Hello Family,
It is November and time is going very fast. I was in India Sept 15 to Oct. 2. I have not been in the best shape, the return to Albuquerque was very hard. Jet lag is a pain! My daughter Meghan has made my heart sick. She is involved with a very bad man and is homeless at present by her own choice. Drugs and poor choices are inflicting "real life" on her. Please pray for her to come back to the Lord. He can make it happen. In the mean time my heart is very sad and I am moving about my activities in heart sick pain for my child.
This e-letter is about a topic of 'BEYOND DUTY'. Bob and I went to India with the idea of "How do we obey the Great Commission?" That was the wrong place to start. We needed to look at this mission trip in a different way. The scripture is plain: Who is the triune God? What is God doing in the world? How do we respond with God in his redemptive purpose? These were the questions to be answered.
The Church's involvement in missions is its privileged participation in the actions of the triune God. The lack of passion for missions in the western world is not caused by the lack of information or exhortation. I can not make anyone want to do missions. It is best fixed by intensifying peoples' passion for Christ, so that the passions of His heart becomes the passions that propel our hearts.
We can not just proclaim that the Church of God has a mission in the world but that, the God of missions has a Church in the world. Grasp this inversion of subject and object and you will see what we saw in India. To participate in missions is a joyous and life-giving privilege.
If the Church is faithful to the gospel, its focus, passion and delight will always and only be in Jesus. Then the theme of mission will not be one of "I bring you bad news of sad problems". Woven into the fabric of our faith is good news! Yet we have made missions about the problems and unmet needs.
We were witnesses to great hope, not merely grievous hurt. Scripture tells us "since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us give thanks"(Heb 12:28).
I could tell you of the many unmet needs of the children at Lighthouse Welfare Trust, but then I would have to tell you about the wonderful people who get up every morning and care for the 35 children at the orphanage.
I could tell you of the Iron deficiency problems with the children but then I would have to tell you of the many wonderful people who give funds for the nutritional supplements to make them feel better. These few street and village kids came from hunger, poverty and uncertain lives. Now they all know Jesus. They all know what chicken looks like and taste like. They are happy and their health is improving.
Channai's Christian community is growing. Pastor Solomon and his family are passionate about preaching the gospel! Lighthouse Church is almost finished and will be dedicated to God in December. It was at a rented building for many years. Now it is on the third floor of Solomon's home. He proudly told me "now every part of our home can be used for the Lord."
Solomon has told me for almost a year that he needed a car. He was prayerful to use the money God provided for His will and not just get a car. When we got to India his car was in very bad shape. Sitting in the front seat you could see the road at your feet, the hole was that big! I fell out of the car on my pride when my foot got tangled on the wires of the back seat. I had to dust off and make sure I was not seen by the 5,000 people on the road that morning. It hurt but I was not broken! Then God made a way for a new car to be used for the ministry. Praise God, it was really needed. Solomon got the car home two weeks after we left India.
We got to go to the beach and see what the tsunami destroyed that Sunday morning 12-26 two years ago. We saw new boats that mission organizations donated to get families back on the water to fish and new small houses built for the families to get out of harms way. Bad things made good!
We sat in a 12 step program planning meeting to address the drug and drinking problem in Channai. The government SELLS the stuff on every corner. Sixteen people from the church have stepped up to learn what it takes to run the program for addiction. I pray for the same success in India, that it has had in the US.
We were able to attend a sports day for the neighborhood. This event was sponsored by the Four Square Church. Solomon's dad is the pastor of this church. Five hundred children of all religions were in play that day. They all had fun and were able to hear, in a good way, how God loves them. Christian love and fun were the words to grow upon on that day. Not the poverty, hunger and heat of the day taking place outside the big gates of the church. God gave them favor for the day and made us all thankful we attended the event.
We were able to take Solomon and his family on a two day holiday to the hill country. It was the first time in several years Solomon was able to spend some quality time with his family. We ate, slept and played. A good time was had by the tired servants of God. Bob and I made ready for the 19 hour plane ride back to the US.
I could tell you the donations for Lighthouse Mission Funds are down but I will tell you that Solomon replied to that news by saying "don't worry Peggy, God will always provide".
We got to bring greetings to the Lighthouse Church from Rio Vista Church in Albuquerque. We conveyed to them, that "we are praying for the Church in India."
We spent two weeks with our brothers and sister in the Lord. It was a wonderful time.
World evengelization is for God. It is common to work out of a concern for the predicament of people, either to see them saved from hell, or see them served to wholeness, or both.
Such compassion is biblical and necessary. More than ever we need to work together with a shared passion to bring every people group to the living God and to share with them praise and worship. When God is glorified, we have "GOT IT". The dear people of the church in India are praying for us and all the things they hear on the news about America.
We can not just remember the unmet needs of today. God has done a good work in us all, the goal is to Praise Him and be in His WILL, regardless of what position we hold in the church body.
India is well! God is at work with all the faithful called to His plan.
Blessings,
Peggy Martinez
Current Projects:
Project C.U.R.E.
- Collection of new and used medical supplies and equipment.
- This donation will find its way to all parts of the earth.
Magazine Giveaway
- We need all you have for the hospital waiting areas, doctors clinics, etc.
- We put the church address and phone numbers on the magazine so anyone can call for help or prayer
Clothes and "stuff" for the store house box in the hall.
Craft Fair Fund Raiser, held on November 1, was a great success and will aid in our mission endeavors
Book Club
- Look for the new missions books out in the Café.
Blessings,
Peggy Martinez
Return to Top