Remembering

DTS students worshipping

Worship

In Awe

Surrender

     

I was standing at the window watching a dog bark across the street.  It took me a few minutes to realise the dog was on the roof of a house.  It took me till the next day to realise the dog lived on the roof!  Throughout the city dogs lived on low, flat, and colourful roofs .....I was in Chiapas, Mexico. 

     This was a few years ago.  It took me forever to get to the city.  I had left from Costa Rica 4 hours late, only to get to Mexico City to be told I had missed my connecting flight.  Since the flight only flew once a day, I had to wait till the next day to fly into Chiapas.  

     I was in a strange city, didn't speak the language well and unsure of what to do.  I met a few people who were very friendly and they helped me get a motel.  I didn't sleep very well though, because I could not lock my door.  I had to leave the motel at 4:30 so I thought not much sleep anyway!

     I arrived in Chiapas around 9am and there were four friendly faces waiting.  I was so glad to see these young people who had invited me to speak in their Discipleship Training School.  We took a taxi to the bus station and then drove up a beautiful mountain.  We stopped in a city that was not Chiapas, got another taxi and two hours later I was in Chiapas ......what an adventure!

     My young friends told me we had just come up a mountain where over fifty indigenous groups lived and most of them hated Christians.  The languages spoken were a dialect of Spanish and there was much 'brujeria" (witchcraft) throughout the tribes. 

     The Youth With A Mission house I was staying in for a week was very small with only a few rooms, but they gave me the nicest one.  The Mexicans are very hospitable.  It was a very interesting house with a garage in the middle of the building; rooms surrounding the cars!  The floors were concrete and the roof tin.  They showed me one bathroom and said twenty of us would be using it.  The house was spotless (even with cars in the middle of the rooms!) and there was hot water.

     The food was very interesting, one day I ate pig's ear.  They did not tell me until after I had eaten it.  Not sure if this was a trick or a language barrier ...I think maybe the latter!  It tasted a bit like squid, a bit rubbery.  They served much cow's liver.  This along with rice and beans seemed to be the staple food.  They took me out to eat several times and guess what I had to eat?  Lot of tacos!  They were delicious.

     I went to a market one day, seemed like another world.  Not sure how to describe this scene, you just had to be there; beautiful people, many colours, food and children everywhere.  The babies were carried on the backs of their mothers in huge scarves.  People were sitting on the streets, in groups, everywhere selling their produce.  I ate corn on the cob, grilled over an open fire; delicious!

     I was teaching that week on the Active Presence of God in our lives.  As I was standing in the market that day I became so aware of God's presence with me.  Although I was in a foreign town with people I did not understand, food I did not recognise and was not sure how to get back to the house I was staying in; I knew I was not alone.  

     I shared that week with about twenty-five young people from the country of Mexico.  I wanted them to understand that though they were living in a very small town with much poverty, they were people with a purpose, a destiny, they were with Jesus through Holy Spirit.  They were united with Father; they were part of God's story.  I could see in their faces by the end of week they sensed God's spirit; they had captured God's heart from Revelation 7:9 ".....every race, tribe, nation and language."

     The Thursday night I was there, the young people had what they called an "international night" where even people from the surrounding communities came.  They were going to pray for China.  All the young people were dressed in Chinese style and we ate with chopsticks.  I shared a bit with them and then we worshipped.  I had not ever experienced anything like this, and a young girl started singing in Chinese.  It was so crystal clear.  So amazing, the next day the young girl's mom came and asked when would she stop.  One of the students from the DTS was a young guy..... let's call Isaac and he was a lawyer in Chiapas.  He came to me and said, "I asked God for a miracle tonight, I guess He did!"  

     This was one of the most amazing trips and teaching weeks I have ever had.  I am not sure why I continue to think about it, why God has brought it to mind, but I continue to remember.  I know this blog is a bit long, but I felt to share it with you.  I hope you find it encouraging.

     There was one more thing I did that week I still remember so well.  I was on the radio!  Yes that is right.  I was asked to give my testimony and to share how God could use people  right there from Chiapas, Mexico to participate with Him in His mission in this world.  The broadcaster told me afterwards my words were real and honest.  He said that is what people want to hear because so much of Christianity was connected with religion, not relationship.

       It was an expensive trip, a bit scary at times, but as you can see I am still thinking about it.  I remember as I was getting in the taxi to go down the mountain at the end of the week Isaac came up to me, hugged me and said, "God showed me another miracle this week and that is you.  Thank you for coming here.  I will never be the same and if I don't see you in this world again we will meet at the Throne worshipping Him."  

     Maybe that is why I am remembering this week again .......this young man reminded me why I do what I do, why I can't help but do what I do .....encouraging, inspiring, teaching, telling people who God is, who they are, how much humanity means to God and what our purpose is.

     As I went down that mountain I couldn't see the beauty because of tears streaming down my face .......but I felt His pleasure .........