! As soon as I am able to get Jazmin up here I might just have to hand the reigns over to her, that way it gives her something to do and also she can practice her English! Well she is doing good, helping her mom at work (she is a real estate agent), finishing school, and planning the wedding (the second one) and Im really proud of her for doing all these things. She is really excited to move up here to Alaska but I think she will be happier moving up here in the summer, because lately its been about -30 every day. As far as ministry goes, our preacher Robert was gone most of December taking a much needed break and visiting with family. I was given to chances to preach from the pulpit, a few Weds. night devos, the mens small group and my Sun. morning teen class. During the week I am usually studying, visiting, or resting. I am studying with a 74 year old Serbo Croatian man named Milorod and its going really well, he is already a Christian but he is to old to drive at night (which is when most of the group bible studies take place) so I told him I can bring the bible study to him, we have been studying about prayer and taking lessons from Jesus. He has become a good friend and I enjoy the time we spend together. Anyways just wanted to let everyone know what all is going on, I will try and get pics up soon! God bless - Ben and Jaz

prayers please

2008-12-22T23:24:00.000-08:00

hey everyone! its been a while i know, i have been super busy just with everything. well we all know the power of prayer, and right now i really need some. i am trying to get Jazmin a visa from the U.S. Government so that she can come and live in the United States with me. its not an easy process, and its it really frustrating me. there is a lot of paperwork involved, a lot of waiting, and a lot of trusting in other people to allow my wife to come and live with me. i ask for your prayers that the process turns out successful and that soon Jazmin can come up here to Alaska. its really hard putting all of your trust into an immigration officer whom you have never seen or talked to. anyways i would greatly appreciate the prayer, thanks! God bless

making the Gospel a movement; communities for Christ

2008-11-19T16:24:00.000-08:00

As the American culture rapidly changes, and as the rest of the world follows, new ways of communication and advertisement are being discovered every day. The world is becoming a highly connected networking society of people who spend much of their time on a phone or on a computer. With websites such as Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, Wikipedia, and the millions of blogs that can be found online, we are not an information deprived society. We are able to get what information we want, when we want it, and the way we want it. As Christians, we need to take this system by storm! As our culture changes to be a society that gets their information from a computer or tv screen and not another person, we must give them that information on a computer or tv screen! But what many of us have seen is that lots of Christians are actually backing away from this opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus! We as Christians can be scared by culture, and we cant make any excuses such as "well Myspace is full of filth, sin, and un-Godly practices"because well, thats the truth! Culture has always been full of those things and unless we get into the culture and drag people out of the muck that they are in, it will always be that way! We as Christians need to be a community, a highly connected, highly mobile community, producing literature, videos, and websites devoted to teaching others about Christ. I recommend websites such as http://www.marshillchurch.org/ or http://www.theresurgence.com/ as two good examples. And for a great example of being IN the culture but not OF the culture, check out the way Paul goes to the most culturally relevant place of his time and preaches Jesus in Acts 17!

Happy Anniversary!

2008-10-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

I had to write about this to tell you all about how sweet my fiance is. The 24th of October 2007 is when we began to "date" or whatever you want to call it (its complicated haha). So our one year anniversary was yesterday, and Jazmin sent me these pictures she took. The first one is of the dinner she made us, with one place setting for her, the other one for me. Of course I couldnt be there so I allowed her little brother to eat my porcion. The second photo is of her with the meal she cooked. It still takes my breath away how beautiful she is... not to mention she looks amazing. Thats right, she has such a beautiful heart and personality, I have been truely blessed. So I just wanted to make this blog, even though she wont see it, to let her and you know how much I love her and appreciate what she does for me!

encontre algo!!!

2008-10-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

Well to my surprise, I am already finding a Spanish ministry to work in here! I went to a gun show a week ago and was talking to a minister at the DeBarr Church of Christ in Anchorage, Alaska, about 40 miles south of where I am. He was talking about how on every Thursday he runs an emergency pantry where he gives out 6 bags of groceries to every family who needs them. He told me that most of the families are Spanish speaking and understand English but either arent able to communicate or are to shy to reply in English. So I volunteered to help him with that. I will at first be getting to know some of the families, then asking them about the Bible, offering to study with them, then possible a Sunday morning class, and then if the Lord wills that some of them be baptized, a Spanish congregation might need to be started! So please pray for this new ministry that I have become a part of here. The picture is of one of the ladies at the church getting some food for a family.

blogging while you work

2008-10-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Im at the church office right now, on Thursdays I have a block from 9am to about 2 pm, and so I have decided to put up a little message while Im here studying and answering the phone. Im reading a book right now called "Our God is Awesome" by Tony Evans. In the first chapter he is talking about how much time we choose to spend in school, anywhere from 12-18 years, and says "If we are willing to spend that kind of energy to have a decent career, isnt it more important that you spend time knowing God so you can have a decent life?" Although I am by no means against schooling and having a career, and am actually planning on getting some higher learning myself, I do think that we need to be aware of how much time we are spending on the "study of God" in our own lives. Its easy to lose sight of God when we are studying and working so hard that we have no time to study the One who made us and has given us the ability to have a job. I hope that encourages someone out there to spend some more time in the Word, some more time talking w/ God, and more time worshipping Him. Because when we begin to see God for who He is, we begin to see ourselves for who we are, and the more we understand who we are, the more we understand how much we NEED Him.

family time

2008-09-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

I love Alaska and just the whole lifestyle which is the norm here. This weekend we went blueberry picking up at Hatchers Pass to try and find some of the last "trophy" size berries of the season. While we were up there, it began to snow and I realized I was watching two seasons at once, down in the valley it was still autumn w/ the leaves yellow and orange, but up in the mountains it was already winter! I cant wait until Jazmin is up here and is able to experience all of these things, I cant help but think that her relationship with God will grow just from seeing a change of scenery for once!! Just a little update, I am now working part time at my congregation here, I am taking two sunset classes, preaching and teaching when I have the chance, and mainly doing visits with different people from the church and also with the lost. In the early mornings (1a.m. to 5:30a.m.) I deliver the local newspaper, and this is only 3 times a week. My ministry at the church here isnt really a "job" per say, but more of my passion and my life. My job with the paper allows me to be able to preach and serve the Lord full time. Isnt it great how the Lord provides? I know that I will need more money come next June after the wedding, but im in a safe, comfortable place right now and for that I am thankful. I love you all and God bless - Ben

good to be home

2008-09-12T00:17:00.000-07:00

hey everyone, sorry its been a while since i have posted. i made it back safely to Alaska and its been really nice to be in one place, where i know i will stay for more than a few weeks, months, or years. i can finally "settle down" for a while and start planning my life with Jazmin here, according to Gods will of course. so basically i am working at the Valley Church of Christ, its the congregation that i grew up in and im really excited to start my ministry here. the body is loving and very tight knit but i know that there is always room to grow in Christ and hone our abilities and gifts that are given to us by God. not only is the church body here of a good size already, but there are still so many people here in Alaska who are yet to know about Jesus! we are one of the most unchurched states in the Union, so that is a task in itself. i cant wait to see what kind of fruit God starts producing here. i will keep updating as more things start to happen, but right now im just taking it easy. love you all and God bless - Ben

i feel it coming back again, like a rolling thunder chasing the wind...

2008-08-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

sooner rather than later, i will be boarding that big jet plane to make my way back to the frontier, back to Alaska. its bittersweet, leaving one home to go to the next. i have a new chapter in life to look forward to, my girlfriend Jazmin and I are planning on getting married next June. i have something to work for, a place to prepare for us in Alaska, but nonetheless I will be working for God, preaching Christ and letting Him work through me. some awesome news, I got to baptize Jazmins uncle, Javier, last Sunday. its great for her to have another Christian in her family of Catholics, and next I think her mom's heart will be opened to the Word. Please pray for the lost here in Leon, Mexico. even though I will be leaving on Sept. 8, i will always be connected to the people here, not only through my girlfriend and future wife, but through Christ. God bless.

robbers

2008-08-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Well I have some good news. The good news is that Jesus loves us. The bad news, some robbers broke into our apartment last Wednesday and stole 3 laptop computers (including mine), 2 digital cameras, and a wallet. Thankfully, no one got hurt because we werent home. So I have limited access to the internet right now, but im here in a cyber cafe typing this. This situation reminds me of 2 things, 1. how blessed we really are to be missionaries who have unlimited communication through the internet, and 2. how unimportant ¨stuff¨ really is. For example, right now because I have no computer, I am getting more time to spend reading the Bible and studying it. I have already learned so much more just from this time and I am enjoying the closeness that I have with God. So my encouragement to you is, forget the computer or the email or whatever ¨stuff¨ you have blocking your communication with God, and talk with Him for a while, or read his Word.

sad but true

2008-08-05T17:26:00.001-07:00

I know that usually, missionaries put the success stories of the work on their blogs.... but the sad truth of the matter is that things dont always work out that great. Someone once said that "The life of a Christian isnt easier, it just isnt lonely" and also that "Christianity isnt a religion that gets you out of a bad situation, it just gets you through it." Today I went out to my friend Davids house, and got to visit with him, his mom Isabel (to the left), and his little sister Maribel. David is growing up in a house with no manly influence, and is confused about a lot of things, doesnt have a lot of motivation, and the motivation that he does have is for the wrong reasons. Maribel is either oblivious to the familys situation, or chooses to ignore it, as she often seems in her own little world. Isabel is the single mother who takes care of the family, but she just started working again after a long period of time not working at all. She had borrowed money from a money lending company here in Leon, but because she didnt pay back the money, they took away her stove. So when I was at her house, she explained to me that they are forced to buy food that you dont need to cook on a stove. I have to admit, ever since I have gotten here, her situation has gotten worse and worse. It breaks my heart to see it, but its the truth. The only thing that she really has in life is Jesus, and sometimes I'm not even sure if she realizes it, wants it, or care about it. Please pray for my friends, our brothers and sister in Christ, who dont have as good of a life as we do.

thoughts, nothing more nothing less

2008-07-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

nothing a whole lot going on down here. we got back from Saltillo and the youth reunion there and it was awesome, we ran into some different views on scripture and worship, but it was an eye opening experience nonetheless and just to be able to accept others as our brothers in Christ is a big step and I hope to encourage others to do the same. we may not worship in the same form, preach in the same tone, or dress the same way, but we are all loved by the SAME GOD! i am leaving Mexico in almost exactly a month. i dont know how i feel about it, i know i will be coming back because my girlfriend and future wife is here right now, but who knows where God is going to take us. help start a new church plant here in Leon? work with my congregation in Alaska? start a Spanish congregation in Alaska? i love life, the freedoms we have and just the ability to not worry about money, time, or anything other than following God and making sure we are doing His will in our lives. i guess thats one of the many reasons i love my girlfriend, she shares that view. i guess the point of this post is simply this: please pray for me, and i will pray for you.

Tianguis

2008-07-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was really awesome. At 7:20 a.m, I met with my teammate Megan and one of our friends Jazmin to get ready to sell some used clothes at a nearby "tianguis" market. This coming week, 22 of us from the church here, 18 youths and 4 adults, will be heading to Saltillo, Mexico to attend a nation wide youth reunion. We are all excited to go and see what God will do, but the funds so far have been lacking so we have been fundraising the past week. We got to the market and had to wait until 8:30 to see how many of the regular vendors would show up, and then try and find a spot to set up in between their booths and stands. We set up and had 8 bags of clothes to set out, and as soon as we opened the bags and started to tell how much we were selling it all for, people began to take interest in what we had. During the 4 hours in which we worked, we saw all type of people, selling all types of things, and i even payed 3 pesos to use the bathroom in a bucket in the backroom of an unlit house. It was probably one of my favorite Mexican experiences, selling used clothes at the tianguis, because it was something totally new to me. So by 1:30 we had sold half of the clothes we had brought, and made $800 pesos (which is roughly $80 American dollars). We had really not expected to sell that much, but God provided, like always. I guess my point is, remember who you are working for, whether you are selling used clothes at an outdoor market or working at the boss at a white-collar business, remember who we are working for! If we remember this, HE will provide us with what we need.

Time

2008-07-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well I went home for a week and it was awesome to be able to see everyone there, see how everyone has grown in their walk with God, and to be able to get a little peak of what my future holds. I got to see my new baby cousin, Marie who is very beautiful, not only did I see her but they EVEN let me hold her! I got to see my best friend Jake Collins get married to Kristina Pruitt and it was a beautiful thing to be able to see. I love weddings and just how biblical that concept really is. I got back to Leon and the first thing I got to see was a brother and his 2 sisters get baptized! Another beautiful thing to be able to see. I have been really blessed lately. We went to the waterpark Splash yesterday to celebrate the fourth of July. Im not sure if our country was even talked about much but it sure was fun grilling out steaks and going down all the slides at the pool. I like to look at it as more of a celebration of family and good friends. Because thats what we are here in Leon. My uncle is the evangelist at my church in Alaska and he preached on the last Sunday in June, and the homework he gave was to read the book of James once a day for the whole week. Well i forgot to yesterday but other than that, I have been reading it every day and its amazing how much you get from a book after rereading it over and over. New things stick out and definitions are cleared up and defined. This post is just to let everyone know I am alive, in my next one I want to show some of what I learned from James. God bless!

LIES LIES LIES

2008-06-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how messed up the world really is? I was listening to a sermon by one of my favorite preachers this morning, and he brought up an interesting point. WHAT IS THE WORLDS PROBLEM? Everyone has a problem with Christians, because they "impose their Christian views" on everyone. But they dont have a problem with McDonalds, whose advertisements entice you to eat something that will make you fat, or the porn industry, who uses internet advertisements on "normal" websites to entice you to watch a video or look at some pictures which wont make your significant other very happy. The world lets all those other media outlets and movie stars and magazines influence them and "impose their views" on them, without fussing and throwing a fit about it (and in most cases, the product or attitude they are enticing you to have isnt beneficial at all to your life), but when a Christian, someone who WANTS YOU TO BE SAVED FROM A HELL THAT IS VERY REAL tries to tell you about how to have a better life, they freak out. All I want is a chance to be heard! Guess what... we can even go to McDonalds together to talk about Jesus! Fine by me!

Do I Have What It Takes?

2008-06-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been contemplating more often (is that a sign I am growing older?), mostly about my ministry and how it might turn out, what I might be doing. If I am seeking to be a "overseer" (One who keeps watch over and directs the work of others, especially laborers), I could be put in any kind of position by a congregation, such as preacher, evangelist, youth minister, etc. The following list from 1 Timothy 3:2-7 is the guideline that I must fulfill to be qualified to pursue one of those positions.

above reproach - blameless

only having one wife - faithful

temperate - not quick to become angry, stable physically and emotionally

self controlled - exercising control in every aspect of life

respectable - worth following and imitating

hospitable - welcome fellow Christians and strangers

able to teach - the ability to convey the message of the Bible effectively
not given to drunkeness - no addictions or bad habits

not violent but gentle - not quick to react harshly

not quarrelsome - peaceful and not eager to argue or fight

not a lover of money - financially content with what God has given me and also a clean record

manage family well - provide, organize, lead, love

obedient children - successful father deserving respect

not a recent convert - mature Christian, having weathered different trials and tribulations

good reputation with outsiders - respected by non-Christians

This is a rough list of what 1 Timothy 3 entails. I sometimes wonder, "do I have what it takes to do this?" or "am I really ready to undertake such a position in the church?" Where can I find the answer to that question? From other men, from peers in the church? No! I must seek God for the answer to that question!

“God is not looking for brilliant men, is not depending upon eloquent men, is not shut up to the use of talented men in sending His Gospel out in the world. God is looking for broken men, for men who have judged themselves in the light of the Cross of Christ. When He wants anything done, He takes up men who have come to an end of themselves, and whose trust and confidence is not in themselves but in God.” ~H.A. Ironside

I know that God wants me to do His will, all I can do is continue to love Him and find myself seeking to return to Him and be with Him every day.

The Watchtower

2008-05-31T17:57:00.000-07:00

This is a copy of a bulletin that I just posted on www.myspace.com, asking for prayers from whoever reads it. I am writing this just 15 minutes after our friend left and I am really just in pain over his lack of faith and lack of initiative to really step out of the box and seek for the truth. That is his picture on the left. Please pray with us, because its about all we can do at this point.

Me and my friends just got done studying with our friend Abraham, a Jehovahs Witness here in Mexico. We have been studying with him for months and months now and we havent gotten anywhere, other than we offended him this time because we explained to him that what he believes is a lie made up by a group of men (the Watchtower Association). The truth offends people, and thats why people have always hated Jesus. I just want to ask that you would pray for all of the lost people in the world who dont know the truth, that they can somehow come to know Jesus. It hurts me so much to see people living their lives without a purpose, or even worse, living it for a fake one.

Moved

2008-05-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hey hey. Well its been about 2 weeks, we moved from our house to an apartment building for various reasons, mainly because the rent on the house was more than we could handle and the contract ended. Moving itself was stressful but finally being settled into the new place was pretty nice. The ministry here, as always, is busy and always growing, which is awesome. Yesterday I was helping Jazmins mom do some stuff at her house and we went and had lunch and I was asking her about what she believes about demons and excorcisms. In a country where everything the Pope THINKS is a law or rule to live by, this means that exorcisms and demons are VERY real to the people here, as can be read about in this article http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2001/feb/15/mexico. The Mexican mindset is one of religious devotion... doing physical and mental "works" to make yourself right with God and the Virgin, keeping the demons and bad events out of your life if you accomplish these tasks. If only they knew that through Jesus Christ they can be freed from the law and given the Holy Spirit, who defends us from demons and Satan! The sad thing is, its not just Mexico that is affected by the law, its the whole "religious" world! Please help spread the truth about Jesus Christ to the lost world, so that they know that they dont have to be at any kind of risk, if they have the Holy Spirit!

Mi Familia

2008-05-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Im sorry its been quite a few weeks since I have been able to write anything, my parents were here for one week and not to mention we are just straight up busy with different things. My definition of home has changed in the past year that I have been here. Home is not where are feet are planted or where my house or things are, but where my heart is. For the past year, my heart has been here with the work and with the people I have met. This doesnt mean that I forgot about my real family, who stayed with me for a week to see how and what I am doing here. But this kind of mindset makes it easier to move to through the next open door that God has for me, which will be moving back to Alaska in September to continue ministry there. Also, as Christians, our hearts should be set on heaven and on Christ, not an earthly home but a home with our Savior in the sky. My challenge is to spend as much time with the people and community around you as possible, and less time worrying about work and money. Remember where your true home will be, and that while we are here we have no other purpose other than to glorify God!

Search and Build

2008-04-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

The first chapter of the book that I am reading right now ends with this paragraph: "Those who missed His Majesty's (Jesus) arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no , they missed it because they simply weren't looking. Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?"

After I read that passage, I was transported back to the 18th of February where one of my neighbors was drunk and suicidal, and invited me into her house to pray with her and "help" her (there is a post titled "Crazy Walk" on this day that you can read more about that.) What she asked me that nite was "why do you know Jesus better than I do, and you are so young?" And what I told her was that for her whole life, Jesus has been looking for you, but have you ever reached out and looked for Him?

Maybe if you feel like Jesus is far away from you, you should look for Him! Are you looking for Jesus in your life? Do you look for Him during your day? HOW do you look for Him? When you find Him, what do you do? HOW can you look and find Him more?

Just ask yourself these questions... who knows, you might be surprised (and blessed) by what your find (Jesus).

realest of the real

2008-04-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

HEY! time flies, April is going to be another fast month. we finally had a work day at the church building again, we took about a 2 or 3 month break from doing the general maintenance and improvements that we used to do every week! needless to say, that was a lot to be done and we did a good 2 or 3 hours of work to the building. sometimes i have to ask myself if this is really what i signed up for... cleaning a churchbuilding? thats mission work. believe it or not! i like lists so here is one that i came up with. things that most people dont think of when they here the word missionary:

1. Fun - thats right, your not supposed to have fun while working for God! the theme is "Git-R-Dun" not "Have some Fun"

2. Manual Labor - mission work isnt supposed to be hands on... arent you to busy with bible studies and mass baptisms?!?!

3. Shabby clothes - hard to believe, but the Mormons uniforms are on point, black pants, white shirts and even name tags. as for us, sometimes we look worse than the people we are ministering to!

4. Relax - how can you relax when you are driving out demons and feeding poor people all the time? yes, we find the time! this can be anything from some coffee at starbucks, a movie at the mall, or just going to the park.

So what was the point of this list? I just want everyone to understand that there are no real guidelines to being a missionary. I would say that the main guidelines are a mentality that you are theologically conservative, and culturally liberal. Thats right, preach the gospel while you are IN the culture. Missionaries are real people, some of the realest people out there! We cant have a mindset that missionaries are just those people who travel to far off places... every Christian is (or should be) a "missionary". so my charge is: GO OUT, PREACH THE WORD, AND BE REAL!!!

change

2008-04-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

hey everyone! well its been just a little over a week since my last post. its been kind of wierd getting back into the work, sometimes i have to remind myself that just being a friend to someone is part of why i am here. nonetheless, i am attending a new small group and also studying with 2 young women. last nite i studied english with Fabiola, and she is doing really well. she just needs to practice talking in english and she will be on the right track. im not just her "teacher" though, one of the main reasons i wanted to study with her is because she doesnt have a whole lot of friends here, she has self esteem issues, and its just hard for me to watch a young, awesome Christian stay in their house all day! so after we studied at her house, i took her to the new small group that my teammates donovan and megan started at the nearby Starbucks coffee shop. last nite was the first nite and my buddy Donovan did an awesome job setting it up and leading it. we are doing a 4 week study called "reflections on the cross" and im very excited not only to take part in it but because hopefully Fabiola can now branch out and hang out with some of the other people from the church and whoever else shows up! i know small groups and studies are considered "work" but mainly i just enjoy hanging out with people! yesterday afternoon me and Jazmin and her little brother and sister went over to her grandmas house (her grandma lives pretty close to me) to eat lunch and a rediculous amount of other people in the family were there so i got to meet even more people. Lately i have been learning to cook Mexican food at Jazmins house and that has given me a good chance to sit down with her family and share the Bible if the opportunity arises. I dont feel like this is my "mission field" i feel like this is my community, my home. therefore, i want to evangelize it because i love these people and i want them to know Christ's love!!!!!

good times

2008-03-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

hey everyone! i have been kinda slacking on writing my blog so i will give a quick update. i spent a week in Texas from the 13th to the 21st. it was really awesome being able to take a one week break and see old friends. isnt it awesome how God has a purpose for everything? when i went down to Texas, i got to surprise a group of people from my home church in Alaska. it was great to see old friends, but God had a deeper purpose. i have a really good friend from my church whose name is Maria and she is 16 years old. we have been talking for a long time now and i had always thought she was baptized because of how spiritual she has always been and so i never second guessed that she wasnt yet baptized. well when i found out that she in fact wasnt, i studied with her for 3 or 4 days and she got baptized that week! so i knew that God had a purpose for me being there that week. now i am back in Leon, spiritually re-energized and ready to work more. last nite, Megan, Raphael, Jazmin and I went to Starbucks to have coffee but it was to cold outside so we went to Raphaels house to watch a movie. Raphael is an interesting guy. he knows English already so its easy to talk with him. he used to go to a Baptist church but one Sunday he decided to visit out church, and ever since then he has been coming back. he is really good about bringing his family to. sometimes people just come to church because of the love they feel when they are there, so that just tells me something good about the work going on here in Leon. Praise God for his faithfulness!

something

2008-03-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

I have so many thoughts floating around in my head lately. The problem is, half the time im a hypocrite for being or acting as the same things I am criticizing. Why cant we seem to understand that Jesus is the point of everything? There are "Christians" who only think that the Old Testament was inspired by God, and not the New Testament. Why do people dislike singing old hymns from "Songs of Praise" songbooks? Its because they are "boring" but it makes me wonder, if they really knew Jesus would they still think that way? The fact is, those songs were written by real people who poured their heart and soul into their songs because they truly knew Christ. I understand that doctrine shouldnt change but cultural standards and beliefs will. Open fist closed fist, good. But sometimes it seems like we overthink and miss the whole point. Jesus. And why do I have such a hard time motivating myself to have a relationship with Him? I am critical of the church, I am critical of everything and the change must start with ME. Thank God that Jesus is the only one who can change me.

Crazy Walk

2008-02-18T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. I just came inside from one of the craziest walks of my life. I had just left the house to go down to the pharmacy to draw some money out for my rent, which is due tomorrow. Well I got down to the corner and some of my neighbors were outside talking, so I told them good evening, etc. Two of them went inside their houses, but one of them, a lady I have known since i arrived here, stuck around. She is in her 50's, knows both Spanish and English perfectly, and is usually really friendly. After she started talking to me, it was obvious to me that she was very drunk at this point. I had already known that she struggled with drinking, so it didnt come as a huge surprise to me. But the next 15 or 20 minutes or so were very crazy. She began to tell me how she wanted to kill her dog and then take her own life with a pistol that she keeps in her house. She said she is tired of life, that when she goes to America, the people treat her like a Mexican, and when she is here in Mexico, she is treated like an American. She is tired of bad things happening to her, because she thinks she is a good person. She also continued to explain to me how she is a lesbian, and no one will accept her for who she is. She wanted me to go into her house, and I hesitated but eventually went in. She began to cry and ask me how I knew God and am so young, but why hasnt she found him? She let me pray with her, but even as i was leaving, she kept telling me she was going to kill herself. My point is this... some people in this world just need a friend. Of course we want everyone to know Jesus, but sometimes, we have to accept them for who they are, in this case a suicidal, drunk, lesbian. I told her that even if know one else does, I love her, and so does Jesus. By the way, the girl in my picture if my friend Nadia from church, NOT the lady whom I mentioned in the story.

2008-02-13T23:08:00.000-08:00

hey everyone, im doing better, right? im trying haha its hard. this last week my whole team went to mexico city to see the current AIM class, but i only went for Friday and Saturday. It was a hard decision to make but for a number of reasons, i wanted to be here in Leon for the rest of the week. Im glad i stayed, i had my friend David stay the nite and we went out to the movies and had coffee, which was good because i havent spent enough time with him lately. I also cleaned the house since Donovans parents were coming and are now here. tomorrow is Valentines Day. being the person that i am, i was already pretty skeptical of this holiday in the first place (maybe more so since i dont have any girlfriend or wife to express my love to) but i had to http://www.wikipedia.com/ valentines day to find out where the origins come from. turns out, St. Valentine is a martyr of the early christian church who was buried in Rome on the 14th of February. Has nothing to do with love, somehow Chaucer put this into the mix and now its a world wide holiday. Now tell me, how would the follower of God, of Jesus Christ, be supposedly killed for his sake, and wind up having a holiday named after him? Not that i really care, because i know that Jesus should be celebrated every day in my heart and by my actions. MAybe someday i can explain this to my wife, in hopes that i dont have to buy her chocolate and roses. just joking, but seriously, we need to keep the focus in our lives on Christ!!!!

2008-02-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

Hey yall! things here are going good, we have two young men from the Lima, Peru team staying with us for a week, and then this Friday we are all going to take a bus down to Mexico City to meet this years AIM class and have some fun with them. It has been a blessing to hang out with AIMers from a different field, getting to share our experiences and talk about what God has taught us. Something lately that I have picked is that His grace is so sufficient... more than we can even imagine! Sometimes its easy for us to judge others because of the sins they have committed, in the mean time forgetting that Gods grace has already forgiven that person for what they did - no matter how bad the sin might have been. What a comfort! To know that we can wake up each day with a fresh start and a loving God to trust in. Amen.

New Year, new hopes for my blog haha

2008-01-17T11:33:00.000-08:00

hey everyone. i have to apologize, its been way to long since i have updated this blog. but now that Omar is our new coordinator, i have some motivation to fix my laziness. the new year has started and its already looking busy up until the time i plan on leaving. my ministry focus here is a young woman named Jazmin, whom i baptized in December after 3 months of studying english and also the bible. now that she is my sister in Christ, our studies in the bible focus more on application, how to live your life as a christian and after we finish that up i would like to do a series of studies on falling in love and knowing Jesus, our Savior. also, studying English with her is now a lot easier because we use the bible to study English, so im not trying to convince her anything. these English studies with her have been turning into really great Bible conversations. i know it sounds like i should be having thousands of bible studies with lots of people instead of just one, but i know that through Jazmin, God will be able to reach so many more people. also we are going to start visiting families (and hopefully studying) who came to the lense campaign that we had around Thanksgiving time. i also have a goal to turn the supply room in the church building into a multi-purpose type room, that would house a small library i would like to run, couches and chairs, coffeetable and coffeemaker, computer desks, etc. basically it would be an area where people could read, study the bible, us AIMers could have english studies there, small groups, pretty much anything where a comfortable room is needed. Well there is much more but i need to go over some things i am studying with Jazmin tonite. God bless!

2007-08-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

hey everyone. wow im horrible at writing these, havent updated this in forever. plenty is going on here, mainly spanish for us "new" AIMers, other than that i am leading a small group every other week, trading off with our coordinator Chris Johnson. its been an awesome experience for me, not only a challenge to get into the Word more but also touching to see others who havent known Jesus realize what kind of man he really was. the past few days we have been working on a house, getting it ready for a missionary family that is moving here from Toluca Mexico. its been awesome doing some manual labor, painting, plastering and just getting the place spruced up. it seriously looked like crack house before we started working on it. whats even better is the connections we have made with the neighbors. God works through everything! well i will try and do better about updating this. thanks.

2007-08-03T15:56:00.000-07:00

hey everyone well this my first time doing this blog thing so i am hoping it will progressively get better. its the beginning of august and the month is looking crazy as usual, right now we have a campaign going on and there have been quite a few new faces around the church so thats very encouraging to see. we are still in spanish classes about 3 days a week so i am plodding on with that. will update with more news and pictures later.