57/365

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

    the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

    and the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 8:1, 3-4

It doesn't come naturally, I don't think, to see beauty in unexpected places, to notice the splendor of creation in the midst of dust and grime. 

And yet, I find myself seeking it, striving to find it. 
Opening up my senses to the loveliness begging to be noticed. 

The iridescent changing hues of the rooster feathers, as he turns and crows his way across the street. 
The flash of red and yellow on the wing on the blackbird.
The yellow belly of the kiskadee hiding in the tree.

The crack of blue azure peeking through the cloud cover after day after day of grey gloom.
The bright rays of sunshine hitting the sidewalk dirt.
The wind causing the leaves to dance, the branches to sway, the dust to swirl. 

The emerald green new growth of nopal, sprouting from grungy, spiked pads.
The coral buds of bougainvillea, reaching out to the sunshine after a month hidden in the shadows.
The delicate white blossoms of the orange tree in bloom, its sweet perfume floating across the yard enough to make me stop and turn and follow its scent.  

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 8:9

55/365

The folks in the photo did some pretty wondrous things over the weekend. They woke up early and prayed earnestly; they served our community with a whole-heart and without a single complaint. They played with kids and listened to the stories of strangers and of friends, both. They asked questions. They used their gifts to serve Jesus in this place.

But before they did any of those things, they came.
And that means the world to us.

We know that we live in a place that might not be considered a super desirable destination. Right now it's muddy and dusty and pretty damp. Of course, in the summer, it's just downright hot. We don't have a lot of obvious natural beauty here- you really have to pay attention and search it out all around you. Our town is somewhat infamous for political strife and drug violence. We're THAT place.

Nonetheless, these people have committed to relationship with us and the ministry we serve with here in Reynosa. We respect them and love them for that. We've known many of these folks for a while now. One of these guys once had to call and tell me that they didn't have money to support our family and ministry work right then, but they would keep praying for us and keep following us. I so respected that he made that call! The next year, the church was able to add us as part of their missions giving and have been faithful supporters ever since.

One of those guys took my family out to lunch, all 7 of us, when we were in the middle of a long support-raising road trip. He listened to our call and he asked questions of my kids, back when they were littles. Now, 9 years later, we figured out that on most Sundays, his son and mine eat lunch together after worship in their college town. One of those guys sent me a note when he joined the church missions committee, asking about my family. He got an earful in return, as it was right after our grandson had died and our family was especially needy for prayer. He's been a prayer warrior for us since. One of those couples have hosted me and my girls in their home when we needed a place to stay for a weekend soccer tournament. One of those ladies gave me a firm hug the very first weekend I left my son at the university and told me that he would be fine. These folks are family.

Many of these guys have served with us multiple times, almost too many to count. They have helped to finish a church and to build a house with us. They have taught Vacation Bible School lessons, and participated in puppet shows, and dressed up as Bible characters. They have taught English to kids. They have made all kinds of crafts. They have taught about nutrition and taken blood pressure rates and blood sugar measurements. And so much more.

In truth, we've spent more time with these people in the past years than with much of our biological family. When they come to serve, they serve our community well. They are the salt and light that Jesus exhorts us to in his Sermon on the Mount. And equally, they encourage us. There are other groups like them, folks who check in with us often, who come year after year. Each year, we have opportunity to meet new people, and have a chance to grow family a little bit more. It's a sweet balm, to share this place and a small portion of our lives with others. We often wish that our friends and family could see our 'hood, taste a little of our everyday lives, meet our neighbors, share a piece of our burden for where the Lord has sent us.

We know, not everyone is called to come. But maybe some are. We welcome you.

54/365

Around 65 people came through our doors on Friday, and then another bunch on Saturday, numbering more than one hundred in all by the end of the two days. Men, women, teens, children, babes in arms, they arrived and waited to be seen by our volunteer medical providers. They came with coughs and colds, with dangerously high blood sugar counts, with high blood pressure, or just with a desire to see a doc when they usually don't. They sometimes complained of aches and pains, or of stresses and anxieties. We saw kids with scabies and kids with lice. That'll make you itch a bit, just thinking about it.

Only one day before, my pastor friend reminded me that his constant prayer for us is that we would have opportunity to know our neighbors, that we would have opportunity to tell them and to show them Jesus. Thanks, brother! We saw that prayer answered this weekend. We met one man who told us that, not long ago, he had been left for dead in a hospital morgue. He considers his survival story a new lease on life, a new opportunity to live his life differently and with specific purpose. He wanted a bible to take home with him. We didn't have any handy and so we gave him one of mine. (Anyone want to send a case of Spanish bibles for us to share?) We met the mom of one of our outreach kids, who we learned also happens to be the grandma of one of our outreach kids. She expressed eagerness for the girls to learn more, to come to our tutoring. We have a list of many people who are interested in learning more, in participating in Bible study, and in joining us for prayer.

As is often the case, we finish the day tired and humbled. Many of our neighbors have plenty of reason to be anxious and stressed. One elderly woman visited one day and returned the next for a new prescription; her pills had been stolen in the night, most likely by a family member. (They would be sorely disappointed; it was only ibuprofen and vitamins that they got away with...) One woman told us how her young adult son has been missing for over a month and she fears he is dead. Another couple came from their home on the edges of the nearby dump, grateful for the opportunity to receive medical attention once again. Our volunteers talk about nutrition and basic care, but how does someone without much means eat better than the standard beans and tortilla diet? How does a family sanitize their clothing and linens without hot water or a dryer?

And although our providers served our community with first-class medical care, they also finished each appointment with the question, "Can we pray for you?" We know that the physical needs are great, but the spiritual needs are no less. We know that all of us have need of a doctor to address our health needs, but that Jesus is the only one with the mercy and might to heal us for eternity. Hosting a medical clinic gives us opportunity to tell about both, and we're grateful for those that come to us and allow us to share generously with our neighbors.