Trip to Xalmolapa

On Thursday I returned from a 2 day trip to Xalmolapa, (it is pronounced Chalmolapa). This is a little town in the mountains of the Mexican State of Guerrero. The reason for this trip was to visit a church there that we, the Free Methodist Church, are adopting into our family.

First let me tell you a little bit about the town. It is beautiful! You are surrounded on every side by mountains. Donkeys, turkeys, and dogs are everywhere. It is made up of about 50 families. There are a couple of little stores where you can buy some necessities, but in general everyone lives off of the land. There is a kindergarten, and a one room schoolhouse for grades 1-6, but if the children wish they can go to the nearby town of Cualac (which is made up of a couple thousand people) to pursue more education. The town center is the basketball court that is right next to the school. News and announcements are said over a loudspeaker and all you have to pay is 5 pesos (.50 US). Everyone knows everyone, they are hard workers but they know when to relax as well. There is electricity, and running water (at least in the house we stayed in). All in all, although it is small - the basics of life are available to them.

The church is made up of about 10 people who attend regularly. They have no pastor, but they still hold services every week. There are only 2 Christians there, but the rest of the people are searching and want to know about God - but there is a real need for someone who knows the Bible and can teach them. They are not officially Free Methodist yet, there is still some paperwork that needs to be filed with the government, but we are supporting them as one of our own. The superintendent of Central Mexico makes regular trips down there, and has come to know the people well.

For me personally, it was a very laid back trip. There was really nothing required of me but to come and see. We distributed gifts to the children, went to a couple houses to pray for the sick, and we had a church service. The most memorable part of the trip for me was on Wednesday night at dusk, we sat outside the house we were staying and ate peanuts that were harvested and roasted by one of the neighbors. We watched the children play, greeted those who passed by, watched the sunset, enjoyed the beautiful weather, and just relaxed. How often do we get to do that? And I loved that fact that we ate peanuts - that were not prepackaged or bought. And the sky!!! I have missed the night sky since I came to Mexico City. You can't see the stars, but you definitely could up in the mountains, and it was wonderful.

The one downside to the trip was getting there and back. It is about a 6 hour trip from Mexico City. The last 2 hours are on a very windy, bumpy road. The last half hour was on a very narrow, very dusty windy road that that has the mountainside on one side and a drop off on the other. It made me a little nervous, I am just glad there was not a lot of traffic, because there are some places where passing a car going the other direction is impossible. But we made it safely, thankfully, and I am so so glad that I was not the one driving.

All in all it was a very good trip, I am very glad I went and if the opportunity presented itself I would probably go again.

Obedience

It is always interesting (at least to me) when I come across the same idea several times within a small amount of time. It is usually something that God wants to teach me. This time it was obedience.

God calls us to be obedient. Seems simple enough - but wait, there is more! The first thought is found in 1 Peter 1:14-15 "So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy." You may think that it is impossible to be holy but in all reality, although it is hard, the answer is right there in that verse - be obedient. That is the way to holiness.

That idea is further emphasized in James 4:17 "Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." I find that verse kind of harsh, I never considered the fact that if there was something I felt like I should do, and didn't do it, I was sinning. But it makes sense in the context of obedience. We all agree that disobedience is sin, we punish our children when they disobey - why? Because it is wrong. When we know what we ought to do, and don't do it, we are disobeying, which is why it is a sin. If we obey, we are not sinning and therefore are on our way to holiness. This verse applies to all aspects of our lives, from knowing we shouldn't lie or steal, to not sharing Christ with someone, and/or to ignoring God's calling on our life.

Accepting God's calling, or even simply sharing our faith with someone is often times the more difficult form of obedience. In 1 Peter 4:14&19 it says, "So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you... So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you." God knows it is difficult to share our faith. It is something personal that we don't want people to make fun of - and in some countries it is physically dangerous to do so. It doesn't matter. God wants us to obey, and He has told us in Luke 9:60b, "Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God." And really what does it matter what people think or what they do to us? God is with us and has control. Oswald Chambers writes in 'My Utmost for His Highest': "If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything - it is a delight." As Christians we should be happy to do whatever God asks of us, because we love Him, and by obeying Him we reach the goal of being holy.

This has turned into a bit of a sermon - but this is what I am learning, and I wanted to share it with you. I have had several things come up that God is asking me to do, and I have been hesitating, because it involves me going out of my comfort zone. This is probably why God wanted me to learn this lesson. I know it is hard, but I am going to do it, with God's help, because I know I cannot do it on my own.