If I look out the airplane window to my left, I can see all of Zihuatanejo Bay and part of Ixtapa Bay.......... This is the part of the trip where I can finally stop and process some of the things that have happened this past week........ all those bigs ways and small ways that God made His presence seen and felt. It's also a chance to stop and think about the multitude of other trips that many of us have made to Zihua over the past 20 years.
I like this place....... I like the people, the climate, the ocean, the food and just the atmosphere in general. The fact that God chose us to work and serve in this area is for me one of life's little mysteries....... because it doesn't hurt ........ It doesn't feel sacrificial, you see, because my friends live here...... some of my best friends....... in my life. And I get to make this yearly sojourn with some good friends from home as well.
So...........Why is it so hard to get new people to go with us ?? Yes, I know...... It costs a little money and you don't want to have to use any of your precious vacation time on a 'church trip'. Believe me, I get it. But this isn't Falls Creek, or a men's retreat, or a summer youth trip, or anything like that at all. In fact it's almost hard to put into words some of the stuff that we've seen and done (ahh or better yet seen God do) over the years. But let me try..............
In 2005, the Guerrero State Baptist Convention announced a plan to plant 25 churches in 3 years. As a method to share that vision, they put together a series of yearly "Vision Tours". These happened in the second week of January every year and were an absolute blast........ We would load up the 2 seminary vans and headed out over the mountains to visit potential church plant sites, pray over them, and basically try to just get a better understanding of the task at hand. The state of Guerrero is a big place and it's geographic features tend to make traveling arduous and at times dangerous ........ But always interesting. We've stopped at the top of mountain passes where the fog makes it look like the mountaintops are floating islands. We got stuck one night in Zapotitlan Tablas..... an indigenous community at the literal end of a mountain road. It was a little tense, as these folks are generally Animist and weren't sure what to do with a bunch of Christians. I slept in the back seat of the seminary van with two of my Mexican friends and froze my hinney off but it was a priceless experience. The next day, when the sun came up and it was once again safe to drive thru the mountain passes, we headed out and stopped in the capital, Chilpancingo, and actually had a meeting with the Secretary General of the state and his staff at the Governors palace. (I still have his business card) They told us that they liked us and would help when they could, as they believed that the moral values we presented were good for the population ;)
One time we visited a town called Tlapa in the far northern part of the state. It is mostly indigenous but there is one Baptist church. Indigenous dress is prevalent and frankly, it's what I imagine a trip to Bolivia or Paraguay would look like.
But more than all these things, the highlight for many of us is to have been involved in hands-on church planting. We've participated in many church plants - from start to finish....... From the vision stage (someone felt God's call to plant in a certain area), to strategy, to finding that 'person of peace', to personel staffing, financing - we've seen and done it all and God has shown us His heart thru the whole process.
We've been blessed to see our own BGCO sign a partnershihp agreement with the Guerrero convention - and then to renew that agreement. I was invited to participate in the drafting of the final document - a treasured memory. We've watched STBS, the seminary, grow from a little bible college on a dirt street to a real University offering four year degrees with new dormitories and married student housing. It is slowly approaching the size of the other Baptist seminary in Mexico, located in Mexico City.
And the people ....... friends for a lifetime that I wouldn't trade for anything. I first met the President of the Guerrero Baptist Convention when he was 14 years old and just this week was called 'abuelo' by a seminary student that I've known and traveled with for at least 6 years. Priceless friends - and I'm not even a people person ;)
I love Mexico - for a multitude of reasons...... My reasons. And if you ask anyone else who has been to Mexico with us, maybe they can share with you THEIR reasons. God calls us to mission and I know He calls everyone differently - but one thing for sure, He DOES call everyone. You're not exempted because you play hand bells or work with Awana kiddos. You're not exempted if you help with the homeless ministry or teach Sunday School. We are to get outside of the building and to get going.
I read a quote from someone the other day that said: "The church exists by Mission as a fire exists by burning"
Come to Mexico with us and help keep the fire burning - you'll be blessed for your obedience.........
cb
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