The Church Functioning the Way it Should

Mayra and I returned to our dear church in Jesús María this past week, after three weeks in PA, where we visited three of our supporting churches; E-town Grace Sept. 7, Mt. Joy Church of God Sept. 14 and Word of Life Chapel Sept. 21. We were also about to touch base with pastors and leaders from two other supporting churches in the area: Mount Calvary Church and Hope Community Church. Our experience as missionaries is exceptional in that we can visit 5 of our 9 supporting churches in the space of half an hour.*

Some of our interaction with these churches related to plans for next summer, as a number of short-term team mission experiences are being planned. We have had the enormous privilege of being a go-between for our two homes: PA and Mexico City. Over the past 21 years in Ixtapaluca, where we have lived now for 21 years, we have received literally hundreds of visitors, and have engaged them in ministries varying from construction and electricity, to English classes, volleyball tournaments, spa sessions and baking classes. They’ve been in local public and private elementary, jr. hi and high schools. They have helped us reach out with wheelchairs, hearing aids, reading glasses and cross puzzles. It’s been a long, fun run. One church, Mount Calvary, has visited us 9 out of the last 11 years, and plan to come their 10th time in 2026, and they always come right up against our 20 person team limit, sometimes breaking it soundly.

I mentioned this to the church here  this past Sunday, before my sermon (in Spanish) on Philippians 2:12-18. I told them that I wasn’t just fishing in PA (although I happily did some of that!), but that we were coordinating with churches and leadership, and they the relationship that has developed between churches in the U.S. and churches here has become very special.  Really very special. Missions to these churches (and to the churches in Mexico) is not something theoretical…we are not just a pin on a world map. Missions has become relational, which creates the healthiest bonds, and reminds us that we are all equal before God; brothers and sisters. We can rejoice with one another, learn from one another, and laugh and cry with each other.

I was also able to remind the churches in PA that although they (and I) view Mexico as a mission field, the church in Mexico also needs to take the Great Commission seriously, and look beyond their four walls to the world beyond. It has been so exciting to see the church here also engaged in outreach; both local but also increasingly national. Recently 12 of us went to Oaxaca in June, and 18 of us when to León in August. The emphasis of reaching this very diverse country of Mexico (28 language groups, 346 language variants, still 43 unreached people groups) needs to be part of the church’s vision here.

I was talking to Oscar Luna, who preached the three Sundays I was absent. How did it go? I asked him. How do you perceive the church?  “Everyone knows what to do, and everyone does it as unto the Lord.” he said. “Don’t worry about us when you’re not here…the church is committed,” he said.  “Yeah, I agree, I said, I think we’re in a good place right now.”

*Our other 4 supporting churches stretch from near Pittsburgh, PA to OH, MI and CA.

In spite of a lot of church ministry, I only have pictures of fishing 😂