Ministry Multiplication

Saturday mornings we have started some informal training for youth workers. Huberto is teaching the first series, and it’s cool for me to see one of my former students interacting and training others (2 Timothy 2:2).

Here’s a qik video of Huberto teaching the YM Goal statement: “Develop a vehicle (program) through which every adolescent will hear the gospel in a culturally relevant manner and have the opportunity to spiritually mature.” (That’s my rough English translation of what we use).

I love how passionate he is about training others. He’s taught in the bachelor’s program at the Seminary, he went with us last year to Boyce College’s Youth Emphasis Week, and he’s taken a major role in the Saturday morning training we have started.

Please pray that the ministry will continue to expand and multiply.

Youth Ministry Convention this Weekend

Youth Ministry Convention this Weekend

This weekend I’m going to a youth ministry convention with all of our youth ministry students here in Mexico.

It’s a convention put on by our friends at Dimensión Juvenil, and I’m excited that our students are going to get to attend. Many of the breakout sessions that will be given are exactly what they need to help them with their ministries. I’m hoping to learn some stuff, too.

I’m also going to network and meet new prospective students. Please pray that we have opportunities to connect with people who might be interested in the youth ministry training we offer.

Seminary Freshman


From left to right: Deborah, Josue, Kareni, Huberto (professor), Gerson, Victoria

As I posted before (click here for earlier post), we have the largest freshman class of youth ministry students in the history of the program.

We worked really hard last year to promote the youth ministry program at the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary by going to various conferences, camps, and youth events.

While five new students may not seem like many, it is a pretty good sized class considering that our seminary welcomed 13 new freshman this year (only 8 students weren’t youth ministry students).

I’m excited about this year. We now have 14 total students studying youth ministry in Mexico City. Please keep praying for us.

The Last Three Years – Part 3

The Last Three Years – Part 3

In part one of this series, I talked about graduation. In part 2, I wrote about what the students are doing with their degrees. This time, I’m reflecting on how I’ve changed as a person after being a part of the program during the last three years.

You cannot visit the places I have been and return as the same person. There is a transformation that happens as you get to know these people and their situation. There is a change in the way you think about God, the human situation, and about yourself. I have changed as a result of my visits various places. I like to think I’ve changed for the better.

How I’ve Changed

  • The way I think about freedom – Often, we take our freedoms for granted. Certainly, the USA is not a perfect place, but we do have freedoms that other people in other parts of the world would love to have. Independence Day is coming up. When I see the flag waving, I think differently now. In fact, last December, when I went to see the Miami Dolphins’ game with my Dad, I started to tear up as I heard the national anthem. I have changed.
  • The way I think about blessings – Blessings come in many different shapes and sizes. One thing is for sure, the blessings I have are given to me so that I can be a blessing to others. God blesses people with different kinds of blessings. I have learned to look at what I have instead of what I want (although that’s not always easy), and to count those as blessings.
  • The way I think about missions – There are many mission principles that change when you visit a country other than your own. I have learned that sometimes being flexible is much more than a thing we preach to short term mission teams. It’s something that sometimes we have to do as long term missionaries as we think about strategy, principles, and ministry actions. I have learned to adapt strategy to the context.
  • The way I think about ministry – Sometimes the best way to get a real look at struggles in ministry is to watch what others have to do in order to minister to their congregations and communities. I have seen and heard stories of ministers who have been persecuted because of their ministry. Suddenly, my struggles in ministry are not as invincible.
  • The way I think about sacrifice – Calling is a word we throw around in church and ministry conferences, but sometimes I wonder how much we really feel called to what we do. The people I have met are called to work with young people and to work in the church. They are not receiving any other “fringe benefits” like many of us do. It’s a calling thing. Calling in many contexts requires sacrifice. I have changed the way I look at my calling and what God has in store for me.

I’ve learned many other things, too. These are just a few of the many things that I have learned in my travels with the opportunities I have had. I feel fortunate to have learned things during the last three years. It has been an educational experience for me, too.

(Picture: Me on a street in Santa Clara)

Back from Cuba

I got back from Cuba on Saturday morning, after 12 long days of work there. We culminated 3 years of classes with the 4 seminaries with whom we were working there. I’ll write more. Right now I’m uploading pictures from the trip. I will be taking some time in the next few days to write about my thoughts, so stay tuned.