Paraguay part 1: Tacumbu Prison, Divino Redentor, and Missionaries

It's been a wonderful time here in our first few days - with only ten days here we have been busy so far but it has been great.  Today has been the first day with scheduled "down time" to rest and discuss the past few days.  One thing I firmly believe about short term missions teams we are on, especially for short trips, is that we are not here to change the lives of the people we meet; rather to support the people who are already here and able to continue the long term work. In that regard we have three main ministry goals: to support Angel Hernandez's reentry ministry at Tacumbu prison by holding a conference to encourage and challenge the men, to support the teachers at Divino Redentor school with first aid training and a devotional, and to support the Hernandez family as a whole however we can.  There are only four of us on the team: Myself, Alise, and our friends Fernando and Alicia - and our two kids.

The trip here was about what we hoped for, the kids did great for the most part - when we got off one of the planes the woman sitting in front of the kids looked back and asked "were those kids back there the entire flight?"  I can't imagine a better compliment.  Monday we settled in at our housing and then spent some time with the Hernandez family.  Their kids immediately took to ours and they have been having a great time together.  On Tuesday we went with the Hernandez family for a hike and had some great conversations about their ministry and their experiences with Paraguan culture.  That evening we had a BBQ with another missionary family: the Tengans as well as a local the Hernandez family has been meeting with: Hugo.  

Wednesday was a full day: we were up early and out of the house before 8am. Alise, Alicia and the kids headed to Divino Redentor School and gave a devotional and first aid training to the teachers.  (12 year old Cruz Hernandez got involved as the translator and word is he did better than Malia.) The first aid training was very well received and a lot of misconceptions were corrected.  Alise has taught first aid and CPR before so between that and her schooling/career as an Athletic Trainer she is practically a doctor here in Paraguay.  Alicia led a devotional for the teachers and it went well.  When they go back on Monday they will be giving another encouraging devotional to the kids this time.  We brought some medical supplies along with us expecting to use them for training, though now that we are here we see that the school has zero first aid supplies so we are putting together first aid kits for each classroom.

While the women were serving teachers on Wednesday, the men were serving men at Tacumbu prison.  A little background on Tacumbu: many consider it to be one of the most crowded prisons in South America, it was built to hold 1200 prisoners and yet currently holds over 4000.  It also holds some of the most dangerous prisoners in Paraguay: one of the men told us that there is a murder within the prison almost every day.  There are not many guards and most of them are only concerned with keeping people from escaping.  Drug use within the prison is not just rampant, it is a regular occurrence. One of the men we were talking to says that a rock of crack can be bought for about $0.75 US, cocaine for about $1.25 US and bottles of whiskey for around $7.00 US.  Obviously the prison understaffed and just about anything can be smuggled in.  There are essentially three major sections to the prison: General Population, a section run by the Mennonites, and Remar which is where we spent our time.  Remar is essentially a wing of the prison for men who seek Christ and it holds over 600 men.  I think the most intimidating part was when we walked through the General Population to get to Remar.  It was chaotic to say the least, men tried to approach us or stare us down, the overall feel was a general disarray.  But as we entered Remar through another set of gates, there was an immediate feeling of peace and sanctuary.  The prisoners in Remar are the ones who guard the gates to make sure no one from general comes into Remar without permission.  Within Remar men are working on crafts to sell - Angel says that in General, few people do crafts because the focus is to either stay alive or find the next fix.  The first day of the conference went great, Angel, Fernando, and I each gave teachings before having a shared meal with the leaders (who were either prisoners or former prisoners.)  They then gave us a tour of the Remar section.  The extreme overcrowding means that even in Remar many men do not have a bunk and sleep outside where the temperatures are in the low 40's at night the prison does not provide blankets so the men on dependent on family and friends to bring them blankets and clothing.  They even asked Fernando to give the main message at their church service when we go back on Monday (to the entire population of 600 men at Remar.  Overall, we were blessed by our visit there and were especially impressed with the hunger of the men for the Word of God.  After each teaching we allowed for question time and most of the questions were far deeper than I expected.  Angel plans to make this Shine conference an annual event. 

Wednesday night was Fernando's birthday so Alicia took him out to a restaurant to celebrate while Alise and I went with Angel to a home church.  One of the things the Hernandez family was telling us is that Paraguay is the fastest growing nation in South America and i don't doubt it, the country has changed a lot since we were here eight years ago.  What it also means is that as the country grows, it is even more important for churches to be prepared for a growth.  We were so impressed with the home church we attended, it was a small room where about 25-30 people gathered together - shoulder to shoulder singing worship, praying for each other and doing a study or a teaching together. We were able to give a brief teaching on the Parable of the Prodigal Son and the worship afterwards was one of the most powerful I have experienced in a long time; I was practically brought to tears as they sang in Spanish while we sang the same song in English.  

Today we met with two more missionaries: Antonio & Graciela Chavez.  They are Paraguay natives who are missionaries to Nepal.  We were absolutely blown away by their heart and their stories.  Meeting with them was inspiring and encouraging to us as we saw what they have been doing in a country which is not friendly to Christians.  

Tomorrow we will be blessed by an issue of good timing: the house the Hernandez family has been living in has become infested with mold - the room their two girls have been staying in has walls which have become black with mildew and their daughter Paz has trouble breathing as a result.  Two weeks ago they found out they would be able to move into a new home and we are going to spend most of Friday helping them to move.  Then in the evening we get to go with them to a professional soccer game.  Saturday we will continue with the move and then present at a mini-conference at a church about two hours away.  This church is in the country and they do not speak Spanish there but a local dialect of Guarany.  Sunday we will go to the church the Hernandez family attends and Monday will be back at the prison for the men and school for the women.

The Art of Shalom

originally posed on www.crosswalkchurch.com

Last week I wrote about the word "repent" and how it it is about returning to Shalom or harmony with God - if you missed it, you can read the archive on our website.  Moving towards harmony however, is more than wanting to, it is good to be reminded how to.  Putting our lives in harmony with God's will and desires is not easy and is a process - it happens continually over time.  This is a part of Spiritual Formation: "the process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others." (from M. Robert Mulholland, Invitation to a Journey) Being in harmony with God has a purpose: for us to be transformed to be more like Christ.  Which leads to two questions: How can we know God's will?  And what is our role in moving towards harmony?  All I can write about is how God has worked in me - I am by no means living a life of perfect harmony with God, but my life has been transformed significantly from where I was ten years ago and I feel in much deeper peace with Him now that I was then.  I'm not trying to be "preachy" so apologies if it comes off that way, I am simply sharing experiences.  Here is a list of ways through which I have experienced transformation:

Pray and Study Scripture: Did you really think I was going to start anywhere else?  The single biggest change in my life (yes, bigger than my wife and kids) came eight years ago and it started with prayer.  It's a long story so here is the nutshell: I was in a not-so-good place. I was going to church, I was involved in ministry and small groups, and I was a pretty good guy.  But I was also on a path looking for my own desires and seeking my own way.  I was in a rut, and I knew that my life was stuck and I remember having one of those cry-it-out-to-God prayers where I asked God for motivation to get my life moving again.  In reality I was just asking for strength to make a few minor changes.  Of course, that is not what the answer to my prayer was.  The following Sunday, God gave me a purpose to my life through a pretty intense call to serve Him.  Within a few months I was going back to school after 15 years, had quit my job for something which gave me more time to study, and had cut free from a few unhealthy relationships.  It was then that I started to read Scripture with "new eyes" and it made sense to me in new ways entirely.  I look back and see my path towards Shalom with God started with a really tough prayer.

Get Out There and Do It: Phillip Yancey said "I do not get to know God more deeply and then do His will, I get to know Him more deeply by doing His will."  I don't think it is a mystery to anyone some of the things God clearly calls us to do.  If you aren't sure, listen to Pastor Sam Earp's message from Sunday.  Don't start with trying to fix your own sins, don't focus on other people's sin.  Start by answering the challenge "where is the church?"  Start by being a neighbor to people who need one.  Something amazing happens when you experience God's love through others.  When you can go from knowing about God's love to experiencing it, something clicks in your head.  For me, it clicked after my first missions trip.  After my second trip it clicked for me that missions is not a destination but a mindset.

Practice the Disciplines: I think a lot of people feel disciplines aren't necessary in "modern Christianity" or that they are more for "baby Christians" and don't apply to them.  I disagree. Dallas Willard likens disciplines to an athlete practicing their craft.  The goal of practice for an athlete is to increase physical strength and build muscle memory so when the time comes for the game, they don't have to think - it is automatic.  The same is true for Spiritual practices.  Practice disciplines but don't just do it because someone said so.  Fasting without knowing why only makes you hungry.  Research how to practice them,and what they are for.  Probably two of the best resources out there are The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard and Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.  Sure, they may not be the most exciting books out there but they will change how you practice disciplines.  At the very least, google "spiritual disciplines" to see what others think about it.

Hear it and Share it: Call it discipleship or spiritual mentorship, it is something I encourage all of you to do: find someone who has more experience than you in the Christian walk and meet with them, one on one, on a regular basis to pray together, share life experiences, discuss Scripture, and work on how to live out the Scripture with your lives.  Then turn around and do the same with someone who is less experienced than you.  I can't even begin to tell you how huge this has been for me.  #1 - you are forced to not just talk about it and study it but to actually live it out.  #2 - you get to know each other and grow over time which means discussions, advice, and accountability are more personal.

Is this an all-encompassing list?  Not by any means.  Life Groups have been huge for me, so has praying for others and being prayed for.  Fully engaging with the church instead of just attending.  Sharing the Good News with non-followers.  Sharing the Good News with followers. If you aren't already, get out there and experience it.  If you already have experienced it, share it with others so they can learn from your triumphs and defeats; and celebrate both with you.  This is my prayer for all of us this week: that we can experience God continually, both through Scripture and through life, and in that experience know Him and His will better.

trying to follow, not just believe,
Pastor Mark

P.S. One last prayer request.  As many of you know, my family will be a part of a team heading out to Paraguay in less than two weeks.  One of the team members, Desire, is still waiting to hear back from the Paraguayan embassy and have his visa approved.  They have taken almost four weeks now and we still do not know if he can go with us yet.  Please keep Desire and his visa in your prayers; we need him and his experience on our team but are running out of time to purchase the ticket with less than two weeks left.  Thank you.

The End is Near So... Return?

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com

If you have read some of my earlier posts, you can probably tell how much I enjoy Jewish theology and how important I think it is for Christians today.  One of the most important lessons can be knowing how the Jewish understanding of some words (and the understanding of people in biblical times) is different from our own.  Usually a better understanding of the words and thoughts used back then changes our insight as we read the Bible today.  Last month I wrote about Scripture containing "Listen! or Hear!"  Another important and commonly used Jewish word which does not translate into English well is the word "repent."  When I hear someone say "repent" the image that comes into my head is a wacko with a sandwich board screaming about the end being near.  You have all probably heard it used to describe "turning from" or "changing your mind" about sin. Those definitions are not wrong, but they are not fully complete.  To Jewish scholars, repent is less of a "turn from" and more of a "return to."  But if it is a return, we must have been there before right?

Where or what we are returning to comes back to Shalom, or harmony, with God.  It is about having a relationship with God where we are totally in sync with His will.  Think about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, what made it paradise?  Was it the nice trees and waterfalls?  Not really, we still have that today.  It was the connection they were able to have with God.  Their relationship with Him was perfect because sin didn't get in the way.  They were not even aware of the concepts of "good and evil."  Repenting is not simply about running away from sin, it is about moving closer to God.  Where the Jewish and Christian understanding differ however, is when it comes to atonement.  In the Old Testament, repenting and returning to God was a process of ceremonies which people did to get closer to God.  Jesus changed things right from the start of the New Testament when he said "the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15) No matter how much we seek to stay away from sinning by following the law, we cannot move into harmonious relationship without God.  Repentance is still a return, but it is based on faith.

That all sounds beautiful and fluffy, but what does it mean for us in practical terms today?  It means we have to know God is drawing us towards harmony with Him, and we should be seeking the same.  Harmony doesn't mean that we get everything we want from God; it means that what we want changes to wanting what God wants - which is not always what we think.  This is where we see the understanding of repent as "changing our minds" - in seeking His wants and desires, our minds change about what it is we want.  One of the more popular Jewish examples of repentance is that of a man who cheats on his wife; if he truly repents and his mind is changed, he can be in the same situation with her again and not even lust after her - because he is in harmony with the desires of God and wants other things for her.  Even to the Jews so focused on the Law, changing their mind resulted in changed actions.

Sometimes seeking harmony with what God wants means changing our mind about what we think He wants.  Christianity Today recently posted excerpts from an interview with Bono of U2 and he speaks about his experience with this: "We have a pastor who said to us, 'Stop asking God to bless what you're doing, Bono.' ... He said, 'Find out what God is doing, 'cause it's already blessed.' ... When you align yourself with God's purpose as described in the Scriptures, something special happens to your life."  My prayer this week is that we can align our lives to joining God in what He is doing, to want what He wants, and to return to a harmonious relationship with Him.

Hear, O Crosswalk

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com

One of the classes I took a few years ago was Hebrew and it was one of my favorites; not because I learned a little of the language but because my teacher taught a lot of Hebrew theology.  One lesson which has stuck with me is about the Sh’ma – which was the basis of this Sunday’s teaching from Mark 12.  You can listen to Pastor John’s message on Crosswalk’s teachings page.  In English, Sh’ma is translated as “listen” or “hear”.  When it is used at the beginning like this, it was something the Hebrews (and later, the Jewish people) understood as language used by the prophets.  The translation to the English “listen/hear” cannot accurately portray what they were saying because it is not just a simple “listen to this…” like we would say about an interesting news article.  It was more of a “what I am about to say is really important and you need to not only pay attention, but to DO what I am about to tell you.”  It is essentially a commandment which requires a response.  In Mark 12, Jesus did not simply tell the scribes to “love the Lord, your God…” He was intentional in telling them “Hear, O Israel…” – He was making sure they understood how important what He was telling them was.

Why am I writing about all of this?  Because I am very excited about this past week.  Last week I had the opportunity to ask for prayer through our weekly e-mail and I know you prayed.  One prayer was to make some friends outside of church.  By Friday, I had run into the wife of a friend I had not spoken to in years and been messaged by another old friend who wanted to have lunch with me.  Neither one of them attend church.  Sure this is just a start, but wow, God put two opportunities before me of exactly what I asked for prayer for.  All I can say is thank you for your prayers and thank you God for giving me those opportunities.  The other prayer request was for our leadership as we went on a retreat for two days.  The retreat was amazing and I have no doubt that the Spirit is moving here at Crosswalk and His presence was felt at the retreat.  I am pumped up, not only because of what God gave us but because I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we were being prayed over by you.  When I prayed before bed Friday night and reflected upon the day, I literally got goose bumps from the knowledge that so many people were praying for our time together and it showed.  You didn’t just read my e-mail last week; you saw the request, and did it.

One of the things I love about praying for each other is that people do it because they want to.  It is not simply obedience to God.  We pray for each other out of caring.  This is important; loving God with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength; and loving each other as ourselves are not things we do out of obedience.  If that were the case, the English translators would have used “Obey, O Israel…” instead of “hear” but they didn’t.  Jewish scholars say that there is no Hebrew word for the verb “to obey.”  Sh’ma is close but not quite.  Why not? Because obedience can be done regardless of how we feel about it – you can “grudgingly obey.”  But you can’t force someone to love someone else, you can’t make people care about other people.  It is a choice.  We have to want to love and care about God and each other that much.  The closest obedience comes is to say “willing obedience”– motivation matters.

I also wrote about the power of community, praying for each other, and how it was modeled throughout Acts.  At 2^nd service on Sunday, God brought us three men; Byron, Braxton and Antonio, who were involved in a very serious accident last week and Pastor John led all of us in prayer over them.  He didn’t do this because he was trying to make a statement; he did it because as a church community we love these young men.  There are still two other men involved in that accident who are still in the hospital, please continue to pray for their recovery.  In our lives, this is what Jesus is asking us to do: to hear (or read) what He has done and then demonstrate it through action.  Not because He says to but because we want to; because we love God and we love each other.

Trying to listen,
Pastor Mark

Pray Like it's 45AD

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com

One of my favorite books of the Bible is Acts.  There is so much we can learn as we see how the church started out; reading about these normal men and women as they worked out how they were supposed to follow Christ.  Most of all though, I love how they were one in heart and mind (Acts 4:32a.) One of the reasons for this is illustrated throughout the book as they pray together and for each other.  (Acts 1:14, 4:23-31, 12:5)  We are taught that prayer is a deeply personal and intimate act between you and God – and it is.  But there is no denying there are times when we need to come together in prayer as well.  In today’s society where our individualism has become the norm, it is even more important that we are intentional about our time together and pray for each other.  I’m not saying you should stop praying on your own, in fact, it is a necessity; 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says pray continually.  As we pray continually however, take advantage of those times when we are together.

Prayer is one of those things which people are very sensitive about, which makes prayer with the community especially tough because so many of us are private and guarded; we may even see receiving prayer as a sign of weakness or don’t want extra attention.  But praying for each other should be celebrated, not hidden away.  I have seen God work miracles when we pray with each other: a woman involved in an accident was told she had a fracture on her spine, but after prayer the doctors could not find the fracture.  Another woman came to Crosswalk after her husband died, and God comforted her so that within a few months she was baptized and bringing others to church.  Another member struggles with relationships: she was not even able to spend time with her father without arguing – now the highlight of her week is lunch with her father on Sunday.  Countless men and women come out of retreats transformed by God.  Praise God!  We all need healing, strength, transformation, boldness, and more; we must continue and persist in prayer for each other.

Here is my challenge to you this week: pray about it on your own, then on Sunday speak with someone in our church community and ask them how you can pray with them.  Put your hand on their shoulder and do it.  Right then and there.  Don’t wait until you get home, don’t wait until you have time later.  Don’t worry if you are blocking someone else from sitting down, they can join you.  Don’t worry if other people are leaving, you won’t miss out on the donuts.  Continue praying for this person all week, not just for their request but as you feel led.  Whether you have been following Jesus for years or are a new believer, you have something to offer the community through prayer.  Why not take the opportunity?

With all of that being said, the leadership staff needs your prayers this week: on Friday and Saturday we will be going on a retreat to pray and discuss some directions and focus for the future of Crosswalk.  As you speak with us on Sunday, please pray for our continued commitment to where God leads.

As a personal prayer request, I am approaching one year back at Crosswalk and I love it.  However, I find that I am living in a “Christian bubble” with all of my friends and social activities being based around church and my friends from church.  Please pray that I am able to build relationships with people outside of the bubble.

A Change of Perspective

originally posted on www.crosswalkchurch.com

Have you ever played golf (or mini-golf if that is your preference) on a course with many hazards: sand, water, stray dog, whatever.  As you prepare to hit the ball and visualize the shot in your head, are you telling yourself stay out of the hazards, stay out of the hazards? I don’t know about you but if I do that, it’s pretty much a guarantee my ball is headed that way. In my Christian walk, I fall victim to the same problem.  Avoiding something by thinking about it more seems to be contradictory and yet that is often how we address sin. In fact, it is such a large part of how we think as Christians, it has become part of our identity in America.  It doesn’t take much searching to see how preoccupied we are with what we can and cannot do. It is no wonder the world identifies Christians as an angry, negative people.

What can we do to think differently?  In Philippians 3:12-15, we are given an answer of what our focus should be:

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 

Paul is telling us here to keep moving forward towards where we want to be.  To concentrate on where the golf ball should land, not what it should stay away from.

If you have not read Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love, I highly recommend it.  One of the points Francis makes is to pray for more love and it will result in more love.  It is in the pursuit of Christ, rather than the avoidance of sin through which change happens:

…you have to stop loving and pursuing Christ in order to sin.  When you are pursuing love, running toward Christ, you do not have opportunity to wonder, Am I doing this right? or Did I serve enough this week?  When you are running toward Christ, you are freed up to serve, love, and give thanks.

Should our effort be to run towards Christ or away from sin? When asked about which are the most important of all the commandments and rules in the Jewish Law, Jesus answered: …"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 'This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." There are 613 commandments in the Torah, and of all of those, the two which Jesus deemed most important are not about staying away from sin.  They are both about moving closer to God.  It seems pretty clear what Jesus wanted us to focus on.

I encourage each of you to do this in your personal prayer life as well as your discipleship to others: focus on where you are going, not what you want to avoid.  When you pray, pray about who God wants you to be, your place in the Kingdom, what God can accomplish through you.  Pray that God will show you who He wants you to be.  One of my favorite quotes is by Dan Kimball from his study They Like Jesus, But Not the Church: “Being a Christian should be about what we stand for – not what we stand against.”  Shouldn't this be the identity people know of Christians?