¡Pura Vida!

Tackling Debt

At out school, Calvary Ministerial Institute, we recently replaced our accountant because of incompetency and gross mismanagement.  It was tough to get rid of a staff member who'd been there for a number of years but it had to be done.  Before his departure we found out that he hadn't been paying lots of the school's bills and asked for him to account for how he'd been handling the school's money.  Surprisingly no one was overseeing the accountant and auditing his work, so we looked into his books and discovered just how bad his management of money had been.  Since his dismissal we've had several "surprises" where we've discovered more unpaid debts - many which are to local businesses in the community.  Imagine a Christian institution owing money to everybody in town and not paying.  What a terrible testimony!  So now we've instituted payment plans and are quickly erasing the debt thanks to better management as well as our faithful students working hard during their free time and donating their wages back to the school.  We hope to have the debt completely paid off by the end of this academic year.  I hope this serves as an example to our students who, as future pastors, need to learn the importance of financial transparency and fiscal accountability within their churches.

Memorial Day 2008

This weekend we honor the fallen heroes of our nation - the men and women of valor and honor who gave the ultimate sacrifice fighting for and defending us all.  As is our tradition on Memorial Day here on our blog, we not only wish to honor and remember them but also to evaluate our own lives in light of their ultimate sacrifice.

This concept was best illustrated in my favorite film of all time, Saving Private Ryan, in the scene at the very beginning and the very end of the movie when Captain Miller (played by Tom Hanks) lies mortally wounded in Private Ryan's arms (played by Matt Damon) and Ryan is thanking him for saving his life to which Miller responds, "Earn this..."  It was a huge challenge for anyone to live up to as we later see Private Ryan as an eighty year old veteran kneeling by his captain's grave weeping and telling his fallen leader that he did his best to live a life that honored his sacrifice.  This is the challenge we take up and evaluate on Memorial Day and we hope you consider it as well. 

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."  - John 15:13

Milestones

We have been in Mexico for two years now, and have finally deepened our relationships sufficiently to be included in the intimate and special life events of people we know.

For example, a few weeks ago our oldest was the official escort of a “quincenera”, meaning that he had to dress up in a suit and be her date for the night. His suit had to match her dress, he had to lead her around by the arm and greet her guests, and they had to sit at the head table together. The girl is the oldest girl from the ministry’s orphanage/foster home. It was a blessing to be asked.

This summer several of our students are getting married. To be asked to help with something in the wedding is a place of honor. I (Jan) was asked to be the sponsor of a bouquet for one of my girls. This means choosing the bouquet, purchasing it, and presenting it to her in a ceremony. We are also going to be the sponsors of wedding rings for another couple. We will not be at their wedding, but send someone in our place to present the couple with their rings in the ceremony and speak about the importance of their rings.

 

This week, Greg was asked to accompany a guy to visit his girlfriend’s parents. Greg thought maybe it was just to chaperone. We learned, though, that what really is going to happen is the guy is going to ask her parents for her hand in marriage. Usually the father accompanies the guy, but in this case his father was murdered years ago. The fact that he asked Greg is a HUGE honor. So, he is setting up the official meeting where he will ask for her hand and they will make a verbal agreement with Greg as the witness. It should be very special.

SUMMER 2008

Wow, is it really almost here???!  We're excited about our trip to the U.S. for 5 or 6 weeks in July and August.  Unfortunately Jackson's school doesn't get out until June 30 so we can't leave until after that date.  Our son Zack (age 15) will be working at a summer camp for children grades 3 - 6 at the Master's Inn in Lynchburg, VA. Greg's brother Mark has been a director there for several years and will be supervising him.  It should be a good time for Zack to bond with his Uncle Mark and Aunt Sarah and his cousins Joey (19 months old) and Peter (born May 13).   

The rest of us will be in Concord for most of the time.  We are excited to reconnect and visit with all our friends, so please email us and let's set something up.  Our schedule is a blank slate right now and we'd like to see you!

 

Focus on Your Future

We have been busy this week with an event called "Focus on your future", which is when we host prospective students for three days. They live with the students, join work details and chores, sit in on classes, and see if it's the place for them. Last year we had seven prospectives, and all of them came back to study. This week we have sixteen. We are excited that the school seems to be reviving with its numbers.

Internet Woes

Sad to say, but we had much better and more reliable internet when we lived in Nicaragua than we do here in Mexico. Thus, the lack of good blogging, posting comments, and emails. Sorry guys!

Proud to be an Evangelical

Yesterday a group of evangelical pastors, theologians, etc. released "An Evangelical Manifesto"  which, as their website states:

An Evangelical Manifesto is an open declaration of who Evangelicals are and what they stand for. It has been drafted and published by a representative group of Evangelical leaders who do not claim to speak for all Evangelicals, but who invite all other Evangelicals to stand with them and help clarify what Evangelical means in light of “confusions within and the consternation without” the movement. As the Manifesto states, the signers are not out to attack or exclude anyone, but to rally and to call for reform.

As an open declaration, An Evangelical Manifesto addresses not only Evangelicals and other Christians but other American citizens and people of all other faiths in America, including those who say they have no faith. It therefore stands as an example of how different faith communities may address each other in public life, without any compromise of their own faith but with a clear commitment to the common good of the societies in which we all live together.

For those who are Evangelicals, the deepest purpose of the Manifesto is a serious call to reform—an urgent challenge to reaffirm Evangelical identity, to reform Evangelical behavior, to reposition Evangelicals in public life, and so rededicate ourselves to the high calling of being Evangelical followers of Jesus Christ.

Please take time to read it (yes all 20 pages!) and, if you feel compelled as I did, sign it. Here's the entire manifesto in PDF format:

AN EVANGELICAL MANIFESTO