Yikes, It's Cold! Hats On Those Heads!

San Vicente 2019... yikes, it's cold! Frost on the windows in the morning!

('What? Cold in Mexico?', you say... )
Yeah! High mesa desert... it's really cold!
That's why we connect with dozens of people to give out hats in Mexico... hundreds and hundreds of hats for hundreds and hundreds of heads... especially the kiddos.

The Kintergarter in San Vicente... "oh, yes! Please come! We love your annual visit (Lori's been doing an annual hat give-away at the Kinter for over a decade...)

Over a hundred kids plus the staff, over 170 hats, controlled chaos, a roaring 'Gracias!', grateful parents... saw so many kids days after the outreach in the community with their hats...

The Kinter was just on of many venues to get warm hats on the heads of kids and people in San Vicente... Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hats distributed these past weeks, including with the work of our local partners...

We celebrate... we are grateful to those hat-makers... we get so excited by working with our San Vicente 'team', representing leaders from five local churches... yeah!
Your brother, Chris
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Discipling and Raising Up... One Stitch at a Time!

Jan 2019

¡Hola, amigos!

One of the main-stay ministries in San Vicente is the 'Cottage-Industry Star Seamstresses', guided by Lori since 2008 (11 years now!).

Needless to say, the main-stay of the ministry is mostly Discipleship, learning solid work-habits and business 'behaviors'. Most of these women have only attended SOME schooling (usually up to the 6thor 8th grade), and ran only their houses and families.

Besides the countless days of 'sewing workshop' and 'product-making', there is much teaching that goes on, both individually and in a group.

Not only is it 'technical skills' related to sewing and the machines needed to do that, but personal disciple and responsible-work behaviors.

Each woman has a posted 'accomplishment board', with recognition for when they exhibit positive self-business behaviors... coming prepared to work, being on time with their water bottle [they get one when they join the ministry], calling ahead of time when they cannot keep an appointment ['just not showing up' is a bad-habit problem with the culture of the village here]

When the women achieve a certain level of points, they get free stuff... all very desirable...

PLUS, Lori gives 'workshops' on things like keeping your sewing-machine in good, working order...

Discipleship... day in, day out, slow-grow... the beauty of coming into Good things that God has for them!

¡Dios es Bueno!
your bro, Chris

Hat Outreach + Invite-to-Church = 10% bump

Jan 2019

Hey!

We love hat outreaches here in San Vicente! The winter months can blast winds and low-30 temps. For our neighbors who live in shaky housing, with little kids... it can be serious health concern. We've given away around 1000 hats every for the last 16 years, and they are always well-received and appreciated, especially by las madres con hijos (mums con kiddos).

                    [Lori getting the hats sorted for the outreach]

                          [Gracias! Little heads covered up for the cold nights!]
One thing we've joined together is Hat Distribution outreaches with churches going into the community and inviting people to their church. So it was this past Saturday with a church co-pastored by one of the Star Seamstresses in the Ministry. We met up in the morning at the house-church (in this case, a house that gets used AS a church), divided up our 'areas', and off we went!

                        [Team plan, hit the road... good walking shoes a must!]
Our teams went to over 15 blocks in SW San Vicente, gave out over 170 hats, invited a slew of people to church, and prayed for those who would let us... that's alot of little heads!

                            [Check out the cool striped hat for the mom of the house!]
We attended church there on Sunday. Usual attendance is about 48 people (adults+kids). Six people came to church who had never been before, invited by the Hat outreach... yes!
One woman received prayer for a leg injury on Saturday, and told us her leg was significantly better that Sunday morning... yes, Jesus!

THANK YOU to the dozens of people who send us the Hats for Outreach each year.
Stay tuned for more Hat OUtreach news!

¡Gracias nuestro Dios!
Bro Chris


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Incredible! A Cafe in San Vicente!

Pray for me.

Here in the small farming village of San Vicente (around 4000 people), with only one major paved road (the Trans-Peninsular highway, right down the middle of the road), filled with ply-wood houses and cow-path roads... right here, we now have...

A cute little, coffee-tea-serving, free wi-fi CAFE!!

It's a bit off the beaten path, but it seems to be getting regular customers (like me).
It's got jazz music playing, serves hot and cold coffee-tea beverages, and some hand-made Mexican pastries (yummm).

A Christian sister, who used to run a Cafe in the US, moved here and opened the Cafe.

Yes, my friends, this very POST is being written from the 'Cafe Ronn' de San Vicente.

Pray for me, to stay focused and keep my Cafe visits in balance.

 Hermano Crisbaj

Modern Missionary Struggles... Part 1: Far From Family

Modern Missionary Struggles... Part 1: Far From Family

¡ Hola, amigos !

On a recent trip to the Midwest, we participated in a special day-long 'Intercession for 2019' event (glorious!), and this bro came up to me, "the Lord wants me to pray for you this year... what can I be praying about on your behalf?"

Immediate answer: "... our being far from family, and having to deal with complex family issues long-distance... or getting a last-minute flight and red-eye-ing to where family are located"

Life in 2019 means that family are living all over the country... or all over the world... for everyone! This is true for so, SO many people we know. The days of the entire family living and working within a 50-mile circle have gone the way of the party-line telephone. We could unpack the WHY this reality... but it's true.

For missionaries who are serving the Lord OUTSIDE the 50-states-USA, this is especially true. Those of us who have responded to Jesus' call to GO (Isaiah 6, Matt 28) means that we... um, actually GO.

The last quarter-century of being 'missionaries serving abroad/foreign' has meant that we have family in every corner of the US map. Our daughters are in the Calif 'Bay area' and in central Texas, with our 4 grand-kids. Our remaining parents are in the 'Mid-west'. We have close family peppered all over the US.

This makes it tough to 'stay in touch', talk a few times a year, exchange greetings at holidays and birthdays, and even know what is going on in their lives. Then, BOOM! something BIG happens, like illness or tragedy, and WHOA, does life become really INTENSE.

Imagine standing in Mexico, on the phone (thank the LORD for cell phones and International calling plans!), finding out a loved one is seriously ill, just admitted to the hospital, in ICU, OR even 'nigh unto death'. Know that it's a 6-8 hr trip away from the US border, and you are wiped out from a hard week of mission-ministry. Consider how hard it is to quick-close-down living quarters and ministry center, get across the border (remember the 8 hr trip, thru 3 mountain ranges and 2 major Mexican cities?), and then you have to begin to work out finding a 5-hr flight that doesn't cost thousands of dollars, and get across the country in 48 hrs.

It is hard, hard, HARD serving the LORD and being far from family... and not seem that we've abandoned our family responsibilities, especially when the inevitable crisis comes up.

I would be amiss to not mention that over the last quarter century, the LORD has graciously guided and provided for us to get to 'where we need to be' in these family crisis. We have experienced a massive out-pouring of the generosity of God's people in providing flights, ground-transpo (airport pick-ups at 0-dark-30 are the worst), housing, and loving-kindness (God bless each and every one of you, and thank you JESUS!).

We also know that 'God did it then, and HE will do it again'.

However, it is hard, hard, HARD to serve as a 'cross-cultural missionaries abroad' AND be a responsible member of your family.

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By the way, we have had this conversation with SO many who serve around the world. It is NO different for these wonderful servants of the Lord... sometimes with greater difficulty, as with our friends serving in the central African continent, where getting back to the USA can take days and thousands of dollars...

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Lori and I would ask for a special 'reach up and pray for us' here in early 2019, as we are experiencing major 'family issues'... definitely, Lori needs a major amount of 'covering prayer'... and for us to be able and discern how to be family-connected, especially in crisis, while responsibly maintaining our mission-ministry commitments with our Mexican brothers and sisters.

¡ Hasta mañana, amigos !

Crisbaj
Jan 2019
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Amazing Miracle in San Vicente Dec 2018

Miracles in San Vicente Dec 2018

Hello, friends!

I have to tell you about an actual miracle that the LORD worked in San Vicente.
It's been a slow-grow miracle, that has taken quite a number of years to bring about.

Remember this picture: it's a picture of a miracle under way!

What's that miracle? It's churches and their peeps willing to 'cross borders' and fellowship together.

Background: when we arrived in Mexico as missionaries in 1991, we were shocked and 'not sure what to do' when we constantly encountered a severe 'no tresspassing' rule between Christian churches in Mexico.

I could tell you story after story we experienced in Juarez, Chihuahua, Baja California, Los Cabos, Oaxaca, Chiapas... painful stories when we witnessed kind-hearted members of one church who went to an activity at another church... and for 'cross-fellowshipping' with people from another church, they received a public castigation for going 'to another church for an activity'. These activities were as simple as special speakers or special music, a celebration, or an outreach to the community. In the community of Juarez we lived in for 6 months, there was an instance that a couple went to their friend's wedding at another church, and they were kicked out of their own church for having gone to that 'other church'.

Sad.

We have experienced situations in 'our village' of San Vicente where youth from one church went to a special youth event at another ministry center, and had to withstand 20 minutes of being yelled at from the pulpit on a Sunday morning.

Super-sad.

However, GOD is doing an incredible work. He is making the situation in San Vicente so that churches have had to begin trusting and interacting with each other.

The Bajmission ministry 'Star Seamstresses' is purposely INTER-denominational. We have Assemblies of God (AG) women, we have Nazarenes, we have Baptists, we have Pentecostals, we have Calvary Chapel people... you get the point. Lori had some difficulties in the early days, but now we are seeing positive interactions between Followers of Jesus in the Sewing ministry that has nothing to do with 'what church they belong to'.

Enter one of the Star Seamstress ladies, Elsa, who is the AG church 'women's ministry' leader. She felt the leading of the Lord to have a Woman's Event, and invite the women from other churches... including their female leadership and pastor's wives... to a time of worship, an 'inter-sharing' with skits and music, a special speaker, a time of prayer and a meal. The women of the AG church raised the $$ to do it, and the event would be free to the women of the surrounding churches.

Guess what happened? EIGHTY women came out, 55 of them from other churches. Mainly from the Nazarene and Baptist churches, they were together for almost 4 hours, and had a glorious time together.

The pastoral leaders of women at these three churches, standing together, worshipping, praying for each other, sharing tortilla...

As Lori and I prayed for the event 'the day of', we were so drawn to the fact that, in Psalm 133, that it is the ONLY place in the Scriptures that says that God will COMMAND a blessing in the presence of demonstrated Unity within the larger, multi-congregational Church.

The gathering happened. The Miracle took place. The ladies we've talked to are super-jazzed at the PResence of the Lord in their gathered midst.

God is commanding blessing on the Church of San Vicente
After 28 years of Mexican ministry, I got to see a true miracle in a small farming village in Baja California, Mexico.

your brother,
Chris

Bajmission Strategies and Methodolgies 2018-2020

Hello!

Here is the final installment of our 'Mission Perspectus'... we want our Partners to know that a great deal of prayer, waiting on the Lord, discussion within our ranks and careful consideration of 'what is the Lord saying' has gone into all that we have built.
Also, these areas have been written and re-written over the course of 28 years of being 'out in the mission field'. They are not casually drawn, and they give us great direction along the way.

Here are the Bajmission Strategies and Methodolgies 2018-2020:

On-going Development of Micro-Enterprises in Baja Mexico (participation is limited to those who are active in their faith & local church)

+Providing an avenue toward restoring financial health in Christian families

+Teaching Jesus’ Parables to impart biblical truths and kingdom business practices

+Assisting individuals, especially those with limited education, in setting up their own businesses

+Establishing a pattern where accomplished participants willingly train new apprentices

+Creating an environment of learning advanced sewing skills and building self-esteem

+Training of assistants for community wide sewing courses

+Expanding venues for hand-made product sales

+Increasing product line both locally and beyond

Week-long Community wide sewing courses

+Outreaching into the community

+Providing an activity that can be used for friendship evangelism by local churches

+Training others for the purpose of reproducing the sewing ministry

+Offering an occasion for families to gather and learn together

+Teaching new skills in order to build self-esteem

+Creating useful handmade items for their homes and families

Specialty sewing classes

+Growing discipleship relationships with individuals

+Providing new skills for intermediate students in a small group setting

+Training in sewing machine maintenance and care

Worship and Creative Arts Evangelism

 +Training ‘Lead Worshippers’ for Hispanic ministry through individual and corporate gatherings.

+Continuing to build and grow AdoreTheLord.blog as an avenue for ‘modern worship’ praxis in the Western church, as well as devotional and Scriptural study for developing ‘Lead Worshippers’ in the modern era.

+Developing training and teaching guides, materials and workshops

+Growing worship communities in the region of Baja Mexico

+Encouraging individuals moving in worship arts ministry

 Community Heath Education

 +Rewriting of the (huge!) ‘Save 3000 Kids a Day’ educational material. This is better known as the ‘Oral Rehydration Treatment for Diarrheal Disease’ class. This is involving a significant ‘just in time learning’ to turn the entire curriculum into a digital, on-line, interactive course to be hosted through an on-line learning platform and available world-wide with a click. Before this is over, it will reflect hundreds of hours of course-build. (The previous content was published in a nursing journal, taught at multiple mission conferences, and used in training curriculum that has been taken to over 55 nations of the world by the Health Care Evangelists we’ve trained)

+Revamping of the ‘Festival of Health’ educational outreach for use by Mexican churches and youth-groups. The previous ‘package’ is adequate, but needs major up-grading for outreach in resource-poor villages and locations.

+Increasing a community presence through health education opportunities

+Responding to felt need of community leaders regarding health

+Teaching disease prevention and healthy habits through innovative methods

+Sharing outreach opportunities with nationals in order for them to have an occasion to give back to their communities

+Encouraging a “Touch Point” for local Christians to build relationships with their neighbors

+Conducting health screening and evaluation for improved self-management

+Developing new health educational tools

Hat distribution

+Working alongside churches to provide “friendship evangelism” opportunities

+Building an ever expanding network of people making hats

+Providing child-focused give-aways at feeding programs, migrant camps, schools and orphanages

Passing it on

+Mentoring those who the Lord is calling to serve in similar ways

+Modeling Jesus’ method

            Jesus did, disciples watched and learned

            Jesus did, disciples participated

            Disciples did, Jesus encouraged

            Disciples did, Jesus left and sent the Holy Spirit

+Creating on-going relationships, communication, and encouragement

+Seeking the Holy Spirit’s leading to new locations for possible expansion and duplication

+Offering logistical support

+Sharing ministry resources in order to jumpstart self-reproducing works

+Encouraging local Mexican churches to reach out and minister in innovative ways

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Any questions? Email us at

admin@bajmission.com

your brother
Chris