prayers please

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

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!

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!!!

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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!!!!

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

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!