Ciudad Juarez

Last week I had the privilege of being the guest of Iglesia Promesa de Vida in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. I was delighted to have the opportunity to spend time at Promesa de Vida- the last time I was there in 2006, I was helped to build the church building as part of a short term missions team. On Saturday evening, I walked across the doorway where I lay cement six years ago, and entered a thriving church that is seeking to plant another. I praise the Lord for that!

I served alongside a team from First Presbyterian Church, Prattville, Alabama. This team had the dubious honor of being one of the first short term teams to use the English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum that a friend and I wrote. I joined the team to answer questions and provide assistance and see how it all might work once put to use.

The team took the curriculum to a park in a neighborhood where Promesa de Vida hopes to begin planting a new church, and hosted English camp every afternoon. This event drew a bunch of kids- 25 the first day and 40 the next, their moms- 9 the first day and 11 the next, and others from the community. One gentleman was walking through the park on his way to work the first day, read the signs, saw the people, heard the English, and came early the next day. 

It was terrific to walk around and see this team thriving as teachers, and the students learning English and having such a good time doing so. But even more, it was true delight to hear the joy of the Gospel being presented, Scripture verses being taught, and people asking questions about Christ and the church. It was wonderful to see the Mexicans from Promesa de Vida and the Americans from First Presbyterian, Prattville working together and loving the community well.

We'll continue to work to fine-tune the ESL curriculum for short term teams, and it should be available on the MNA ESL website pretty soon.

To see more pictures from my time in Ciudad Juarez, the activities at Promesa de Vida and scenes from English Camp, go to the Picasa Web Album Juarez 2012.