Perspectives of Life (and Death)

God has given us some wonderful opportunities to be LIGHT and SALT here in our little corner of Mexico. Bernard and I should count how many times a week we look at each other, give a chuckle and say, "What is God doing?" One of our LST participants, Javier, pops by our house quite often. He is an "ideas" man. One of his recent ideas was to have us go to his high school and spend 40 minutes with an English class. We had a great time interacting with the 35 students with varied ranges in their English abilities. Logan, of course, was the main attraction, especially among the girls!! We chatted briefly with the teacher, then we were on our way. Later that day Bernard and Logan were on their daily bike ride when they turned down a random street. Who did they see arriving at her house? You guessed it, the English teacher from that morning's experience! What are the chances that they would pick a random street and a random hour and "bump" into a new acquaintance?? Indeed, God, what are you doing?

A highlight for us continues to be our reading sessions with the LST participants. I meet with Karina each Tuesday. She is a lovely 20 year old who finds such excitement in learning about Jesus. Every time she leaves, she expresses how much she enjoys our sessions. It is SOOO fun getting to lead an hour's worth of conversation centered around Jesus!!! Elia and David are also a joy for the two of us. Bernard continues his studies in English. Elia and I are studying the seed-line of Jesus in Spanish. Bernard also continues lessons with Gustavo and Javier. All of these LST participants, except for Karina, join us for our Sunday Celebrations each week. I look forward to the day Karina joins us, too.

One of the themes in which we try to present to those with whom we are studying is the idea of "perspective determines response". The way we perceive, envision, or "know" God determines how we will respond to Him. I believe that God has been further teaching me concerning this theme of perspectives. Living in a different culture, we are challenged to be mindful of how our actions may be perceived by those around us. Even closer to home, we constantly have to check the "reality" of how we are perceiving others in a culture that is not our own. It's easy to get upset when a car slowly merges into your lane, butting you out, until you come to your senses and remember that here in Mexico, there are no lanes; wherever you are is your lane, and wherever someone else is, is also your lane. See? It's easy! No need to waste energy in getting frustrated!
Sometimes we have ethnocentric perspectives. That's to say, we begin to think that our "Canadian or American" way is far superior. But then we watch the masterful skills that are put into erecting a two-storey concrete house. It truly is a work of art. How did they EVER come up with those creative ways of building? Or we encounter the ingenuity of solving the problem of how to fit three truck-loads of aluminum cans into one truck. The problem is quickly solved by dumping all the cans in the street and using the truck to repeatedly run over the cans-forward/reverse, forward/reverse. In short order the cans are reduced to a fourth of what they were! The driver even had plenty of room to scrounge up a few more cans!

God again reminded me this week of how my wrong perspectives lead to unjust reactions. Our dear brother, Eliseo, for whom several of you sent funds to help with his prostate operation, lost his battle with Cancer on Tuesday. His operation was successful, to the point that he rallied enough to be baptized back in the summer. Some time later, however, other complications set in, and he withered to skin and bones. We were honoured to be present for the celebration of his life. The crowd was small, but it was a beautiful experience of sharing the qualities of this fine husband, father, and grandfather. Afterward we convoyed to the graveyard where the family said last good-byes. While Ivan was saying a few words, we were constantly interrupted by the background noise of the shoveling and mixing of cement from a cemetery worker. The loud and constant sound was so intrusive that many of us kept looking back in hopes that the worker would cease his work out of respect for Eliseo and his family. But no, the shoveling continued. Finally, upon Ivan's concluding words the irritating noise also came to an end. My thought was, "Yeah, wouldn't you know the worker would stop just about the time Ivan concluded his thoughts." It was then that the worker parted through the crowd carrying a heavy pail of wet concrete. He placed four concrete slabs over Eliseo's grave, then pail, by pail carried wet concrete to pour over the grave. I was humbled. The worker's face poured with sweat as he laboured tirelessly to give honour and a last dignity to Eliseo and his family. And what honour did I give him? I barely listened to Ivan's words out of my annoyance over the mixing of the concrete-the very concrete that would seal Eliseo's final resting place. Sigh...

With the holidays approaching, I've been a bit on the melancholy side. I've missed my dear sweet mother, my sister and her family, and the only remaining uncle, Dorsey and Betty, in Alabama as the Arnolds gathered for the yearly family reunion-Thanksgiving always reminds me of my family and my growing-up years. The upcoming holidays without Kresten and Ashley seem less than exciting. I would much rather be putting up the Christmas tree knowing that all five of us would be opening presents together on Christmas morning. However, my perception of these holidays determines my response. I know there will be other holidays when we will share in the festivities together--just not this year. On that thought, I'll sign off until the next blog. My little boy is anxiously waiting to dust off the stored Christmas tree. We have a house to decorate; the holidays are coming!

New-Birth Day

Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to me. Happy Birthday to Alicia. Happy Birthday to me. November 2, 1982. It was very late at night my last year of University. I had been studying God's Word with one of my best friends, Carol, and the campus minister, Larry Cline, at Troy State University. I grew up "going to church", but some of the things I studied challenged my thinking. I finally began to understand the great sacrifice Jesus had made for me. I realized my great need for His blood to wash away my sins. I longed to be a new creation in Christ. I died to myself into Christ's death, coming under the authority of Jesus 27 years ago!!! I've taken some time this past week to reflect on the many ways God has used others to help mold me into the person He has created me to be. I'm so very grateful to be walking in the grace of God's love. Without that life-changing decision in the late hours of that Nov. 2 night, I would have lived out a very different life. It's a privilege and honour to represent the One who has made all the difference in my life. It's been a great 27 years.

Our family had an adventurous week-end. Saturday was packed with activities and people. We began the day by visiting my friend's aunt and uncle. Socorro has been asking me for weeks to drive out to Guacamayas to "chat" with her Auntie Socorrita. Getting there was like going out into the bush of Africa (Okay, it wasn't that rough, but close.) It was an extremely poor area, and we were the novelty item of the day. Logan became quite uncomfortable that "everybody" stopped and stared at the "guerros" (white folks). We finally arrived at the tios' home, which was little more than a wooden shack. A little old lady was sitting out in her big plastic chair that seemed to dwarf her little body even more. She broke out in a huge smile to see Socorro, then the tears followed. She explained that her "viejito" (old man) had left her and she had been sitting there all day. She didn't know where he was. As it turned out "Tio" (Uncle) returned about an hour later from the ferreteria (tool shop) where he had bought a pump (through small weekly payments) to supply water to his cactus plants. The moment he arrived home, Tia Socorrita settled. Socorro introduced us by telling her uncle that we were teachers of the Bible, and that we could answer any questions he had about God. (After picking my jaw up off the floor, we explained that we were simply on a journey, and that if he would like to join us, we could investigate God's Word together.) He was thrilled. He popped one question after another as we tried to give the Reader's Digest answers. After an intense and quite enjoyable time of discussion, he leaned back in his chair and declared, "No one has ever been able to answer all these questions I've had. I've asked many people who have come knocking on my door. They don't know the answers, and they never come back." We expressed our concern in just "knowing facts", and explored the need to know God and His desire for our lives. We left him a Bible, which clearly marked the passages that answered some of his questions, and we settled on a date when we would return again to spend the afternoon together (as well as bring him a pair of reading glasses). What impressed me the most about this gentleman was his passion to live for God. There he sat in front of his wooden shack, his wife robed in a dirty plain dress, his home supplied with the most basic of necessities--and guess what he spoke about--his desire to do good for the poor!!! What a humbling experience. This humble man who works every day in his cactus garden to earn a few pesos for his little wife and himself taught me a lesson in having compassion for the poor. He knows he's poor, but he realizes there are many who have even less than he. We can't wait to be with him again and glean from his many years of wisdom. Our lives will no doubt be blessed!!

Sunday's Celebration brought 108 people together in worship to our God. It was a great morning of song, prayer, testimony and praise. Afterward, we loaded into various cars and trucks and headed out to Miramar where Tammy and Malcolm hosted between 70 and 80 folks in their home. It was a grand time of fellowship and getting to know one another on a deeper level. As we have the privilege to walk shoulder to shoulder with our brothers, sisters and friends of La Comunidad de Cristo, I can't help but wonder if much of what we do would have been similar to many things that the first century church did that we read about in the book of Acts. What a great family of believers!!

Hope you had a great week-end, too! Until next blog,
Alicia, for the Krogsgaards

A Week Full of Surprises!

Do you know what I love most about working in our Master's Kingdom? We never know what things God will bring our way. I think of Jesus and his resolute decision to get to Jerusalem; yet, along the way he met up with many opportunities to bless others' lives. Bernard and I have our general schedule of what our activities will be for the week, but we just never know what other opportunities God will orchestrate to tie into those events. Our first adventure came on Monday evening when our Let's Start Talking reader, David, and his girlfriend, Elia, scheduled their session. David had mentioned bringing over a few friends with whom he had been taking an entrepreneur class. Thinking I would make them a treat, I began to make a lemon pie. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect SEVEN people to show up at my front door FORTY-FIVE minutes early. I had flour over me, Bern was out for the next thirty minutes, and I had not one sip of cool drink to offer. After finding places for all our guests to sit, I scurried Logan off to the corner store to buy cold refrescos. As it turned out, it was a wonderful evening. Four of the guests were from nearby aboriginal coastal towns, and one guest was a tourism promoter for the state of Michoacan. The little group of seven has been cooperating together to bring about an ecologically based tourism business to their land on the virgin Michoacan Pacific coast. They are wanting to offer their land for tourism to the Canadian public. They are hoping we can help them promote their beautiful vacation spots by finding a person in Canada to get the word out about the Michoacan coast. We had a lovely conversation, but the most impressive moment was when we asked if we could pray for God's blessings on their endeavors. After our prayer, David ran out to his truck, grabbed his Bible, and asked if he could read a passage from Job. He reverently opened his Bible and stood to read. The others immediately stood to hear the Word of God. It was a holy moment as David read Job 22:19-30 ...Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you...If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored...You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows...After our guests said their last good-byes, Bernard and I turned to each other and said, "What is God doing in all this???"

Our next surprise came on Wednesday when we got to enjoy the presence of our new Mexican team member, Ivan Ponce de Leon. He, Stephanie and five month old Ethan arrived earlier in the week from Texas. We look forward to seeing how God will use this wonderful couple in La Comunidad de Cristo! I also got to share a classic Canadian food- G'pa's Johnny Cake with genuine Saskatoon Berry syrup (Thanks, Sharon, for providing that from the Berry Barn.) It was a big hit for our Texan and New Zealand team mates. Logan remembered how much he loved it, too.

Thursday turned out to be a big day with my Thursday Bible study. God stirred the participants into deep prayer as we brought the names of several struggling Christians before the throne. God's presence was tangible as we begged His mercies upon our loved ones. Comments were tossed around that we need more prayer in our celebration times on Sundays. God formed an idea in my mind. (More on that later.) Then we were off to a big birthday party for one of our family's five year old, Ximena. The mom was frazzled as she prepared for her 50 plus guests. She didn't know how she would ever entertain the children and serve everyone. Alas, Bernard and Alicia to the rescue. Our years of LST parties gave way to a million party games. The kids had a great time and the parents enjoyed watching the crazy Canadian games their children were playing. The birthday mom was the most grateful as she didn't have to entertain all those kids!! Afterward I rushed home to get chairs set up for our make-shift Bible study since the birthday party was still going strong at the building where we usually host the study. Again, God orchestrated great things as we studied and visited until 11 pm.

Friday brought another set of great circumstances and conversations as five women gathered at Blanca's house to enjoy a morning of food and fellowship. We covered a host of topics from the celebration of Halloween to testimonies of how broken marriages have been healed through tough love. During our conversation one of the women, Julia, who has been worshiping with us for many months expressed her concern that she didn't sense a full joy that she has seen in some of us women. After much probing and questioning, it finally came out that she has been living with a married man for 21 years, with the hope they he would leave his wife and marry her. After much admonition, advice and godly counsel, we took her burden to God. It was a powerful time of prayer for our dear friend who is suffering from wanting to follow Jesus, but burdened by the love of a man who can never be hers- the father of her three children. We saw, first-hand, the power of confession. She's faced with a very difficult decision as she contemplates her "first love".

Now it's Sunday and the surprises continue. With Blanca's admonition that we needed to pray as a church for some of the baby Christians who are struggling with sin, as well as those who have not yet named Jesus as their Christ and Saviour, Bernard and I planned a time of congregational prayer. It was an amazing experience. I think if we had made the time, every person in the congregation would have come forward for prayer today. Rather than feeling shame for their weaknesses, many poured out their hearts as they struggle in their journey to walk with Jesus. Afterward our praise and worship was filled with a renewed joy and determination to live a life worthy of our calling. It was a great day.

And the surprises continue even as I bring this blog post to a close. Our family escaped the trick- or- treaters Saturday night by spending the afternoon and evening at Miramar. We arrived home about 11 pm, glad to see no evidence of eggs having been thrown at our door. However, around 9:00 tonight (Sunday) we were greeted with the familiar songs of the trick-or-treaters at our door. No one told us that Halloween candy beggars peruse the streets THREE nights!!! We had little candy, few coins, and even less desire to explain our oversight, only to receive an egg or two thrown at our wall. (These little goblins are so very persistent.) So we turned out the lights and headed for our team mates' house. We visited for a few hours until we thought the begging ghosts had all retired for the night. Our first order of business for tomorrow is to head for the store and buy a BIG bag of candy for our little beggars tomorrow night. Next year we'll be ready!!!!

Hope you have a week full of surprises from God, too. Until next week,
Alicia for the Krosgsgaards