Shine on!!

  This week was another hot one in Huatulco in several ways. Actually, we got a little relief from the warm temperatures compliments of Hurricane Hillary when she was still a tropical storm. It was so cold and rainy on Wednesday that we came home after our classes and made hot chocolate. Brrrrr!! It must have been in the low 70’s. Saturday on the other hand, it was so uncomfortably warm that Donna took at least 4 or 5 showers within two hours. It was beyond humid. Today (Sunday) is another scorcher.

Speaking of classes, we drew a whole lot of encouragement from our students this week because of the progress they are making. Teaching can be very rewarding in itself as some of you know. That is especially important when there is no paycheck. Often we do receive fruit, fish and homemade deserts as gifts. That is very special to us. We have also picked up a couple of new adult students and a family.

Friday morning at about 4:39 we were both awake when we heard a low rumbling sound which was followed by the bump, bump, bump of a 4.3 earthquake. A rhythmic mild shaking continued for a minute or so and stopped. The epicenter was pretty close and out in the ocean where there is a large subduction zone just off the coast. Because this is a seismic area, most of the buildings are engineered to be earthquake resistant. We are also on what is essentially solid rock so the waves don’t get amplified. In other words, we are reasonably safe.

Later in the day on Friday, we “found” two beaches which are all but inaccessible to tourists and most others. They are in an area which is closed off to vehicles and we had to climb down rugged paths on steep hills to get to them. They are close to where we live. Perks like this make it a lot easier to be away from family and friends. Two more grandchildren are due next spring. We do miss being close to family, but, we are also so very blessed to have made many wonderful friends. There is going to be a difficult day of reckoning if/when we have to leave. Only God knows when it will be time to go. I can relate to the apostle Paul's dilema in wanting to depart to be with the Lord but also to remain on to serve those he loved. A lot depends on finances. We have to develop a stronger support base sooner than later. Please consider being a part of that.

Sunday night I am scheduled to preach at Pastor Solomon’s church. The message is about suffering. I am going to say that the horrible suffering Jesus endured on the cross was not His only suffering. Jesus suffered for us, but we are also called to suffer. We are instructed to follow His example. But to suffer what? He said we are to deny self, take up our cross daily, and follow Him. He certainly wasn’t telling us to be crucified. When He washed the disciples’ feet, He told them they ought to do the same for each other. Not just to wash feet, but to lower themselves beneath others to serve them. Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you.” He was demonstrating agape love. Agape is self-denial. Philippians 2:5-8 tells us that He voluntarily denied His own rights to His position in heaven and to all of His rights as a man to serve us. This is the example we are to follow. It can be very difficult when we are wronged or when will not even be recognized much less be repaid. Service to others can be difficult. But from the moment He left His throne until He returned, He suffered the loss of all of His rights on our behalf. Should we do any less? I am challenged because I fall short. It is very difficult to crucify the flesh but, I believe that the light generated by our agape is the light from the city set on a hill which beckons into the darkness to draw people to Him. Shine on!

Mexican Independance Day

Sindicato Class

Mexican Independence Day was this past Friday. This is a very significant holiday here, perhaps as big as or bigger than our 4^th of July celebration. Nearly everyone celebrates the beginning of the revolution which freed Mexico from Spanish rule. Friday morning there was huge parade. In spite of the blazing sun, nearly every schoolchild of any age marched in uniform by school along the main boulevard. It was quite a sight. One of the groups was from the Sindicato where we teach an English class. The group included many of our students. We were encouraged by how many folks recognized us and greeted us as we watched.

The week really zipped by. We kept very busy. Much of our time seemed to be spent trying to beat the heat. The sun has been very strong this week even through the occasional cloud. We escaped to the beach on Monday and found some relief for a while. However, in three short hours, we got more than a little too much sun in spite of the numerous clouds which (we thought) had provided some shade. The sunburn has made the heat all that much more enjoyable-NOT! It is the first time since we came here that we have gotten burned. 

It hardly seems like we have been here for seven months. It feels more as if we have been in Huatulco for a very long time. Our busy schedule, the many relationships we have formed and our acceptance, recognition and inclusion in the community makes it feel as though we have been here for years. As we look back, we see many divine appointments. It is still amazing where these encounters have led. God is most certainly in control. I wish I could boast that our wise strategy and careful planning are the reason but we would be fools to take any credit. We have learned to stop planning and go with the flow by keeping our commitments fulfilled and our eyes open. When something falls through, there almost always seems to be another appointment we couldn’t have foreseen to take its place. If not, we coast. God always has His reasons. I hope I never stop being amazed.

Because our income is not sufficient yet to satisfy the Immigration requirements for a more permanent status, we are still on tourist visas. (Sixteen months to Social Security) We need to time our visits so that we do not come home in winter. We did not keep warm clothing. Besides the fact that we are not fans of the cold, the additional difficulties of a winter visit can be avoided. Also, airline tickets are much more expensive in the cold months and we are on a very tight budget. We also miss everyone and long for a visit. We will be in Rockford from morning service at Rockford First on Nov. 13^th until Saturday morning November 26^th. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible.

Small World

The world here in Huatulco is becoming smaller by the day. One of our neighbors asked us if we could help her and her two daughters with their English. We began meeting with them last week. It has been great relationship building time and very enjoyable. I got to share my testimony and the Gospel with her this week. She listened and asked good questions. She also asked if we’d be willing to take one of her long time friends as another adult student in our home. We agreed. A couple of days later, she came by with her. The friend turned out to be a lady who attends the Nazarene church with us and who is a fairly new believer herself. Small world!

Tuesday morning, we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at the Red Cross which was provided by our students there. After class, they asked us if we would join them every Tuesday. This is also a great opportunity to get to know each other more personally. We will really enjoy it.

Saturday night, we attended a quinceanera party at Solomon’s church. I got to meet the pastor of one of the local addiction recovery ministries. I wanted to wait to meet him until my Spanish is better, but God must have decided  that now is the time. We'll be getting together soon. Another guest was Memo, the pastor of a small church which meets near our neighborhood. He also operates a one-stall hand car wash during the day. Last night, (Sunday) we went to a baby dedication celebration. Art and Betty were also there and we had a great time. I get to use my photography. These parties are a blessing. Besides all of the people we get to meet, we get some really awesome food.

Another little adventure entered our lives (temporarily) this week. About a week ago we were treated to an all night session of a cat meowing. In the morning we discovered the racket was coming from our neighbor/friend’s house across the street. Donna went to investigate. It turned out to have been a tiny kitten which had been abandoned. It could barely hold up its head or walk and it would not eat from an eye dropper. We think it was about 3 weeks old. Donna adopted it and she has been nursing it back to health. It is now eating solid food and displays ALL of the characteristics of a normal kitten. It is very affectionate and demands constant attention except for when it is sleeping. Donna named it Meow-zer. It will be leaving soon!!

I shared my idea that our obedience is not what pleases God in a sermon last Sunday night at one of the local churches. I was a bit concerned about sharing such a concept in an environment that sometimes seems to be a little legalistic. It went over very well and I was told that even the pastor was deeply touched. Estamos muy agradecidos de que Dios nos da tantas oportunidades de compartir nuestra fe.

Missing in Action

We were missing in action to the rest of the world for the last eleven days due to lack of an internet connection at home. We are now settled in to our new quarters, a two-bedroom, second floor apartment in a new building a block from the old house. Internet came on yesterday. It seems we missed a lot of exciting news with hurricanes and earthquakes and such. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for those like Hudson Taylor who got on a ship, sailed for months then hiked into the interior of some remote country to preach the Gospel.

 Our move to the new apartment went well. We have a great landlord who allowed us access ahead of the start of the lease. We had help with the move from friends and most of the finishing touches are in process. Our only issue so far besides the phone line, is the lack of an air conditioner. It will be put in, but we have to wait for the Federal Electricity Commission to upgrade the lines. In the meantime, we are living in an oven. The roof, which is concrete like the rest of the house, is painted with a water sealant of a dark red color. Needless to say, it collects a little heat when the sun is strong, which it almost always is. To give you an idea, the ceiling (inside) gets almost too hot to touch. It radiates that heat onto everything under it. We have been fortunate to have a little rain the last few days to cool things off and to hide the sun. Just so you don’t feel too badly, I am writing this under a fan in a hammock hung in our sala de estar (living room).

We were really blessed this week. Our friends at the Red Cross stayed in their seats at the end of class Thursday. They were looking at each other as if something was up. It seems they wanted to find a way to compensate us for our time and effort with them. They appreciate us and they don’t want us to quit. We told them that their friendship was more than adequate payment. They seemed somehow surprised, but pleased with that. They know we are Christians even though we haven’t preached at them. They know other people to whom we are connected. We get the sense that we are being talked about a lot around town. In many ways, it is a small community here. We pray that people are seeing Christ in us. If the warm acceptance we receive in so many places is any indication, they are.

Our friend and new brother, Bernardo the taxi driver, made a special trip to our house Saturday because he found out I had been a little under the weather from a cold. He was concerned and wanted to check in on me. I can’t begin to describe how that felt. He has been asking questions about the Bible. We have experienced several other encouragements and special blessings this week. There isn’t room to share them all. Suffice to say that God is a God of encouragement.

This continues to be a season of spiritual insight for me. I have finally begun to understand that God is not pleased by my obedience. I don’t mean that I am not obedient enough. I confess that I am not. I am saying that obedience in general is not what God is looking for. Obedience doesn’t cause God to love us more. He already loves us with an infinite love. Obedience doesn’t make us more acceptable to God. We are incapable of sufficient obedience to stand righteous before Him. However, we are already the righteousness of God in Christ if we have accepted His gift of salvation through His death (for us) on the cross. Jesus paid it all.

God is not looking for our obedience as much as He is looking for the result of our obedience. The obedient behavior itself is what produces the blessing. God is pleased when we are blessed. He doesn’t hand out blessings as a reward for obedient behavior and curses for disobedience. God, as the ultimate loving Father, wants to see His children blessed. He gave us the rules so that we can be blessed. His disappointment comes from seeing us suffer the consequences of our disobedience. Our ultimate blessing is fellowship with God. God’s ultimate desire is our fellowship with Him.

I am experiencing an increasing sense of freedom and rest from striving to be obedient. I am finding a desire to be obedient replacing the struggle to choose rightly. Praise God!! I was blessed to be able to share this message in Pastor Solomon’s church Sunday night. It was very well received.