Timothy Leadership Training

May 14-15, 2010

On Friday and Saturday, we had a well attended training seminar for pastors and church leaders. It was conducted through Timothy Leadership Institute (http://www.timothyleadershiptraining.org/) and I was a liaison to promote and recruit this event within the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico (NPCM). Overall, there were about 30 in attendance with about half from NPCM churches.

This particular training focused on congregational care and visitation; however it is part of a series of very practical training that is progressive. We have strategically planned to do the next seminar in February 2011. There are two things that excite me about the potential of this training. First, it is very practical and hands-on. During the intervening 8 months before the next training, each participant will conduct their own series of projects utilizing what was learned from the conference. Secondly, the training is leveraged by engaging others in the church to be similarly equipped. The conference is kind of a “training the trainer” event and the ensuing months are when the participants practice what they learned while they teach it to others in their congregations. As each key theme is taught, the church continues to grow and congregants are trained and future leaders are equipped. As we cover subsequent training topics such as stewardship, preaching, and teaching the Christian faith, the church grows in faith and the membership is trained and prepared for more effective ministry.

Photos - Earthquake in Valle de Mexicali - April 2010




Mud deposits from earthquake induced groundwater flows


Mud boiled up from 10Km deep in the earth - warm, salty and smelling of sulfur


Mud deposits from the groundwater boils like this were up to 3 feet thick in some area


Irrigation canals all over the area were badly cracked and ruined like this one. There are major infrastructure needs to repair the damage before agriculture, the areas main industry, can be restored.


We were surprised to see, 12 days after the quake, that spontaneous groundwater boils pop up in new places like this one in the middle of the road. We heard that this was a common post-quake occurrence.


Damaged building similar to many that we saw.


Displaced persons living in tent camps because their homes have collapsed or are unstable.


Tent camps form where there is open space and maybe some cover, or close to roads on higher ground to avoid flooding risk from groundwater flows and where aid and help can be more easily received.



Note the lack of steel structural reinforcement in the construction of this building damaged by the quake. Many of the damaged homes we saw were of similar construction.

Report on earthquake relief efforts to Valle de Mexicali

Report on relief efforts to Valle de Mexicali

Overview
On Friday, April 16, 2010 a team of 12 persons distributed about $800 in emergency supplies, shelf-stable foods, water, and other necessities to earthquake victims in the Valle de Mexicali area of Mexico, about 30 miles south-southeast of Mexicali in Baja California. The purpose of this report is to recount what we did, what we saw, and try to relate other needs that may be met by future endeavors.

The team consisted of seven Mexican nationals, three lay members from Mision Presbiteriana Monte Horeb in Tijuana, three seminary students from Presbyterian Theological Seminary of Baja California located in Mexicali, and one other Mexicali resident who has family that live and farm in one of the worst affected areas and who acted as our guide. The other team members were myself and my two teen-aged sons, Stephen and John Morgan, all from Tijuana, plus fellow MTW missionary, Ray Calll and his son, Jeremiah. We did distribute about $800 in emergency supplies and were able to see firsthand some of the additional longer-term needs. We shared the Gospel with about 25 families and left food and the Word and Hope. This was a good effort for a first foray.

The Valle de Mexicali is a very rural and rugged area. Temperatures will hit triple digits in May or June and last until late September or October. Most of the area is agricultural (mostly hay and cover crops) surrounding a handful of very small communities. These small communities make up the bulk of the population that was affected worst by the 7.2 Easter earthquake on April 4, 2010. The Mexican government reports over 50,000 homes damaged or destroyed and 250,000 people displaced.

Damage surveyed
Our limited review of the damage seemed to confirm this data as the majority of the simple homes we saw were severely damaged. Most families had vacated their homes and were living in camping tents in small communities wherever there was safe open space to make a temporary home. Every park or public open space we saw was filled with these tent cities. Most of them were grouped by extended family groups of 3 to 25 family units. We stopped at 5 of these groupings and gave basic supplies and foodstuffs to family leaders and also spent time in conversation, prayer and sharing.

Fortunately, we saw lots of evidence of relief efforts, both public and private, meeting many needs. Most of these tent groupings had stores of donated food, water, and clothing that had been provided. Since we were there 12 days post-quake, we perhaps saw the relief effort at or near its peak. I expect that the need for basic items and food will continue for many months and the supply will deplete as the event drifts into history and into the backs of everyone’s minds. We should be prepared to help fill in this gap as it develops in the future. While we saw no evidence of anyone suffering from a lack of food or water, this is a very real possibility as relief aid wanes and as lip-cracking heat bears down starting in late May. The lack of adequate shelter is also a grave concern. Most of the homes in the area have some sort of ventilation and cooling system (swamp coolers). Surviving in a camping tent in 120 degree temperatures will become a challenge for many and even doubtful for some of the displaced persons we saw.

Needs
The biggest long-term physical need is helping them to get life back to normal and helping them figure out what to do as most seem despondent and unable to pick up and move forward. 12 days post-quake, almost everyone (able-bodied men included) is sitting around surrounded by lots of clean-up and rebuilding needs, but unwilling to engage and get to work rebuilding their lives.

Why? The answer to this is complicated and probably impossible to fully understand. I offer these insights based on conversations we had with the victims and discussions among ourselves as team members and insights I’ve had from other Mexicans in the last few days. I have tried to categorize the issues for ease of understanding even though they overlap in many areas.

Uniqueness of the damage:
One surprising but very damaging result of the earthquake was the release of groundwater and mud from depths of up to 10 km. We saw evidence of widespread flooding from enormous quantities of water that were released. Roads, houses, and farmlands were flooded with this water that was salt and sulfur-tainted. We were told by a public official that the groundwater had 15,000 parts per million (ppm) of salt, or about half the salinity of sea water. As a point of reference, irrigation water is no longer considered “permissible” when it exceeds 1,400 ppm and “unsuitable” if it exceeds 2,100 ppm, so the salt water contamination was 7 to 10 times more salty than minimally acceptable irrigation water. As a result, many crops and farms lands have been spoiled. We observed salt crystals covering many areas like a light frost where flooded areas had been dried by the sun. The ground movements also brought forth mud. In some areas there was 1 – 2 feet of fresh mud that bubbled up from the ground. We were told that it bubbled up warm and smelling strongly of sulfur. Some families recounted that the mud and water came up through the floors of their homes and flooded the home with muddy water. We saw plenty of traditional earthquake damage as well. We observed many structures built with poor design to withstand earthquakes. Foundations for bearing walls were often very shallow and many masonry homes seemed to contain no metal re-bars.

Continuing trauma:
Thousands of aftershocks have followed the quake. The day we were there we felt several strong tremors in the mid 4’s and everyone seemed to be anticipating the next ‘big’ one and what more damage it may do. Perhaps the most curious and unsettling was the continuation of ground water releases. We passed a crowd of people in the street gathered around a fresh new artesian flow of ground-water in the middle of the street. It was boiling up with muddy water that was puddling and then running down the street. We were told by others that this was a common occurrence all across this area.

False hope for government help:
Perhaps one of the most common sentiments we heard (and one of the most disappointing) was the anticipation of significant and solvent aid from the government. I was told by one man that there was no need to rebuild his home because the government was going to provide a portable home for his family. It is true that there is Mexican government aid in the form of FEMA house trailers purchased from the US (leftover from the Katrina disaster) that will be provided to the earthquake victims, however, it would be completely unrealistic to expect this level of aid to reach more than just a few victims. Other Mexicans I have spoken with agree with this assessment. One told me that he has family in Mexico City who still talk about the home that “the government is going to give us to replace the one destroyed by the 1985 Mexico City earthquake”. This is what happens to people who have been indoctrinated for generations that their government is the solution to all of life's problems, which is very much what Mexico has done for most of the last century. It is also a lesson for us as aid providers to not ‘harm’ those we wish to help by offering disabling assistance without requiring significant contribution and sacrifice from those who will benefit from our assistance.

Superstitions and ignorance:
In this largely rural area, most of the people are poorly educated. While most Americans may look at such an event and conclude that its effects will pass with time and probably will not be repeated for another 70-80 years, many of the people we talked to seemed to have an attitude that the land was cursed and would never be usable like it had previously been for generations. This lead to hopelessness and a many were contemplating moving away permanently. It was difficult for many to put this event into a reasonable perspective and then make reasonable plans to rebuild their lives for the future. In addition, there was a great deal of uncertainty on what to do about the damaged structures. For some it is obvious that they need to be torn down while for others it is much more difficult to discern what to do. This lack of engineering information causes paralysis.

Widespread economic and social disruption:
Most everyone was unemployed. The entire economic cycle is disrupted starting from a lack of productive work that could produce income to no disposable income for commerce which in turn prevents local employment for stores and shops and services. Everyone is subsisting on donated goods and there are no apparent funds with which to begin construction. Many of the agricultural crops have been spoiled by the salty water and the area is entering its normal hot/dry season where normal agricultural activities subside seasonally. There did not seem to be any hope or near-term prospect for getting regular routines back in place. The entire social and economic fabric of these communities seems to be at a dead stop.

Profound lack of resources:
After such an event in the developed world, there are personal reserves that families can fall back on for survival and immediate repairs and rebuilding. For most Americans, we could probably live for weeks on just what is in our pantry. On average, we also enjoy some degree of financial cushion in the case of a disaster. Not to say that there are not those who struggle financially, but most people have some resources to fall back on. In this area of Mexico, things are just the opposite. Most people have no resources and it is the exceptional citizen who has some savings and reserves to fall back on. This leads to a very real feeling of hopelessness.


All of these factors lead to the paralysis that we saw and this is why these people need our prayers and help. While it is easy to critique an apparent able-bodied people doing very little, it is also very difficult to understand and relate to all of the factors that impact these people. There is a lack of vision and encouragement. If someone could educate them that there is a better construction method that would make a home less likely to collapse in a quake, could advise them if the homes still standing are safe or tell them how to secure and repair it, and if there were a source of funds or assistance for them so see their way clear to do the work, it would make a big difference. This is where I think I would like to see us focus our efforts. I don't pretend to understand all of the dynamics that lead to what I saw. I also don't underestimate the trauma they have experienced and neither do I judge them for what seems to be a lack of purpose or vision, however, I do see this as their most profound need after Christ.

Next Steps
The key to truly good assistance for an organization like ours is to start small and focus efforts in a small community, or perhaps even one small city block with a dozen homes. Our effort should be grounded with sound assistance principles and not further aggravate the dependency trap that currently exists.

My prayer would be for us to recruit a team of resources to assist in the following areas, all targeted at a particular small geographic area. Ideally this would be an area that is in proximity to a local evangelical church who can partner with us in serving their own members as well as others in the immediate area. If we were able to successfully impact even a small area, this may give encouragement to other communities who may self-initiate similar efforts.

Engineering assistance: A simple review of the homes and structures and determining which ones can be rebuilt and which ones should be torn down.

Economic development: A holistic approach to the economic pressures of each family group. What was the source of income and what is its current status. When will it recover and how can that be accelerated. In the long or short term, what other opportunities are there for income producing work.

Rebuilding encouragement and assistance: There should be some limited financial assistance for rebuilding or reconstructing homes and essential structures. This effort must be connected to active participation in the reconstruction effort. Perhaps it could be structured like a community wide effort similar to a series of “barn-raising” events where everyone comes together to rebuild every structure in need in a given area. This kind of effort could also utilize short term teams, but they must not take over or even dwarf the efforts of the community to rebuild itself.

Disaster relief: If a situation develops in the future where there are obvious lacks of basic food, water, or necessities, we can respond to meet those needs. However, we must do those with caution and only for a short time period, otherwise we will extend and exacerbate the very situation we seek to remedy.

Call to Action
I propose that we, as the leadership of BEAMM-West, set out to recruit local and nation-wide support for this affected area. We should meet with key members of the presbytery and with Dios Soberano and invite their input and request their participation. However, I think we probably should plan on providing most of the initial leadership. We should identify specific means for our supporting churches to participate in this effort with categories for financial help and for specific disciplines as outlined above. We can research other ministries who may already be able to provide some of the services mentioned above or others with whom we can coordinate with and form a coordinated network to impact a specific area through a local evangelical church. I see this as being a very long term effort that could last for several years before impacted areas are again stabilized. Our goal should be to minister to these needs in the name of Christ and connect ourselves to and work through the local church as we minister.

Morgan Roe
April 29, 2010

Stephen Roe

Each of our children are doing very well, but since Stephen is a senior this year and has accomplished some amazing things, I have to report it. Stephen has been involved in a competitive speech and debate league for the last two years and has progressed a great deal in his communication, analysis, and rhetoric skills. This year’s debate topic is on environmental policy and he is leading his club’s research effort. He has demonstrated some great leadership and originality in this effort producing great results in motivating his fellow teammates to achieve a great deal.

He is part of the winningest speech club in the nation last year (2009), so club standards are high. C.O.N.T.R.O.L. Speech and Debate Club is coached by two wonderful men who encourage the students and keep them clearly focused on glorifying God while developing their God-given abilities in a competitive league.

Stephen has had a remarkable speech season, competing in five different events in addition to his debate competitions. I don’t know if it has ever happened before, but from my history of watching tournaments over the last 3 years, usually those who do well in each tournament rotate during the season. With amazing consistency, Stephen has won overall tournament speech first place award at the last 4 of this year’s 5 major tournaments. Furthermore, he is currently ranked as the best overall speech and debate competitor in the nation, with 788 overall points (2nd place has 475). In the six events he competes in, he is nationally ranked as 1st in the nation in 2 of these events (Apologetics, Open Interp), 2nd in Duo Interp, 3nd in Humorous Interp, 4th in Impromptu, and 5th in the nation in Team Policy Debate. The national tournament will be held in San Diego this year in late May. Regardless of how he does, we’re extremely proud of him.

Jesús

“I want to be a soldier!” A nine year old orphan named Jesús exclaimed to my wife.

Jesús had been running and playing a game with the other children from the Dibujando Una Sonrisa (Drawing a Smile) orphanage in Tijuana. He had just taken a break from the game and sat next to Patti seeming like he might want to talk.

“Really? Do you like to pretend to be a soldier with a big gun?” said Patti, encouraging more conversation.

Jesús’ brow wrinkled, not quite understanding this comment coming from a Christian missionary. Then mustering a new enthusiasm he explained, “I want to be a soldier for God, a pastor.”

“Oh my, Jesús, how wonderful! You would be a very good pastor, too.”

“I have a friend here.” Jesús re-directed the subject as he looked out at his fellow orphanage residents playing in the street.

“Which one? Which boy is your friend?” Encouraged Patti.

Confusion again…

Jesús looked Patti in the eye and then said in a matter-of-fact ‘I can’t believe that I’m having to spell this out for you’ tone of voice, “God – He’s my friend!”

That is one of the joys in dealing with children – they can bring us back to reality in such a simple and winsome way. For Jesús, God isn’t complicated with theology and missions theory. He knows God and wants to serve Him. Period. We need to get it down that simply in our own lives, too.

Jesus… said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Matt 18:3-5 NKJV

My friend Pedro

After the death of their mother, Pedro and his brothers lived off the streets, sometimes with help from extended family, but he knew that survival depended upon himself. He guided his younger brother and they suffered together. They were helped by a missionary and grew to be a part of his church. Through this ministry they learned the trade of carpentry and the brothers joined together in business making wooden furniture. He bought land and built a home. After Pedro married, he left his Tijuana home in the care of his younger brother and he crossed into the US with his wife and settled in Chicago. His older brother lived there and helped him get oriented. As a strong leader and hard worker, he made more money than he could have dreamed growing up as an orphan in Tijuana. He saved lots of money and even bought a home. He dedicated himself to his work and excelled. He remembers being ministered to by the Moody Bible Church and growing in faith along with having his own family grow as his two children were born in Chicago.

During this time of plenty, Pedro longed to see his home in Tijuana again, and against the advice of his family and friends, he returned there. When he arrived, he found his home occupied by drug addicts and badly abused. Shortly after arriving, his health failed. His kidneys stopped functioning, and he began to loose his eyesight. He discovered, only now in his early 30’s, that he has advanced diabetes and his kidneys and eyes had suffered permanent and irreversible damage. He was told he would die soon, and to make it worse, he felt so badly physically that he wanted to die. The bad news did not stop there, however. The dear church that had given him so much as a troubled youth was now in disarray, with no more than a dozen intermittent attendees.

After months in Tijuana, he then had a disturbing phone call from his older brother in Chicago. He had left his house in Chicago under his brother’s care that lived in the home. It had been divided to make two rental units, the rent from which more than paid for the monthly mortgage and insurance payments. Pedro had even left his brother cash sufficient to cover three months of mortgage payments as a cushion. The bad news was that this Chicago brother had squandered the money, failed to pay the mortgage, and the home was in foreclosure.

I first met Pedro about this time in his life. I did not know the back-story, of course. That has all been filled in later. Pedro was down, to put it mildly. Forsaken by his brothers and from his perspective by his God, Pedro was in deep depression and despondent. Because he was blind and I was struggling with Spanish language, we did not communicate much. His wife would help him out of the house and he would warm himself in the sun sitting on the curb in front of his house. Passers by would greet him, but he mostly just felt sorry for himself. His kidneys no longer functioned and so he required dialysis treatments 3 times every week. His life savings were quickly depleted and he found himself being a drain and requiring provision from his family rather than being the provider.

In the midst of this tailspin, Pedro began to reflect on what was really important in life. He remembered the time in Chicago when money was plentiful but that he had devoted himself to his work, and then selfishly dislocated his family to satisfy his whims. During dialysis treatments he had lots of time to talk with people with similar problems. He describes the mood at the clinic as one of death, full of sadness, and filled with people whose situation was even more grave and whose family had deserted them. Their physical uselessness had become a liability for their families who had now cast them off, or only provided for minimal needs.

God used this to show Pedro His goodness. Pedro’s faithful and caring wife, Judith, joyfully served at Pedro’s side, driving him to appointments, and striving to meet the needs for her family without a single complaint. He began to cherish each moment with his children desperately trying to invest in their lives though his darkened world. He realized that he had received the opportunity to ‘live’ again.

Glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This is the meaning of life. Pedro’s rededication was personal. He now knew that his illness and troubles were blessings that God had brought forth so that he would know true life and that his family would know it as well.

Life remains very difficult for Pedro. He has health crises frequently and his health complications continue to mount up as is typical with long-term dialysis patients. Yet Pedro continues in his quest to serve God with the best he can give. Dialysis appointments are no longer about him, they are ministry opportunities! Sitting on the curb is now street evangelism. He initiated a small group and opened his home to host the weekly group. He spends his free time visiting and encouraging other dialysis patients. A few months ago, he decided that with the help of his sister and wife, he could open a café. The goal of the café would be to provide an income for his family, but most importantly, it would be a place of refuge and peace where the Gospel would be at work to encourage all who entered.

Life is very difficult for Pedro’s family. They frequently have to decide between dialysis and food. However, he lives so completely dependant upon God’s provision and God’s perfection in whatever provision that comes that some people misunderstand Pedro. Some think he has hidden riches! Well, he does, of course, but they are thinking in material terms. Moreover, they see the sweetness in his family – the love and selfless care provided by Judith, and his dear sweet children who are star students, adored by their teachers and everyone who knows them. Some have begun to be jealous of the blessing Pedro has received. They resent the authenticity of the love in his family and they resent Pedro’s thankful attitude for the abundant blessings he has received from God. In one sense, it is almost comical to think of Pedro’s life as enviable. By the world’s standards, he has lost it all – eyesight, career, savings, general health, and even has been deeply disappointed by his brothers. Yet, that others can smell in Pedro’s life the presence of Christ – and hate it because to them it is the smell of death (2 Cor 2:16), is a testimony to Pedro’s faithfulness. Nevertheless, Pedro’s family now suffers persecution from those who hate what his life represents. The children are ridiculed at school because their father is blind, others gossip about Judith and others have tried to get her to leave her husband up to the point of suggesting potential new husbands with whom to have affairs. He represents the new life in Christ. They represent enslavement to sin and death. His is a life of victory in the power of Jesus Christ over everything bad and evil in this world.

Eph 2:1-5
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) NKJV

Relationships

This month I learned that my dear friend, Tomás Cho will be leaving the ministry he has at Mision Monte Horeb and starting a new ministry in Tijuana. Tomas and I have struggled together learning Spanish (he came from Korea about the same time I came from Florida) and in ministering in a culture strange to us. Remarkably, we’ve grown to be great friends, conversing in Spanish when we meet and laughing at each others’ mistakes and missteps. Thankfully, Tomás will remain in Tijuana and we’ll still see each other regularly, but I’ll miss our ministry together.

It reminds me again how much I need and desire camaraderie in my work. In Florida, I enjoyed working with my brothers and others with whom I could exchange ideas, test theories, and receive honest feedback. Of course, I have that in my marriage and with my older children (and sometimes from you young ones too – they’re usually the most honest). But my missions experience so far has found me missing close companionship like I had in Florida. Tomás has become that for me, so I’ll miss his daily familiarity with the work at Monte Horeb. I’ll miss his insights and ideas. I’ll miss how he lovingly challenges me, but respects my own abilities enough to not be dogmatic. I’m praying that God sends another ‘Tomás’ soon.

Pushing a Rope

As a missionary, I view myself as a 'temporary' participant in the ongoing ministry effort of my host country. The goal being to develop national leaders who are equipped to perform and carry on with the work after the 'temporaries' leave. Based on this perspective, there is always the challenge to not undermine national initiatives nor take on roles that might otherwise be assumed by nationals. However, in the clash of cultures between my goal-driven "Americanism" and the less goal-driven Mexicans that I work with, I often feel as though I'm pushing a rope. (Actually, there is often a non-cultural component to the clash, but rather a difference conflict in goals between getting 'it' done, and developing nationals so they can continue to get 'it' done after I'm long gone.) In any case, it seems that I'm usually anxiously thinking of how to advance agreed-upon objectives, while at the same time thinking how to not undermine local initiative. If I choose to work through and develop nationals, I must cede influence and control, resulting in (from my perspective, at least) less forward progress. Thus the rope. You cannot push a rope very well and the harder you push, the more convoluted things get.

There is always the leadership approach of leading the charge and then ducking out at a strategic point, having hopefully developed others with the skills and interest, who will continue the charge. I have not yet mastered this technique in Mexico, and I doubt if it is possible to do so successfully. At the same time, it is easy for missionaries to get mislead as to their priorities, especially for those who are responsible for developing our own financial support. The bottom line is that people what to see results. The problem is that 'results' come with lots of definitions. Is it projects accomplished, or future leaders trained? Are the primary objectives we seek tangible or intangible? And regardless of the definition, how do you measure it?

I must admit that I wrestle with this continually and probably more so than those in authority over me or than those who support my ministry. It is frustrating to push a rope. But for the sovereign hand of our Lord Jesus, this would be the most demoralizing job one could choose. On the other hand, in light of our Lord's promise in Matt 28:20 ("lo I am with you always..."), we cannot be discouraged at all.