To the church in Maycoba…..GREETINGS!

I’ve just started reading through the Epistles once again, and every time I come to the beginning of a new book and read Paul’s greeting who whatever church is writing to, all I can think about is the small church in Maycoba. It’s the town where I grew up – a town of about 1,000 people living in the middle of the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico (middle of nowhere to be exact), who just got electricity a few years ago and are still in the fight for a working water system.

While its a very humble town, the church that exists there means the world to me.  Take all the positive and encouraging words Paul poured out on all the churches throughout the New Testament and that would be exactly how I feel about the church in Maycoba.  There aren’t many in the congregation – last I new it was around 30-50 –  and they live hard and difficult lives, but they keep living on in the strength that God gives to them.

Over a year ago I went and stayed with a family of the church for a few weeks. It was just after the new year and they had had their share of struggles. To begin with there are 7 kids and about as many grandkids, and odd jobs are the only source of income since the only “real” jobs available in town are in the drug business. So surviving and putting food on the table alone is a struggle.  But along with the constant battle of  a substantial income, the year had many other surprises. The year had started with Evelia’s daughter getting into a car accident and almost losing her vision. As spring came Evelia’s mother began losing her fight with cancer and Evelia cared for her until she passed away in early summer.  While still in grieving the loss of her mother, her son-in-law was the prey of suspicious hit men. Over 200 rounds were fired and miraculously he only suffered 5 hits, but he did suffer, and not only did Evelia’s family worry for his life but also for the lives of her whole family because they had helped him survive. Next came Evelia’s husbands illness. He came down with pneumonia during the fall and the doctors gave him zero chance of surviving. They sent him home numerous times saying there was nothing more that they could do and he should die at home.

And then came the new year, and I found myself sitting in Evelia’s small but welcoming kitchen as she sighed and hoped that this new year would bring new hope. But her faith never wavered, and she continued visiting and encouraging all the other believers in town. At one point, after her story telling, she turned to me with tears in her eyes and asked if, from a counseling perspective, she was ok or totally off her rocker. I remember wishing I could just pull my heart out and hook it up to speakers for her to hear what it thought. Ok?  This woman had just watched her entire life almost get stripped away and yet she stands strong in her faith, welcoming new comers, reaching out to encourage other believers, and always, always praising her God.

I miss them. I miss that small little church. And I get what Paul means when he says his heart longs to visit and hopes it is not long before he does.

other thoughts….

Another post so soon – I’m really getting ahead of myself…… or ….. maybe I just finally have more thoughts on my mind.

I’ve applied for several jobs over the last few weeks. I could apply to more, but to be honest, I dread the thought of the professional world – I just don’t want to do it. I don’t want to be a professional.  Yesterday kind of sealed the deal on that one. I went to a fashion show (I was very kindly invited to it), and while the experience was great, and I loved the show, I came away realizing I just don’t want to live that life.

I hate the thought of climbing the ladder, building a resume, sounding impressive….. and the list goes on…….  I just don’t want to live in that world. I like real life. I like being a person who connects to people because they are another human being. The work world just seems so made up – every one looks nice, everyone speaks well, everyone acts professional, and their worlds revolve around things that are generally a human invention.

And as I was driven home I started to think about where I lived. It isn’t the best of areas or apartment complexes (which is mainly due to our ignorance of the area and lack of knowledge in picking a first apartment.) and I’m pretty sure the lady who drove me home was a little nervous to be where we were. I think about that, and how ideally we would have wanted a better and more reputable area to live in. And yet, all the positions I applied for were child care positions in emergency shelters and homes for the neglected and abused.  And I wondered why it was that I would wish to live in a nicer and safer place when I want to work and minister to those who don’t. How ironic – my heart is all for loving the abandoned and abused and yet I’m not for living where they live. Lesson learned.

I guess in the end this made up world of ours gets into all of our heads. If only we could see through it all – if only we could take all the man made things out and see the eternal……..if only

making my heart smile….

Well I’m up again – this time not so late, but since my husband had an exhausting day at work I feel as though I’ve been up and awake forever.  I actually meant to post this yesterday, so I guess this late night awakeness is working in my favor.

And believe it or not, I’m actually posting about the church we’ve been attending and how much I’ve been blessed by it.  (The ‘believe it or not’ part is because I’ve seemed more critical about the church lately.) But this church is like none I’ve ever attended. I feel as though it should be called St. Peters because it reminds me so much of how Jesus took a nobody like Peter and used him to do great things for His name. Instead, it’s called Metanoya (I have no idea as to the origin of the name), and its in down town San Antonio. Only it’s not the down town of San Antonio that’s famous, it’s the down town San Antonio that San Antonio natives have never been to nor would ever dream of going.

Every Sunday there are parking attendants in the parking lots and in all the side streets (the parking lots always overflow) watching our cars so that they don’t disappear while we’re in church. There’s a policeman that stands outside the building every Sunday (I have yet to know if the city sends him or if the church hires him), and ushers that not only seat you but also work as body guards who always seem to be watching the door and scanning the crowd. And the service is so packed that there’s never a untaken seat – none of this sitting in the back or leaving a few spaces between you and the next person – there’s not room for that.

As to the service – the hour of worship usually ends with the band being outsung by the congregation – sometimes I can’t even hear the band over the singing – I love that. And the preaching – which also lasts about an hour – usually covers an entire chapter of scripture – every verse read out loud.  And the teaching is great. I always feel fed, encouraged and cared for – cared for because the pastor has a passion to equip his congregation. He cares that they’re equipped, that they know the scriptures, and that they know the Christian life and know their God.  The leadership of the church cares for nothing but that the people who attend become the living, breathing Body of Christ.  They desire them to worship God, to know God, to know His word, to do His work, to become like Him, and to glorify Him with their lives. Their passion for their congregation just flows out of them and you can’t help but see it.  I love it.

And the congregation….aside from being primarily Hispanic which makes me feel at home, half of them are from the rehab center the church runs – that’s the half that always sings the loudest. But the rest are all just real people as well, real people living real life and wanting the realness of God to be a reality.  There’s absolutely nothing perfect about anyone – that’s a given, and no one would expect more.

And this church isn’t perfect – I guess that just doesn’t exist. But I always come away uplifted, fed, and like a pressure’s been taken off. And the encouragement comes from the church itself because it’s truly The Church – the Body of Christ. Their passion is Christ because they desperately need Christ in their lives. He’s a need, a source of survival, the person whom they depend upon. Christ is their everything. I love it. I love being a witness to a church who is in need of a Saviour….

in the still of the night….

I guess it’s another sleepless night for me.  For the past couple of weeks I haven’t been able to sleep well and I find myself wide awake until 3 -4 in the morning. I take no naps during the day and I’ve even taken myself off caffeine, and I still can’t find an explanation.  So I decided to get on here and let my mind wander.

I have to say I’ve been rather content lately. There’s something about just knowing that God is in control and being able to rest in that that changes all of life.  I’m in the middle of job searching, both vehicles are on the down and out, apparently the government is shutting down (and therefore possibly affecting paychecks) –  and it feels so good to not stress about any of it.

I’ve enjoyed waking up and knowing that God once again has brought the sun to shine on the day; eating breakfast and thanking Him for the food He has provided for us.  It’s just been good to be at peace and rest. I think months of sitting at home has helped me enjoy the simple things again. Although I will admit, it’s way easier for me to trust God and not worry about the things I can’t control than it is for me to trust Him when I have to make a decision. I’ll let life happen without a worry many times, but give me three jobs to choose from and I’ll probably stress about it all week. But nonetheless, my soul seems more at peace than it has at other times.

I will say though that lately my heart has started burning with the urge to jump back into people’s lives.  I find myself missing the challenge of reaching a lost heart, I miss that fight and struggle to break down walls, I miss seeing God work in the lives of young people. It’s been on my heart and mind a lot lately – but its good that it’s coming from a more rested version of me.

I guess for now I’ll stick to reading St. Augustine, Paul, and Louie Giglio, doing dishes, laundry, and writing letters. But when the time comes – I’m more than ready to plug into a place thriving with lost and guarded souls….