Rocky Point’s brand new church is now officially a Church of the Nazarene. It was presented as a Nazarene Church at the district assembly in Ensenada, Mexico this January of 2012.

The following are some of the highlights of the last few months leading up to the present day.

October 2011

In Mexico they celebrate the “day of the dead” which is the day after Halloween where they celebrate death. At Rocky Point’s Church of the Nazarene we held a Festival of Life where the church reaches out to the community by sharing the Gospel of Christ with the people. In this night of fun for everyone we also had drama and puppets for the kids, music, food. etc…It was a great night all round!

The Festival of Life

Recently a group of us visited a Mexican prison. This was my first experience of ever being in a prision here in Rocky Point, Mexico so I wasn´t quite sure what to expect. The prison from the outside was square in shape, and on each corner there were towers with guards on the inside keeping a watchful eye on what was happening around them.

On arrival we approached a small barred window with a guard on the inside. We said we were there to meet a group that usually comes every week, so the guard unlocked the door and let us in. The group was late so we waited a short time before they joined us. The guard had a gun strapped around his chest and seemed to be very observant of any movements we made in general. He asked for our passports and then gave us our visitor passes to wear around our neck.

The prison was surrounded by a barbed wire fence. I wasn’t sure if the fence was electrified or not, but there was no way I was planning on finding out any time soon. The group left the main entrance to the prison and walked to the next section where there was a desk with a man dressed in smart plain clothes. I had to hand over my camera and the sun glasses I was wearing so they would be kept safe.

Once past this point the group had stepped into the main grounds of the prison. The  barred doors locked behind us. As I looked around I saw there was yet another large mesh fence that was between the prisoners and ourselves. It looked a bit like no man’s land in the centre of the prison. Several of the prisoners ran to the fence and were watching our every move. At this point I was already planning my escape. A few scenes from the television series Prison Break came to mind as I looked around.

Then one of the guards said men and women were to separate, so the four men from our group went one way and myself and one other lady who spoke no English went the other way. As I watched the rest of the team disappear into the distance, the other lady and I stood and waited until someone with keys came to open another barred gate. In my mind I was still thinking we would be joining the rest of our group at some point. I thought maybe we were going to be searched and that this was why we were being separated, but that never happened.

We were taken into one of the cells. It was just like a small bedroom with ordinary brick walls and a bathroom. The cell door looked like an ordinary door with a huge bolt on the outside. This particular cell contained a bed and small table at the side and a slightly larger table at the other side of the cell with a plate of  doughnuts which one of the prisioners had baked. I finally realised that we had been separated for the duration of the visit and would not be joining the rest of the group behind a large fence or bars as originally thought.

In this particular prison there were only 2 women and the rest were all men who were all in the main section of the prison. The other lady in the group who I came into the prison with and had just met for the first time led the Bible study with the 2 women prisoners. We prayed and sang songs first, then opened our Bibles. The two women were at times rather emotional and I feel there was probably healing in their own lives through Gods word being spoken. One of the prisoners did not have a Bible so I felt led to give her my Spanish New Testament. I never asked the reason why they were in prison but I did wonder. All I know is that one has served time for several years.

The prisoners were very open and shared what was on their hearts and I really felt the Holy Spirit was working in their lives. I felt that even though there was a language barrier there was a connection in some way. When we were leaving, the prisoners wanted to give us a gift, which I thought was nice. They sew and make bracelets with a variety of different names sewed into them.

While I was sitting in the cell with them I tried to imagine what life must be like in prison and at the same time was pleased that they are spending time in God’s Word and building on their faith. Prisoners rely on their own family to support them in prison. Some church groups may help with donations as well. Things like toilet paper, moisturizer, shampoo and clothes are not provided by the prison. After the visit I met up with Chris who had shared God’s Word with the male prisoners, and he mentioned that they were very responsive and twenty prisoners accepted Christ.   

Later that evening I opened my Bible and the first Scripture I read was Hebrews chapter 13 vs 1-3:

“Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”

Another Scripture which spoke in to the situation was from Mathew chapter 25 vs 35- 40, in which Jesus said:

“‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me  something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.´

:Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The king will reply, ´I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.´”

For me what I learned from this experience, followed by the Scripture I read later, was that God wants us to love the people that society would otherwise reject, for in doing so we are loving Christ.

True faith is more than just claiming to have faith. Genuine love for God will be expressed through service to others (1 John 3:16-18) not to earn salvation  but because a heart that truly loves God will be filled with compassion for others. Jesus wanted his followers to set the pace by helping those who are hurting. Good works that come from people grateful for God´s grace are at the heart of true Christianity (James 1:27).

May God help us all to remember to show His love through our actions as well as our words. Whether people have come into hard times through circumstances or through their own errors, God loves each one and is a God of forgiveness. He wants us to take the time to reach out to those we can and demonstrate our love for Him by loving the people He loves.

These are exciting times in Rocky Point, Mexico. I am thinking back to when Chris and I first arrived in Rocky Point. I remember standing on a pile of rubble thinking this is the land where the church will be. So much need in the community. So much of Gods work to be done and so much potential. A lot of progress has been made since that moment standing on the rocks.

We split ourselves into groups and spread out reaching different parts of the community, handing out leaflets to each household inviting them to a 7 day campaign and on the 8th day there would be the launching service of a new church. I noticed that in this particular part of Mexico it seems to be the culture to stand just outside the grounds of where the home is and shout for the person to answer the door rather than knock on the door. It was not long before word started to spread that something is happening in Rocky Point.

As the Campaign drew nearer the team were in planning and preparation mode. We set up 2 tents for the campaign. Served food, preached the gospel of Christ to the people and the band Sounds of Canaan came down for a concert. The team all worked together.  Each person had their part to do. I made around 14o cupcakes and they were gone in a flash. I am glad they enjoyed them. After the campaign was over around 77 people gave their heart to Christ. God is good!   We now have 3 house groups to disciple the new christians spread out over the community. We are just finishing our new believers study class which takes place in the homes, and will soon be arranging dates for the people who are ready to be baptized. It is so rewarding to see the people grow in faith and have a hunger for the word of God in their life. The youth are also expanding. We recently had a soccer/football camp for the youth which went well. Six young people accepted Christ. 

There is a certain part of the community where there is a lot of witchcraft that takes place here in Mexico. They worship Santa Muerte, which translates “Saint Death,” known as the goddess of death. One lady had an altar in her house to Santa Muerte as an idol of worship. She opened up her house for  people in the community to come round and worship the idol. This same lady who came to hear the message of Jesus Christ preached at the campaign gave her heart to Christ. Soon after the first discipleship class she tore down the idol in her house and no longer worshiped death. Now the lady has moved from death to life. She understands there is only one true God and that is Jesus Christ giver of life. Praise God!

Some people don’t understand missionary work.  Recently one person who hadn’t actually seen the work or understood our motivation claimed we were trying to bribe people with food and empty words, but in reality we don’t get anything from the people. We genuinely want to see people’s lives changed for the better. Only God can change a person’s heart. On our most recent Sunday service there were bags of clothes donated to the church for the people of the community who are in need. My eyes were welling up at this point. One little girl came running up to me with a smile from ear to ear holding a pair of shoes in her hands. She was overjoyed because she had a new pair of shoes. My heart melted! It was in that moment I thought, “This is what it is all about.” 

Chris and I were away for a few weeks to spend time with the family in California. It was very much a sad and emotional time as Chris’s dad, Leon, passed away. The funeral was lovely and the people were very understanding and supportive. It certainly puts life into perspective. We were glad though to have spent the time we had with his dad and family. You’re left with memories and the reassurance that Leon is in heaven for eternity as he was very much a man of God.

At the moment I am still working on my English Second Language course and learning Spanish. I find I am beginning to understand a lot more than I used to. The people in the church were commenting that they have noticed, which is always encouraging. Chris is fluent so he sometimes helps with the pronunciation. All is good!

Now the land which was just a pile of rubble and rocks has a brand new church planted. It’s great to see how far the church has come from where we were. Glory to God!

 

Squaw Valley Community Church

While we are on a short break between mission assignments in Mexico. Chris is serving as a temporary pastor at Mountain Valley Community Church in Squaw Valley. Since our arrival here we have already been blessed by the warm welcome of the people. So far 17 people have responded to the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ and have accepted Christ into their hearts. One of the great things as part of a pastoral couple is seeing and helping people grow in their faith, such a blessing. We have 10 people who have signed up to be baptized, and who are in preparation for the big day.

The church is presenting a musical play as part of our Easter program during the Easter week. I volunteered to sing as part of a group. Fun for everyone!

The church has something for all ages young or old. One week I was asked to lead the women’s group. I shared my testimony followed by a slide show presentation of some of our adventures of the missionary life, and also the call to be a missionary.

I am also currently working my way through an English Second Language course. So far so good! I would like to one day be able to use this on the field somewhere.

Our next adventure will be leading us to Rocky Point, Mexico also known as Puerto Peñasco, which is South of Arizona on the Gulf of California. Part of this town is aimed at tourists who travel from Arizona, and also a number of Americans looking for a vacation. However most of the people there are Mexicans who depend on trades such as shrimp fishing etc..

The part where Chris and I are heading, there is a great need and a lot of poverty. We are planning to work with a Mexican couple who came up from Cabo San Lucas, six years ago because God called them to the people of this community. They both have tremendous gifts and such a passion for Christ. However, they need help in knowing how to get started. We will be working with them in Rocky Point as of May in order to help them launch the new work there.

Our assignment is to:

1) Provide leadership in the launching of the new church.

2)Lead the initial evangelism thrust to lead people to Christ.                                                                                                  

3)Organize the team that will work with team members Miguel & Ale in the new church.

4) Help Miguel get established as pastor and connected to the leadership of the district.        

Exciting times are ahead of us. Your prayers are as always greatly appreciated.

 

“Hola” from Mexico!

A big change is on the horizon for Chris and I as we prepare for our next assignment. We know God is moving us on from Rosarito, Mexico to Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, Sonora which is on the Gulf of California.

Our first service at Baja Christian Church was on January 17,  2010, and Sunday the 19th of December will be our last day here. We are now preparing for the next phase of ministry here in Mexico, which will begin after a short assignment during which Chris will be ministering in California.

We have a great enthusiasm  about the plan to plant a brand new church in Rocky Point, but at the same time there is a sense of sadness when it comes to saying goodbye to the people of the church. Our time here has been a real blessing. Learning to know the people here, and to see God really work in their hearts and minds is very encouraging to see for any pastor and his wife. The English congregation grew significantly during this time, and I also have been encouraged to see the start and the growth of the Spanish ministry.  We will certainly have treasured memories in our hearts.

I do have Psalm 23 in mind when I think of moving on from the church here. It says, “The Lord is my shepherd,” and just as the shepherd takes care of His sheep the Lord takes care of His flock. Another scripture that comes to mind is Philippians 1:6, which says that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” I know that God is going to continue the great work that He has started in so many lives here this past year.

Please pray for us as we prepare for our next adventure, and also for wisdom and direction for Baja Christian Church as they prepare for the next phase.

Earlier today I happened to look outside our spare bedroom window which faces directly onto our next door neighbors’ back door and porch area. I was surprised to see an older woman whom I did not recognize as my neighbor and had never even seen around our street. She was sitting peacefully with a small plastic tupperware box on her lap containing what looked like sweets/candy.

Her body was slightly slumped, head tilted back with a small bathroom towel wrapped around her hair. I thought she must be asleep.

So I went about my day and later returned to the window again. I noticed the woman had not moved at all. As I looked more closely at her face, I thought  her skin looked abnormally white  in color. At this point I thought she was dead but was not one hundred percent certain. There was no movement of her chest or stomach, or any sign of breathing from what I could see.

My first thought was that maybe I should go to my neighbors’ door and let them know. I wondered how long she had been there; my guess would be a matter of hours. I waited a short time, and just as I was about to leave the back door opened and a cat sat beside the open door looking around. Then my next door neighbor stepped out onto the porch and walked straight past the body, almost as if she did not even see anyone sitting on the chair. My neighbor went straight down the stairs carrying a laundry basket in  her hands. She was down the stairs and out of sight for a least ten minutes.

Then the neighbor came back up the stairs mopping each step from the bottom to the very top. At this point I thought that surely my neighbor would notice that this woman was dead; to me it was so obvious, but she still never noticed. My neighbor even cleaned around the chair where the body was and never batted an eyelid. I was really starting to wonder what was going on, so I took a photo of the woman.

Body on the porch

I mentioned to my husband that I was going to go around to our neighbors’ door to see if they realized there possibly might be a deceased person or family member on their porch. Of course, I understood that this was a very sensitive issue so I would not be so blunt but maybe just mention that I was concerned about the woman on their porch. I decided to suggest that they just check to see if she was okay.

I started to think, “What if  the woman on the chair was murdered? Maybe they sat her outside on the porch because of the smell, or maybe she had been hit on the head and the bathroom towel’s purpose was to cover the obvious wound!” Then I thought surely not..

So my husband stayed at the window while I went next door to speak to my neighbor. He was waiting to see if anything would happen to the body while I am round at the neighbors house. So off I went with my Cell phone in my pocket.

I rang the doorbell of my neighbors’ house and waited patiently behind the gate. Through the glass door, I could see my neighbor approaching with a huge friendly looking smile. She opened the door and asked if I would like to come in; I felt a bit apprehensive but went in. I explained that I was concerned about the  lady on the porch. I barely finished my sentence when she burst out laughing; my neighbor’s husband looked at me over the top of his glasses and smiled. She took me out onto the porch and her husband followed.

They went straight to the body, picked her up and started flopping her around. It turned out she was a dummy!

My neighbor told me their house had recently been burgled, and someone gave them a dummy to use to give the impression people are in the house. She went on to say the dummy was left outside on the chair so she could give it a good clean before they use it.

I told her that when you see it from the window it looks real; all dressed in tracksuit bottoms, sweatshirt and a pair of running shoes. My neighbors certainly saw the funny side. I don’t know who was the biggest dummy here but I sure felt like one.

The burglars had climbed over the  garden wall of our house and jumped down onto the top of our tiled shed. I guess our next door neighbors’ house was more of a target for a burglar because they had a window at the back where we don’t. They stole his laptop and various other items.

All this happened while my husband and I were away for a few days on a work related trip, so we missed everything. Maybe we might have heard something had we been around but we are glad to know our neighbors are all right.

Last week, Chris and I were  at a campground in Magdalena where they were holding a Youth Camp for young people from the age of 11 to early twenties. Chris was there as the main speaker, and I also spoke in workshops for the youth.

The Journey there probably took around nine hours driving, although we stopped for regular breaks. It was one long road straight through a desert which reminded me of old western films. Only there was no sheriff, but strangley enough there was one federal police car sitting at the side of the road in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Further along in our journey I discovered a humungus amount of cactus growing in the desert. Some even resembled telephone poles from a distance. This is probably common knowledge for people in America and Mexico, but being from Scotland it is not something you would normally see…..well if you want to count that my gran used to have a cactus plant sitting on her livingroom window sill, which is probably the closest I have seen if you get my drift.

The weather was very hot for the first part of the week, followed by torrential rain, which was a good thing for the land there as Magdalena had been having a drought for some time.

While at the camp I had held a workshop sharing my testimony about how God brought me from Scotland to Mexico. The theme for the week was ‘Called.’ I shared a bit about Scotland, what it is like there, a bit about myself, how I met Chris, and how God spoke to me in different ways. What was once a thought and idea had became our reality. The purpose of the workshop was to encourage the youth to discuss where they think God is calling them even if at this stage they may still be trying to seek what that may be. The workshop also encouraged them to pray for one another in their groups.

I remember the first morning I walked on stage. I noticed that the floor where the pulpit was seemed to be uneven. However, I continued to speak while Chris interpreted. All was going well. Then at the end of my talk I had placed the microphone on top of the pulpit as we were about to start running a slide show. The pulpit, which wasn’t attached properly, fell off causing the whole thing to fall flat on the platform followed by a huge bang and some giggles from the audience.

After the workshop, someone decided to nail the pulpit down. Apparently it wasn’t the first time it had happened…we all saw the funny side. The next workshop everything went well. God was working in the hearts and minds of the Youth there throughout the week resulting in 36 people making the decision to follow Christ.

The camp for the youth was certainly a fun packed week with not only devotional times and teaching but games like table tennis, football ,basketball, and mud slides to name a few. There were all sorts of different activities for all ages. On the last night some of the youth shared their testimonies of what God had done in their own lives over the past week. It was amazing to hear how grateful they were to have made the decision to come to the camp and how much they had enjoyed the experience. A lot of the youth made new friends and had felt encouraged by the teaching.

The other night a team of us from Baja Christian Church took a trip from Rosarito to Lakeside church in San Diego for a visit as they are now our new sister church. Before leaving we made sure everyone traveling with us remembered their passport before taking off. So we set out on our travels with the team chatting, laughing as we went along. As we were approaching the road to the border, we noticed the line wasn’t as long as it usually is and thought this was great. We later discovered that we had taken the wrong turning only to end up in the SENTRI pass lane and there was no turning back, only forward from this point on. As we approached the border guard he looked at all our passports and asked if we realized we were in the lane for those with a SENTRI pass only. The lane we were in cuts waiting time dramatically. The guard asked, “Do you realise this is the SENTRI lane? You know people pay good money to go through here .”

We said we went down it by mistake as we  accidently took the wrong turning.

The armed guard said, “Take this as a warning and know you are not meant to go through this lane unless you have a SENTRI pass”, and he reminded us that people pay money and have all had background checks before any pass is issued. The SENTRI pass saves you waiting in very long lines at the border. The guard  directed us to the secondary inspection area with the team’s passports stuck behind the car window screen wiper. So off we went into the inspection area where we met another armed guard looking very official. He told us to wait until the light turned green then slowly drive through. It looked like one very large x-ray machine.

Once through the overhead machine, we were directed into a parking place and were approached by another guard asking the driver for the car registration. With our passports in hand and the car keys which were taken from the ignition and placed upon the car window screen, the guard walked away to another office booth with all documents concerned in hand probably to do checks. We were all waiting patiently for quite some time, so we opened the doors of the van for some fresh air and began singing songs. We looked around at what was happening around us; guards with sniffer dogs, people who wanted to go to the restroom being searched before they went, etc. Then at one point about four guards had one hand on their guns and started to run out of the inspection area towards the border line. We kept on singing and laughing.

A man from the car which was parked next to us asked if we could help him as he really needed to make a phone call regarding his debit card and wanted to speak with someone in customer services. He looked worried. Apparently he couldn’t get his card to work but had money in the account as he had to pay for some kind of permit in order to get across the border. He wanted to borrow our cell phone to sort the card problem out. He tried to call his bank but couldn’t get through. We don’t know how his story ended because he was still there probably long after we were gone.

The armed guard with a serious face later returned to us and said, “You are all going to jail.” We all went silent followed by a sudden gasp of inhaled air. Then  the guard broke into a smile which resembled a cheshire cat. We all had a sigh of relief . The driver had to sign a statement which meant that he had been warned. I guess if it happened again he would be fined. Well, we learned our lesson.

So off we went on our journey to Lakeside Church in San Diego, which turned out to be a great night where several people shared their testimonies followed by music and messages from Pastor Chris and Pastor Gary Tucker. Good fellowship and good food all round.

After the service and fellowship finished, we were on the road again. When we arrived at the border traveling back into Mexico, we got another red light and went back into inspection. This one was a very quick check and within minutes we were back on the road heading home.

Several weeks ago I started to help out at an orphanage in Tijuana and am now volunteering there one morning a week. I am having a lot of fun getting to know the children. They really are great kids who always greet you with a hug when you arrive which I find so sweet.

The orphanage is relatively small with a small play area outside. The kids love learning, reading books, coloring, watching t.v, and playing. You can tell they really appreciate the quality time you spend with them. It shows someone really does care.

In Mexico, children are especially vulnerable of being orphaned by violence, neglect or abandonment. It is surprising to know that poverty and violence have left nearly two million children orphaned. The majority of orphaned children will grow up on the streets.

Todd Anglin Home for Children is a non profit organization that cares for orphans and homeless children. Their mission is to provide them with a loving home in a nurturing and caring environment to meet their needs on a daily basis and to give them a better and brighter future by providing resources and opportunities.

When learning a new language, kids can be very helpful. I’ve also noticed that we can learn from each other. Today  I was teaching them the alphabet in English, then went on to teach numbers and colors. They were all very enthusiastic about learning and sat down attentively with their note books. Their minds absorb information like sponges. The kids also enjoyed teaching me some Spanish words. Each week we can go over what we learned then move on to something new.

What a fantastic day we had on sunday 27th June. Five people from Baja Christian Church requested to have their baptism day in the ocean by Rosarito Beach Hotel. Weeks earlier we had one other person who couldn’t wait until the big day and requested to be baptized straight away, also in the ocean at a different beach in the same town.

It really is a blessing to see how God is working in the lives of the people in the church as well as the ones who were baptized.

One lady who was being baptized had brought her mum along, and everyone was really blessed at the turnout. The lady’s mum  asked Christ into her heart right there at the beach during the baptism service. Nothing is impossible for God.

It is really great to be a part of it all. I remember asking Chris who was going to help him baptize everyone and then, when he asked me to help, having a real enthusiasm and peace about dunkin everyone in the water..lol. This was my very first time helping people be baptized and thought it would be a great experience.

I will always remember when it was time to go into the ocean. The water hit me and I thought it was absolutely freezing. Coming from Scotland, you would think I would be used to it! The sea wasn’t rough, although there were constant waves crashing in. As Chris and I walked in alongside the first person to be baptized it felt like the water actually kept getting shallower, rather than deeper, the further we walked in. Then we finally found the ideal spot to do the baptisms. At this point I no longer felt cold. It’s amazing how the body adapts to temperature….or perhaps I was just numb.

We had a good crowd of people attending the event and I am sure they all felt very blessed to be a part of it. One person not from our church, whom we did not know, wanted to join in and asked to be baptized that very day. We advised she come to church first just to make sure she understands what it means to be baptized, then if she wants she can be baptized next time.

Everytime someone was baptized in the Bible they were dipped under-water for a second, and then pulled out. We baptize people this way because it is supposed to remind us of certain things. When we are dipped under the water it reminds us of dying because when we ask Christ into our hearts we die to our sins. Being under the water represents us of being buried after we die. Then we come out of the water it represents resurrection and reminds us that Jesus Christ makes us into a new creation when we ask him into our hearts.

The old is gone and we are re-newed in Christ.

Being baptized is a powerful testimony to the world that we love and obey Christ.