On the Road Again

This weekend I will be in Oregon, both east and west. My western time will be spent mostly in and around the Portland area. As part of my job with Adventures in Life Ministry, I try to make sure I get some personal time with our participating churches from that area. In the east, I will be in the little community of Burns. It has become one of my favorite places to visit, not because of the area so much, but because I have so many friends living there. After 12 years of serving with us, I think I know over half of the families of Faith Baptist Church of Harney County, and count many of them as some of my closet friends and colleagues in ministry. I will also be picking up a new lap top computer. A very good friend knew we needed something new, and graciously offered to purchase a new one for us. So we're getting a nice shiny new Mac! I've never had a Mac, so for the next couple of weeks, I'll be learning a ton about the differences between Mac's and PC's. Meanwhile, while I am gone, check out this video. As we see the church responding to a dominant consumer mentality in the US, this little video hits a strong chord. It is appropriately titled, "The ME Church." You should also check out ME Worship on You Tube. If you grew up watching those cheesy music commercials of the 70's, it'll bring back back some good memories. Enjoy, and when I get back next week, we'll take a short look at where the Democratic Party is with their nominating debacle.

Tag, You're It!

I have to secretly admit, I've been waiting for this day. The day I got tagged. For those of you who are unaware of this ritual of cyberspace, someone comes up with a set of get to know you questions, and then starts the tagging. Think of it as chain mail, but without the million dollar reward for continuing the chain, or a lifetime of skin boils if you break it. You answer the questions and then pick a new group of victims, oops, participants. Anyways, getting tagged seems to imply some level of web connection which is exactly what it is about. That and widening the ever expanding spider web we know as the 'net. So, here's what my friend Roy at Thin Places sent along. Enjoy, you may be next. 1. Ten years ago I was doing . . . I was in the early stages of starting Adventures in Life Ministry. Since AIL is a non profit, that meant I also was painting houses and basically doing anything I could to make ends meet. 2. 5 Things on today's to do list I had to wait a few days to do this list because 5 things is a tall order after I return from Mexico. So... todays list looks like this. Finish this list. Get a ministry support letter ready. Finish my front yard conversion to desert [regular people call that rock] landscaping. Lay out my backyard plan. Get ready for a bar b que with friends tomorrow. 3. Things I'd do if I were a billionaire Where do I start. This is the hardest thing on the list for me to consider. Beyond the normal take care of my family stuff and a real vacation, here's what I got. I'd start a foundation to enable people to get seminary trained without incurring mountains of debt. I'd gather a group of people to live and model community together in a part of Las Vegas where it is desperately needed. I'd buy and renovate old buildings, restore them to their past glory potentially bringing economic revival to the surrounding areas. Then I'd make sure that AIL was funded for the next 100 years. Okay, so it's four things. Sue me. I'll have the money to win in court. 4. 3 Bad habits Sometimes I can be a little sarcastic. I waste a lot of time watching Law and Order TV. I can be slow to listen, and quick to speak. It was hard to limit it to just three. 5. Five places I've lived West Covina, CA San Gabriel, CA Las Vegas, NV Henderson, NV Mexico 6. Five jobs I've had in life: Church Custodian Manager, Carl's Jr. Manager, Miller's Outpost Operations Manager, Mervyns Youth Pastor 7. Tagged ones Mike Miller, Mike's America [No he's not my brother] Brian Cumings, Highland History Mr. Timmer, Don't Panic Patrick M., Sane Political Discourse Dennis McFadden, His Barking Dog So that's it. Now those of you who've been tagged, make sure you keep the chain moving.

Dios es Amor

Last week I was in Mexico again helping a local church get a place to worship. A little over 15 years ago, three of us, Paul Lathrop, Grady Martine, and myself decided that as for our ministry in Mexico, Adventures in Life, we would build churches and facilities connected with churches. Over the years, we have helped build 22 different facilities in the areas surrounding Ensenada, Guadalajara, and Oaxaca, Mexico. Usually after a project like this I am pumped. The people that serve have been able to use the gifts that God gave them to make a real Kingdom impact. The people of Mexico have a place to worship and live out their commitment to God. And I believe that God has been pleased that we have been able to live in harmony with our brothers and sisters in Christ from Mexico. But this time was different. This trip was hard. Emotionally, and spiritually. And I am still struggling. What makes it worse is that us missionary folks are not supposed to feel this way. Ours is a life, publicly, at least, spent in service of Jesus. We are supposed to spend our time sharing all the blessings we have received doing what we do, and telling everyone who'll listen how great God is. And He is great. But sometimes ours is also a life of struggle, doubt, frustration, loneliness, and worry. I experienced that this last trip. Big time. So if you would, pray for me this week. And if you know of, or personally support someone on the field, spend the money and call them. To encourage, support, and just listen to where they are at and what's going on their lives. Trust me, it'll be a Godsend. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of our time down south. If you want to see more, Pastor Jesus has posted his photos here! The first wall being put up on the new facliity at Dios es Amor (God is Love) church. What we had accomplished after two days. Those beams you see weighed a ton! Rob from Young Life's Wildhorse Camp trimming up Dennis' leg. It's not all work. Twenty something trusses went up this way. Handmade, handlifted, and handset. The final day. Roofing, plaster, trim, cleanup, and then...Pastor Jesus Vera's wife, Mirtha, nailing on a rosetta to finish our week. Amen

Leaving Las Vegas...Again

A couple of weeks ago I went to Ensenada to pour a floor for a new church facility. Tomorrow I will leave Las Vegas again to put some structure to that project. That means while I am away, there will be no political rants, no dripping sarcasm, no sports stuff; just a few updates from the site if I am able to pull it off. Until I get back, here is a great picture of the wildflowers in the Bakersfield area of California from a few years back when we had a lot of spring rain. Isn't God's creation beautiful? Enjoy!

Oaxaca, Women & Rights

Here is an outstanding article, published today in the Los Angeles Times, on one of the main issues facing women in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. Through the practice of "usos y costumbres", [manners, traditions and habits] women are systematically denied what many westerners have come to understand as basic rights. Rights to vote, get an education, have a job, and even choose your own husband, are typically denied women in the more rural, indigenous areas of Mexico. OAXACA, MEXICO -- Many years ago, when she was still a tiny girl in braids, and not the professional she is today, Eufrosina Cruz heard the story of how her father married off her sister to a stranger at age 12: She wondered if a man might come to claim her too. Being a girl isn't easy in Santa Maria Quiegolani, a poor rural village where Zapotec is the native language and most girls are lucky to complete grade school. Cruz left to eventually become a college-educated accountant. But now, at age 27, she has returned to her old village in the mountains of Oaxaca, and stirred up a gender war. Her struggle, at first personal and local, has sparked the governor of her state and Mexican President Felipe Calderon to back her call for legislation that would grant thousands of women in Oaxaca state the right to vote and run for office in about 100 rural towns. Male-only assemblies run those communities, which follow indigenous customs that predate the Spanish conquest. "We have to help those women who are still in that place where you don't have any rights because you're a woman," she says. "The women who live in the mountains are shouting that someone listen to them. . . . I don't want any women to ever feel alone as I did." Read the entire article by Héctor Tobar and María Antonieta Uribe of the Los Angeles Times.

Another Cup o' Joe, and Some Ministry

Good friends know that I love a good cup of coffee, or on a cold day, a great latte. After I finished up a week of ministry in Ensenada, Mexico, I tried out a new coffee joint in the relatively new Macroplaza, south of town. It is called "Buzz Cafe." Here's a picture of what their lattes look like. Pure art. If you get a chance, or are going to be there sometime this summer, let me know. The coffee's on me! Now on another note, here are a few pics from our ministry time. 29 meters of concrete [almost 39 cubic yards for you non metric people], 60 meters of fill dirt, and a lot of hard work ffrom a great of students and leaders from Burns, Oregon and UCLA. All of which gives us a great foundation to build on for a new worship facility for Iglesia Dios es Amor [God is Love Church]. Pastor Jesus and yours truly comically breaking ground on the project. Gary from Burns, Oregon, doing a little compacting with the "belly bumper." Every concrete floor needs a little steel to help make it strong. And, the finished product. Ready for framing, which starts next week. Finally, please pray for us this week. We need to raise $15,000.00 before April 10 to build this church. If you wish to donate, or know someone who can help us reach our goal, click here to donate to Adventures in Life Ministry. All donations are tax deductible and 100% of your donations for this project will go directly into the new worship center for Pastor Jesus and their rapidly growing congregation.