11.11
It is Wednesday in Guadalajara and the team is hard at work making Oasis shine. I am writing this and then heading out into the city with Arturo. It has been great to spend extended time with him and others from El Camino, the church he leads here in Guadalajara (hereafter referred to as Guad, because I’m tired of typing that long name:). I had a great lunch with my friend Mario yesterday and then a great time of prayer with the people of El Camino last evening. Though I understand very little without translation, it’s always a joy to be in the presence of God with His people.
We arrived in town on Friday, got settled in and spent Saturday doing the tourist stuff. Shopping in the open-air market, a great cook-out at Arturo’s home and then a soccer match in Stadium Jalisco between Chivas (Arturo’s team…go Chivas) and their in-city rival Atlas. Sunday we worshipped with El Camino. El Camino is one of the Newfrontiers churches here in Guad. We are a family of churches on mission together and really do believe that we can do more together than apart. After a Mexican lunch of beef in juice (God bless the person that first thought of this:), we headed to the edges of Guad to an area know as La Severiana. The first five letters give an apt description of the conditions these wonderful people live in. As we arrived an energetic young man from El Camino named Saul led us in worship. Under a fading sun…with 2 light bulbs soon to light the way…the presence of our great Savior was with us. Even now as I remember being there it can be a bit awe-inspiring. I have so much and yet sometimes find it hard to turn my attention to God…maybe that’s the lesson for me.
On Monday the team began working on many projects at Oasis and I began enjoying my time with Arturo and his team.
Will we affect Oasis and El Camino while we are here? I believe so…in small ways. But more importantly, I believe we are changed. We see our world differently. The life we live and the troubles we face are put into perspective. They are no less real…maybe we are? We come, we enjoy fellowship with each other and the wonderful people we meet. We leave a footprint. Already fading, yet a footprint none-the-less. Our hope is that people know and love Jesus more after we leave. And we hopefully look at our feet and see that our feet are changed. They have more of the world on them. They will walk the streets of our city differently. Though circumstances are different…people are people. We all need the love of a Savior.
Living Hope church and El Camino church. Living Hope and Oasis. St. Joseph and Guadalajara. We can do more together than we can apart.
Excellent Blog Jeff really makes me want to be with you in Guadalajara sounds as if you are working hard and playing hard too. GOOD on you.
Loadsalove, Pete & Jacqui xx