Pan Dulce

A Dream Comes to Fruition in Arcelia, Guerrero

Today, I have asked Dexton Shores, Director of Ministry Development for the US-Mexico Border and Mexico, to write about the Mission Trip to Arcelia, Guerrero.  You will enjoy reading about one of the elder’s vision come to fruition.

This month, Prestoncrest Church of Christ went on another mission trip to Arcelia, Guerrero and one of the elders finally saw his vision of an orphanage come to fruition. Prestoncrest began to make trips to the little town of Arcelia when they helped one of their immigrant members return to his home town to start a church. Bill’s wife had grown up in the Buckner Children’s Home in Dallas, so when he commented to a local business owner on one of their trips that they wanted to start an orphanage, he learned that another local leader named Perla had already built an orphanage that was empty. Perla built the orphanage after making a promise to God when her fifteen year old daughter was kidnapped. Perla kept her promise after her daughter, Perlita (little Pearl) was freed without harm, but had not found anyone that knew how to operate an orphanage. Bill told her that knew of an organization named Buckner that could help.

After waiting for more than two years for this time, Bill and several members from his church flew into Mexico City with 72 pairs of shoes for the children of Arcelia and made the six hour trip through the Sierra Madres to Arcelia to work at the orphanage, love on the new children, and witness the fruition of this vision with the inauguration celebration, They would work for three days to paint beautiful murals, build closets and shelves, paint the rod iron railings, install ceiling fans and haul in several loads of gravel for the entrance.

They met the first four children that had arrived just two days before. While the group ate dinner, the children came marching in to sing them a song, thanking them for the work they were doing at their new home. The following day, Buckner’s country director, Juan Carlos Millan arrived with six more children and a mother who had turned over temporary custody because she could not provide for their needs. One member said: “their precious faces remind us why we are here. We want to make their home a place of beauty and safety. We want them to know they are loved and cared for by people who are interested in their welfare. They need to be in a protected environment and in school to get a proper education”.

Friday was a very special day of celebration with over 200 local people from the community attending the inauguration. Many were wearing bright purple shirts that Bill had made with the name of the orphanage “Refugio de Perlita, Arcelia, Guerrero” The name means “Refuge of Little Pearl”, named after Perla’s daughter who had been kidnapped. The name also reminds us of the precious little pearls that will find refuge in this home of loving care. Perla praised God for bringing Perlita home and converting her personal tragedy into this joy. After several of us spoke, a prayer of dedication and thanksgiving was offered asking God‘s blessing on all the children that would live here. The ceremony concluded with dancing by professional Mexican dancers with several of the typical regional dances. It was a very special and touching moment for the orphanage. It was finally a reality after so many years of planning and work!

 Another celebration took place on Sunday during the worship service when Bill had the joy of baptizing three precious souls. Emilio, a 25 year old deaf mute that had worked daily at the orphanage helping with the murals was baptized. Bill also baptized the oldest child at the orphanage and his mother who had spent much of her time reading a children’s Bible the previous two days. Praise God for visionary mission groups that make an eternal difference in the lives they touch!

The Joy of Obedience (Part 2)

Today, I have asked Dexton Shores, Director of Ministry Development for the US-Mexico Border and Mexico, to write about the most recent Shoes for Orphan Souls Mission Trip to El Paso, New Mexico, and Juarez Borderplex.  Last year Buckner International reported over 900 professions of faith through its ministry.  Our work in El Paso/Juarez/New Mexico added to those being saved in 2008.  You will enjoy reading about the courageous work that was done this past weekend.

Buckner attempts to take every safety measure possible with mission groups, so arrangements had been made with Juarez municipal leaders to provide a police escort for the group to the ministry site where shoes would be distributed. Jorge described the Juarez trip as a blessing that turned out to be a trust and faith trip. As they waited at the bridge for the escort, the environment was relaxed from the tension and negative stories our SOS Mission Group had been exposed to. They were excited about ministering to the children at a ministry called BAN (Offering Aid to the Needy) in a very poor community. They would also deliver a donated van to the Buckner Children’s Home, Nuevo Amanecer that is being constructed in Juarez.

As they arrived at the BAN ministry site, the group ministered to over 100 children with crafts and Bible stories. Ultimately, a total of about 250 attended, including parents and families from the community for the shoe distribution.

The children from our children’s home travelled two and a half hours on public transportation to get to the ministry site and were excited they would be returning in their new van. Two of the children are twin girls, Abril and Abigail. Abril had recently received a pair of “Dora the Explorer” shoes, but Abigail was disappointed her shoes were different. At the shoe drive, without her choosing the shoes, Abigail was handed a pair of “Dora the Explorer” shoes identical to her sister’s. This was a big deal to them as now they finally had matching shoes as twins should!

The TV station arrived to cover the event and the kids got excited when Miguel, the senior ten-year old resident of the children’s home was interviewed. Director Willie Hernandez says that Miguel is like a magnet when it comes to TV interviews, as this was the third time he has been on TV in two years and who knows? Miguel may have a TV ministry in his future!

The TV coverage was aired on Sunday night and the reporter opened by sharing that many religious groups have cancelled their trips to Juarez because of the violence, but that Buckner International had chosen to come and make a positive difference in Juarez. This group’s response to God’s call allowed them to minister to over 950 people in three locations, work a total of 192 hours, and see 63 people come to faith in Christ.

As the trip concluded, many expressed they would return with a new perspective about Juarez. Some had already called family members to tell them they needed to come and see for themselves how God can work in this place. Each shared how the trip had changed their lives and all expressed a desire to return. They committed to go back home to be a VOICE for Buckner’s ministries and get their churches involved. May we each be obedient to God’s call, whatever the cost, so that ALL may know the HOPE we have experienced in Christ.

The Eternal Rewards of Risky Obedience!

Today, I have asked Dexton Shores, Director of Ministry Development for the US-Mexico Border and Mexico, to write about the most recent Shoes for Orphan Souls Mission Trip to the El Paso, New Mexico, and Juarez Borderplex.  Last year Buckner International reported over 900 professions of faith through its ministry.  Our work in El Paso/ Juarez/New Mexico added to those being saved in 2008.   You will enjoy reading about the courageous work that was done this past weekend.

In recent months, Juarez, El Paso’s sister city, has received much negative press that has resulted in many mission groups cancelling their border trips. When our missions office scheduled an SOS Shoe Trip for El Paso Colonias and the itinerary included one day of ministering to children in Juarez, I was surprised to hear that over 25 women had signed up for this trip! I wondered why women from Minnesota, Arkansas, Arizona and Texas responded to this particular invitation, and today I got the answer.

Jorge Zapata, our border director, said that three of the women told him their relatives were very upset and did not want them to come to Juarez. They told their relatives that God had put it on their hearts to be a part of this trip and they must obey God. Wow, so what happens when a group of women obey God’s call?

On the first day of the trip, it became evident the enemy was not content with their obedience and when you see the results of their efforts, you will understand why. Our Buckner SOS director was taken to the emergency room and ended up needing an emergency appendectomy; but that did not discourage the group from doing what God had called them to do the following morning, with Jane Crowson, our mission’s office coordinator leading the group.

Since the children were in school, the itinerary called for them to minister to moms and women at the Canutillo Community Center in Canutillo, New Mexico. After some one-on-one ministry time with hand massages, manicures and pedicures, a film called: “The Hope” was shown to the 43 women present. During the film, we received an email request to pray for the women. Prayer was answered when more than 30 accepted Christ with most weeping tears of joy after the conclusion of the film! That afternoon, when the kids got out of school, there was a line for shoes that seemed to never end and workers contemplated sending some home because they were sure there would not be enough shoes. But just as God multiplied the bread and fish, he seemed to multiply the shoes! Over 500 pairs of shoes were distributed and somehow every child in line got a pair. Observers said this was the first time that anything like this had been done by any organization for the community.

On the following day, the group went to do the same ministry at the Sparks Colonia Community Center in El Paso, Texas.  While they did hand massages, the group shared the gospel and three elderly ladies in their seventies gave their lives to Christ. After the film was shown, another 25 women accepted Christ as Savior. The obedience of this group had already served to bring 63 souls into the Kingdom during the first two days and minister to the needs of over 700. The following day they would cross the border to Juarez. Tomorrow, I’ll share that story!

Missions Fest 2008

Yesterday I spoke at the Corpus Christi Baptist Association Annual Meeting. The meeting was called “Missions Fest” and I was invited to be the missions speaker. The event was held at Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. This was a fabulous evening with over 250 folks in attendance. Ed Jump is the Director of Missions and the churches that participated are vibrant examples of the presence of Christ in South Texas.

I heard a testimony by Chris DeLuna, the pastor of Church of Grace and his wife, Letty, did a great job of presenting the gospel in song. Chris was hilarious. He may have a dual calling as a Christian Comedian. Church of Grace is an exciting new church plant in Corpus and affiliated with the Corpus Christi Baptist Association and the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Richard Román, Director of Buckner Kids HopeUSA, accompanied me and represented Buckner at our booth. Richard Muñoz, Director of the ISAAC Program also represented Buckner at our booth. We shared many good conversations and made many contacts while we were there. 

This is the season for Baptist Associational meetings in Texas. The CCBA seemed to be a vibrant experience with churches that were glad to be together. Denominational structures that help churches do together what they cannot do by themselves have a future. Associations that work with churches to develop a missional strategy to impact lives locally and globally are investors in the Kingdom.

I had the privilege of enjoying multiple conversations last night with members of churches and pastors who did not realize Buckner had such a vast array of services for families.  Several folks had not realized Buckner was providing services in other states and countries. Many did not know about KidsHopeUSA, Shoes for Orphans Souls, or the ISAAC Project. Many folks I spoke with did not realize that Buckner is also heavily invested in preventive programs such as after school programs, community ministries, and other services designed to keep at-risk families healthy. Only the Lord knows how these conversations will develop for Kingdom causes. Time will tell.

 

Advent Guide 2008

I love the local church! This is not a new thought or pronouncement for me. I love the church because Jesus loved her and gave his life for her. I served as a pastor for about 14 years in Dallas and El Paso. This was one of the most fun seasons of my life. Belinda and I were immersed in church life and our boys were born in that context of ministry in El Paso. Yes, I know churches are not perfect and they struggle because they are made of ordinary people who struggle with life. Yet, the church is the most dynamic and powerful institution on the planet.

That is why it brings me great joy to serve churches and pastors through Buckner. As late as last night I received word from a pastor in the nation’s capitol who received word that his brother who was living under a death threat south of the border was reunited with his family in the USA due to the intervention of Senator John Cornyn, Jason Carlisle of the International Mission Board, and staff in those offices. Buckner exists to make life better for children at risk, orphans, and families. While this was an unusual and unexpected set of circumstances, at the end of the day, we helped to make life better for a dad (who serves as a pastor), his wife, and their children. I don’t think it gets much better than that.

Buckner focuses much of its efforts to add value to the churches that resonate with the practice of Pure Religion described by James, the half-brother of Jesus. One of the ways we seek to serve churches and individuals is through the publication of the 2008 Advent Guide. This is a devotional guide that is written primarily by Buckner staff to be used during the 2008 Advent Season. The Buckner Advent Guide is provided at no cost to churches and individuals who order them.

You may want to order them for your Sunday School Class, your Small Group, or for you entire Congregation. If you want to order this guide, go to the Buckner website at www.buckner.org and you will find the order form on the front page.

If you used the Advent Guide last year, take moment to comment on your experience or how you used it during the Advent Season. I hope you enjoy this devotional/bible study guide as you await the coming of our Lord during this Advent Season.

You Put This Love in My Heart

I spent the day at Jersey Village Baptist Church this past Sunday as guest preacher in three services. Dr. Ed Hogan, who serves as pastor, invited me to spend a day at JVBC to celebrate the church’s community ministry both in Jersey Village and in other countries. It is hard to preach to a church that already gets it and is leading the way in missions and community ministry both locally and globally. It is like preaching to the choir. They are convinced, committed, and already down the road with programs like Shoes for Orphan Souls, KidsHopeUSA, and international missions in Romania and Honduras.

One of the joys of yesterday’s visit was presence of our Houston staff. David Ummel, Director/Team Leader of our Houston office was there along with Marilyn Garcia, who serves as our KidsHeart representative, Melanie Ramos who serves as our lead for Community Ministries at Jersey Village, and Holly Becton who provides office management, human resources, and Shoes for Orphan Souls support for the Houston office. We have an outstanding Houston team. I really enjoyed spending time with them at Jersey Village.

It was good spending time with an old friend from seminary days. Ed and I were doctoral students in the Doctor of Ministry program at Southwestern Seminary in the early 1990’s. We remembered those days of learning, studying, researching, writing, and presenting. I remember Ed as a pastor, scholar, intellectual, and critical thinker. So I was pleasantly surprised to observe him this Sunday as a musician. He played the Congas in the worship band and sang “You Put that Love in My Heart,” by Keith Green. He did a great job. He sang with a power point of pictures from the Shoeless Sunday at Jersey Village and from mission trips the church had taken. Ed has rhythm and so does the church. The worship was vibrant, the spirit was alive, and the church is engaged serving those in its community as well as children in other part of the world.

I sensed both an evangelistic fervor and a desire to meet practical needs of those within the circle of influence of the church. It is so encouraging to experience worship in a church that has a local and global vision for their work. Jersey Village is making a huge impact for the Kingdom. The love Pastor Ed, his staff, and the members have for people who live in their community, for children at risk, for orphans and families is no secret. God put this kind of love in their hearts. It is a reflection of the kind of Kingdom love Ed has in his heart. Jersey Village Baptist Church is impacting the world both far and near. May the Lord of the harvest increase their number.

Muslim Background Believers Conference: Aracely Perez on History and Missions

Today I have asked Aracely Perez, Associate in Ministry Development for Latin America at Buckner to share her experiences at the Second Annual Muslim Background Believers (MBB) Conference sponsored by Gospel for Muslims, an organization founded by Dr. Abraham and Amie Sarker in 2002. This conference was held at Park Cities Baptist Church on September 25th and 26th.

The theme of this year’s conference was “Let Us Love One Another.” Over 40 MBB’s were present at the conference to share their testimonies and shed light as to how believers can engage Muslims here in the United States and abroad.

The seminar I lead concerning the Hispanic connection to reaching Muslims served two purposes: To present the relationship Hispanics and Muslims share (which dates back to the 8th century in Spain) and to bring awareness to the increasing number of Hispanics converting to Islam in the United States. 

 The nearly 800 year settlement of the Moors in Spain was addressed with particular attention to their influence in Spanish art, architecture, language and physical make-up. These influences were eventually carried to the Americas in the late 15th century after Ferdinand and Isabella brought Spain under Christian rule and commissioned Christopher Columbus to sail to the West Indies. History, of course, tells us Columbus landed in Central America, bringing Spanish culture to the Americas.

 Within the last two years radio broadcasts on NPR, Dallas Morning News, CNN and several other media sources have reported there are between 60,000-200,000 Hispanic Muslim adherents in the U.S. and the number is growing rapidly. The number of Hispanics leaving the Catholic Church has reached almost 100,000 people every year according to Andre Greely Sociology Professor on religion at the University of Arizona. Many of these former adherents are now turning to Islam. According to another study, 75% of Hispanics converting to Islam were Catholic which may mean Hispanics are a target for new Muslim converts. Websites such as: LADO (Latino Americano Dawah Organization), blogs, the North American Islamic Association and dozens of other websites are reaching out to Hispanics as never before.

Several lessons can be learned from this information: Hispanics do have a connection with Muslims regarding history, language culture, family and customs and physical make-up. These areas should be used as a bridge for Hispanic believers to create relationships with Muslims to share the gospel.  Churches and organizations should be encouraged to partner with Hispanic believers and churches to engage Muslims together. Believers should also take note that as new believers are brought into the Christian family; they need discipleship and mentoring to create future disciples in other parts of the world. If new believers are not discipled, the opportunity for other religious groups to pull this newly planted seed becomes inevitable.