First Presbyterian Church
Las Cruces, NM

BEYOND OUR WALLS

March, 2000 Missions Bulletin of First Presbyterian Church, Las Cruces, N.M. Vol. 2, No. 3

THERE’S A SIBERIAN COLD FRONT MOVING IN HERE. "Honestly, that’s what the media is calling it. It’s the coldest so far we can ever remember...our house is just under 50 degrees....if the sun shines, we might get the house temp up to 56....Yes, we have...a big [heater,] but that requires electricity....[This is the week for a changeover in our subdivision electrical system.] They let us know, and it seemed pretty straightforward. So Wednesday our power was off all day....Wednesday night was the big school Christmas program. I was in charge, and a local hotel donated a huge ballroom, beautifully decorated....It was the warmest we’d been in a while. When we got home, our stairwell was dark, [since] months ago, the electric people took out all the stairwell lights...we try to go out with a flashlight, but in the hurry and scurry of remembering everything...I forgot the flashlight. So, it was up 7 flights of stairs in pitch black, fumble for the key, get the door open - viola, no power. All our neighbors had it, so why not us? We got flashlights, Don headed back down to the 2nd floor where the new breaker system is. I got the neighbor, and with her door open, we could see the old electric box. Apparently, the electric guys had just left, and told everyone to "jiggle this wire and the power will come on." ...it worked [but] there was no power on the 8th floor where Alison’s bedroom is. (Here you play slightly ominous music foreshadowing further problems.)...next day Don turned on the coffee pot. Boom - no power. Plunged back into darkness. Don in robe and slippers and flashlight down to second floor. Lights. Turned the coffee pot on again. Boom. Plunged back into darkness. Another trip to the 2nd floor. Decide coffee pot broken. (realize, this is 6:00 a.m. it’s 50 degrees and the longest night of the year so very dark. We end up having instant coffee by candlelight. Put juice in microwave to heat up for her. Boom. Another trip to the 2nd floor. Don is getting his exercise. Decide its not the coffee pot, it’s the switch. Don rewires the kitchen. By now its around 7 a.m. and all told he ends up going 6 times to the 2nd floor. In his robe. In the dark. Melissa goes to school. Don goes to work. The sun comes up....I find an electrician...working. [He] spends an hour and a half...trying to get us power, but just scratches his head over the 8th floor (More ominous music - understand this is my music room as well as Alison’s bedroom...so I am getting worried....late in the afternoon the truth is revealed - they didn’t make any electric plans for anybody’s 8th floor, or the first floor or the stair wells.

That’s not all. Last night we were on a TV program....I [Kim ] was asked to sing....[with] grown women. Fluttering around me in a circle. In long white dresses....Then there was a quiz/game/entertainment show which went on for 3+ hours. When I sang, my girls were busting a gut watching ladies prancing around me....The audience really liked it. They also asked us questions we couldn’t answer...each foreign family was given a cake...but...it went so late, a lot of people left - we now have 6 cakes....

Our life here is anything but dull, but this week has really been a "keeper." ...We can take all these things...and look at them with humor, but the sad truth is that we’re surrounded by people who live in cardboard houses, and have no way to get warm and don’t have the Hope we have this Christmas. And that’s why we’re here. And that’s why we stay and go through these nutty things. So don’t pity us, laugh with us and pray - that Christmas day will dawn here [in China], a day of Hope."

This has been an abbreviated, mangled version of a revealing, thought-provoking, entertaining, e-mail note from Kim  about her family’s 1999 Christmas. It illustrates further the intricacy and complexity of the lives of all of us, including those in other lands whom we support with our concern, prayer, and material help. Imagine and pray!

The all peoples imperative comes from God’s commitment to bless, without fail, all the people groups of the world through Abraham’s descendants. The promise is the backbone of the Bible and the scriptural foundation for our worldwide outreach and support for Christian missions in many places. God is using us and others to fulfill His purpose. We invite you to read and meditate on some instances of the promise.

-The promise to Abraham: Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 18:16-18; Genesis 22:15-18.

-The promise to Isaac: Genesis 26:2-4.

-The promise to Jacob: Genesis 28:10-14.

-David’s recognition of the promise: Psalm 22:27-28.

-Isaiah’s recognition of the promise: Isaiah 44:22; Isaiah 49:1, 5-6.

-Simeon’s awareness of the promise: Luke 2:30-32.

-Jesus’ proclamation of the promise: Matthew 28:19; Mark 13:10; Luke 24:44-47;

Acts 1:7-8.

-Paul’s recognition of the promise: Galatians 3:6-9.

-The promise in John’s revelation: Revelation 5:8-9; Revelation 7:9-10.

The all peoples imperative is the reason we help support Christian workers beyond our walls. It is the reason we support Lu Stephens in Japan and as she works among Asian women in Portland, Oregon. She was able to return to Japan for a year, beginning in September 1999, to replace a couple on sabbatical. Lu is experienced in teaching young Asian women to grow in their faith and develop skills in attracting others to Christ. Since she has this lifetime of high accomplishment, we are not just supporting her mission efforts, but we are helping prepare young women to have an impact for Christ among Asians in many places and for many generations. What a worthwhile investment! Imagine and pray!

There are only a few college-age young people within our walls, but there are hundreds of thousands of them on campuses across the nation, and most of them are as pagan as an unconverted Suri, Dalit, or !Kung Bushman. Jim Patton, son of John Patton of our congregation, and Tracy Patton, his wife and ally in college ministry, are now working at California State University, San Bernardino. This is a part-time ministry for Jim, since he was led by the Lord to prepare himself further by taking seminary training. He is studying at the International Seminary associated with Campus Crusade for Christ. He expects to earn an M.A. in Pastoral Studies in two or three years. Jim and Tracy expect their second child to arrive in a few months.

Another "texture of life" thing! Did you read recently that, for the first time in a long time, there has been a significant reduction in the level of air pollution in Mexico City? Yeah! And did you pray about that? Bob and Donna Waguespack repeatedly have asked us to pray for their health as they have had to breathe this severely polluted city air. Whether you did or didn’t pray, why not thank God for this bit of improvement? It is good for the Waguespacks and many others and good for the effectiveness of their work as they encourage and teach Mexican Christians how to attract people to Christ and plant new Christian churches. Let’s continue to pray for good health for the Waguespacks and for more improvement in Mexico City air quality.

Pray also for Wycliffe/SIL International in Africa. Bob Chapman, who directed the 1,000 Wycliffe field workers in 24 African countries, and his wife Ruth, were killed in the Kenya Airways crash of January 31. Prominent African church leaders also died. A stunning blow!

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Last update 2006-01-10 21:18:22