Missing Mom

I miss my mom… especially in the spring –

Her birthday is April 8^th, Mother’s Day is in May, and she died 4 years ago on May 13^th… she loved flowers, and just a few days ago I picked up my phone to call her and tell her about the daffodils and ground phlox and tulips covering our front yard, but of course I couldn’t. 

 

Today I saw her handwriting on the back of a photo – and was reminded of the letters (in the days before email and texts) that came like clockwork while I was in college and when we lived 1500 miles away….We didn’t always agree, but she did whatever she could to support me – and she always listened – and even when I was taking a route that didn’t thrill her, she believed in me….

I remember, in my 20’s, finally getting up the courage to tell her I was sensing a call to the ministry, and that David was, too…. she was upset – asked if I realized we would always be poor… J (yeah, Mom, I got that one)  But, years later, she would introduce me proudly as her daughter who was a minister….

There are some moms in western Guatemala whose kids have disabilities – and not many resources to help them, either within their families or within their communities.  Some can’t afford the medicine for their child’s seizure disorder.  One mom takes a bus 4 hours each way, twice a week, so her child can have physical and occupational therapy.  Some of the kids have physical disabilities, and others have developmental/cognitive disabilities.  Most school systems don’t have special needs classrooms or programs, and often children with disabilities are hidden away.  I can’t imagine the pain and desperation these moms feel as they realize day after day that they have neither the knowledge or resources to help their children.

 

The District Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Council has been seeking these children out, connecting parents with doctors and therapists, and, when they can, helping with the cost of medicine, therapy, transportation, and equipment.  They also work with local churches to see that these families are ministered to wholistically, and that the churches learn how to include those with disabilities in their congregations.

In Luke 7, Jesus’ heart was torn by the sight of a woman mourning her son – and he responded by raising him from the dead.  Perhaps we can be a reflection of this compassion by being the tool God uses to bring ‘new life’ to a family whose child is suffering.

In honor of your mother, would you join me in sending a donation through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to assist these moms and their kids?  See our projects page, or go directly to the NCM site to donate -- http://ncm.org/projects/acm1223

Que Dios les bendiga!  - Lora

Isaiah 66:13: As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you….

A Legacy

                     

I recently had a birthday, and birthdays always get me thinking about my life as a whole.  Perhaps because of my age, I also find myself thinking about what impact my life is having on those around me – am I making a difference in the world, as I wanted to when I was younger? 

The violence and drama of this week here in Boston have added to these questions, and some friends at Emmanuel Gospel Center pointed me to a piece by Rev. Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers fame, as a way of helping kids process what has gone on. In it Mr. Rogers said,

            When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers –

so many caring people in this world.

Certainly we saw many helpers in the midst of this week’s bombing!

 

When I think about the ‘helpers’ I have known in my life, one of the people I think of especially is Dr. Helmer Juarez of Guatemala.  David and I met

Helmer on our first trip to Guatemala in the ‘80s, when we went there to adopt Charissa.  Helmer and Susy were directing an orphanage for children who were victims of the civil war – many of them had seen parents and other family  members murdered and were very traumatized. 

 

When that orphanage closed down just a few years later, Helmer and Susy had located family members for every child except one. They didn’t just take care for the kids and love them – which would have been great in and of itself –

they did the hard stuff, seeking out people who were scattered across a country that was embroiled in violence. 

 

A man of few words, Helmer is creative when looking for solutions -- and often demanding.  He is not afraid to risk and not hesitant to partner with others.  And, as Compassionate Ministries Director for the region, he invests his life in projects that will leave a God-honoring legacy --  

            deworming projects for thousands of children whose growth and development have been stunted by parasites

                        microenterprise loans for women who’ve never had money of their own but

               are determined to start small businesses to enable their kids to eat well and go to school

            tutoring and hot meals and windows of opportunities for kids living in urban slums –

who become the first members of their families

to attend college

agricultural projects that enable indigenous, subsistence-level farmers to triple their corn production and result in their kids getting educated, entire families getting to know Jesus Christ, and new churches being started

            the development of a Nazarene hospital that will not only serve those with little access to medical care, but will provide compassionate care for numerous pastors and their families

 

Helmer is not only a true ‘helper’, he’s a hero in the kingdom of God and in my life – and he is creating the kind of legacy that I want to have, too – a life well-lived and well-used by God.

 

What kind of legacy are you working on?

 

CUBA!

How do you prepare for 22 construction teams?

 GO TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC!!

 

Ysovany is the District Administrator and also Work & Witness coordinator for the Nazarene Church in Cuba.  The first American W&W team ever went to Cuba in October 2012; the second team went in December.  Now Yosvany is facing an avalanche of teams in 2013 with 22 scheduled from February to December!

 

These teams will work alongside their Cuban brothers and sisters to do both new construction and building repair and remodeling.  The church in Cuba is alive and thriving, with 82 churches, 20 missions, 461 house churches, over 8,000 members, numerous compassionate ministries, and enthusiastic youth everywhere!

 

So, how do you get a crash course in working with American teams?  Go to a place that gets 25 teams a year and has a Latin W&W Coordinator, since Ysovany doesn't speak English -- send him to the DR to work with Eliezel Soto!

 

Ysovany just spent 12 days in the DR working with Eliezel alongside an Upstate NY team of 25.  It was an eye-opener for him!  These Americans work hard, play hard, and love to eat!  They are also fun to be with!  Ysovany also learned that W&W in Cuba will be different from W&W anywhere else, because of Cuba's unique socialist government and economy.

 

Ysovany and his wife Marila are looking forward to hosting the American teams and learning English from them.  Marila also prepares lunch for teams working in the Havana area.  Their boys Kevin and baby Kendrick are cuties and love meeting new people --

 

Please pray for Yosvany and his family as they welcome these teams to the Church of the Nazarene in Cuba!

 

-- Bob



First post on the first day of 2013.....

One day when Jesus was walking near the Sea of Galilee talking with a large group of people, he asked a fisherman named Simon to take him in his boat out from the shore a bit so that he could teach them from there.  We don’t know exactly what Simon’s reaction was to what he was hearing, but we do know that he initially protested when Jesus told him to take his boat out farther and let down his nets.  Simon and his partners had been fishing all night and hadn’t caught anything.  So it didn’t seem like such a great idea to try again, especially in broad daylight (I’ve learned from my husband that, on Maine lakes, anyway, it’s best to fish during the cooler hours of the day). 

                     (No, this isn't the Sea of Galilee -- this is George's Pond in Franklin, Maine)

But obviously Simon had some idea that Jesus was no ordinary guy, because after protesting, he told him they would.  When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. (You can read this for yourself in Luke 5)

Simon knew when he was a bit over his head – he knew when he had reached the point that he couldn’t do what Jesus asked him to do by himself – and he called his partners.

That is what we want partnerships to be – sharing our strengths, helping each other out, encouraging each other, knowing that together we are more fully the Body of Christ than we are alone. 

 

We don’t pretend to know or understand all of what God wants to do in and through us – and we don’t pretend that we can do any of it on our own.  But we do know that it is God’s mission, and that it's the Holy Spirit’s power that enables us – and that we can do more together!

We hope that you will consider supporting the work of the Mesoamérica Partnerships through prayer as well as financially when you are able.  We (Bob & Lora) will try to post frequently and keep you updated on what is happening with various partnership opportunities -- don't hesitate to contact us if you have questions!

And, please, if you want to keep on hearing from us, click on 'comments'  below and you will see a link to subscribe via email - that way you will get an email of each post and you can always return here to check out anything you want to read again!

 

-- Lora