JOIN US FOR EASTER AT CHRIST CHURCH!

Join us Sundays at 8:30AM, 11:00AM, & 6:00PM

Let's Do it Again!

We had survived (and actually flourished!) one day! What we were able to accomplish on the construction site and at the English Camp, even though there were some difficulties and shortcomings, was a great encouragement to our team. The work was hard (and hot) but the team is really enjoying one another’s company and teamwork. In the morning we packed once again into all three vehicles and headed off to the construction site. The lessons of the previous day proved valuable and people got involved with the work they had become familiar with the previous day. I picked back up where I left off making squares, but I also had some apprentices whom I taught the process. They would be needed to take up that work when I left the site to go to Promesa de vide, where the local Presbytery pastors were gathering. Jamie had arranged for me to lead them in a mini-seminar. Because many of the pastors are either church planters or working in revitalization, I talked with them about casting a Biblical vision for their church, and making sure that the activities of their church all fed into the vision. It is not just in America where programs and ministries take on a life of their own, being done only because “that’s the way we always have done it.” We looked at Paul’s model for leading as a pastor in 2 Corinthians, chapters 10-12, where he establishes his authority on the Word of God, challenges false gospels, and relies on the Lord, all while laboring hard because of a love for his people. We examined that it was not enough to simply direct others, but pastors must be committed to the vision, committed to the means, and committed to the plan in carrying it out. One of the pastors served as my translator, and appeared to do an excellent job. I was glad for the opportunity, and it appeared that the Lord blessed our time.

While I was away, the team was hard at work. Ken Nesteroff provides the following summary:

Today August 4, 2015 the Christ PCA Missions team served at the Mission Torre Fuerte construction site in Juarez. God was gracious and kept us safe. A small team of four continued to hammer straighten re-bar cut from a spool so that it can be re-formed into squares for the rebar tower assembly. A women’s team of six used the pre-assembled squares to build four (4) re-bar frame towers requiring team work and key skills in bending armor wire to secure the re-bar frame. A small team completed seven wooden formers and positioned them around re-bar frames that were already installed so that concrete can be later poured into the frames to help secure the building walls. Another group moved a stack of cinder block bricks onto the church site in order to make brick work more efficient. In addition to the two professional brick layer’s Mark Husband laid and mortared brick with help from Paul Greco. An approximately 20-foot long 6-inch wide PVC pipe was positioned at the back of the church and set with proper angle for water drainage and many shovels of dirt were had by several of the team to fill in and secure the pipe.

At 4 PM we gathered once again the conference room at the hotel to prepare fpor the evening and to have a devotional. On Monday, I had encouraged the team to “Get Ready” (to move from “I am” to “I will”) and on Tuesday we looked at “Getting in there” (Serving) from Matthew 20 and Philippians 2. Then it was off to Iglesia del Sur for dinner and English Camp. The second day of camp was smoother than the first, both because we had some idea of what to expect, and because we made some minor modifications to the schedule. We once again had 115 children, although on this day the largest group was made up of those over 11. Hannah Brant did a great job with crafts, Holly Brant did ESL for the kids, Andrew Tyler led the sports team, and Mark Husband and my wife Deb led the music. The highlight of the evening seemed to be the skit with Jonah (Glen Tyler), at least until the popsicles came out!

Leave a Comment

Comments for this post have been disabled.