Saturday, November 1, 2014
We left at 4:30 AM this morning for Fabens, Texas, just a few miles from the city of El Paso. I had forgotten how fabulously beautiful the mountains are in this part of the country. My road companions are Dennis, my husband, and three dear friends from our church…Penny and Galen, who are married and he is a deacon in our church at First Baptist Church in Baird. And then there’s Matthew. He is our mighty leader and had been on this mission trip before. As have the others. I am the newbie on this specific trip.
Our first stop was to visit a small church in San Elizario to visit Pastor Mario. His air conditioner and heater hasn’t worked in over a year in his little church. Dennis, Galen and Matthew brought tools to fix it. Pastor Mario was so happy. As the men were working I sat in the turquoise blue velvet pew seats. The buttons were missing and the covers had slipped out of position. I reached for the tattered bible in the slot in front of me. It was in Spanish and as I read the books of the bible I was intrigued at the book’s names not being in English. But what I noticed mostly is that very few bibles had covers, nearly all of them were missing. All were completely worn out. I looked around the church. 6 rows of pews on 2 sides. 4 slots on the back of each pew to hold bibles and hymnals. Nearly all of the slots were empty. I walked up and down the isles and there were, maybe, just 7 or 8 bibles in the entire church. 2 bibles in English and the rest in Spanish. I suddenly knew what this little church needed and when we left for the day I told Brother Mario that our church was going to send him a new set of bibles, English and Spanish. Some of the children in this community know English and like to read in English. Can’t wait to get home and ship them off for him.
As we drove back to Fabens to the Tapestries of Life compound we meet Danny Brewer and his wife Stephanie, Trinity, their daughter, Amanda Brewer, Danny’s sister and all the children that live there. There are 5 of them. They immediately take care of us and make sure we have everything that we need. The kids are vibrant and love visiting with us. I am taken with each one of them. Tomorrow, we attend a big church in the community. Looking forward to that. We met the two groups from Iowa who have come to work with us. There are about 15 of them. Some drove. Some flew. Lovely people of God. The ladies are bunking in one section of the compound and the guys are on the other side. All of the comforts of home are here. There is a large kitchen and community area. As we wound down for the evening, Matthew and I taught Penny how to shoot pool while the kids played foosball. She beat us both at pool. We think she already knew. Beginners luck. Ahaha!
Looking forward to church tomorrow in El Paso at Abundant Living Faith Center.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
We are up and out of the Tapestries of Life outpost to drive to El Paso to Abundant Living Church. Beautiful. Amazing. It’s a non-denominational mega church. The presentation of God’s word is much like the format that Beltway has in Abilene. Every person we met was welcoming and loving. I love seeing children’s ministry as a major focus on these young churches. And as I stood outside after the service, I watched as young couple after young family led their toddlers and teenagers to the service. It made my heart warm to know that these families of young and old were preparing the foundation for the future. God is good. This church had four services today, and one Saturday night. Tapestries of Life has a major presence here and the pastor recognized our attendance during the announcements. We were humbled to be there. So many handshakes and kisses on our cheeks. The love of God so present in these gracious families. They knew we were going to Juarez on Wednesday and gave us canned food to take with us. Pallets of food. What a blessing this church has for missions and people. We are blessed. I could hardly keep from weeping at this level of mercy that God presented to us.
We headed back to Tapestries of Life in Fabens for lunch. Danny, the camp leader’s son, took us into Mexico to see the orphanage outside of Guadalupe. As we crossed the border it was immediately evident what the drug cartels have done to this community. What once was a thriving community, it is clear these people are at the mercy of crime in Juarez. The homes and businesses are tattered and crumbling. There is nothing newly constructed. There is no infrastructure to support businesses. So many tiny stores with dirt porches. Men, women and children sitting in cars watching us as we drive by in two vans full of Americans. The vans have the Tapestries of Life logo and they know where we are headed. They nod and wave at us as we drive by. Smiles on their faces. It’s about 30 miles to our destination on dirt roads that wind through the hills. The mountains are beautiful. And as we pulled up to the orphanage, the overwhelming presence of God is enveloping us as we drive through the gate. This place is meant to eventually house 400 children and 25 babies, all for adoption. 55,000 square feet on 27 acres. 2 stories. The building is shaped like a giant cross from above. Each wing facing North, South, East and West. There is a 5 foot stucco fence protecting the perimeter of this place. Today we are just visiting to look around and see how much has been done since the team from our church was here in July. Although there are weekly teams that come out, our group was amazed at the progress and they were smiling as more of this place was getting finished out. Girls rooms painted with Disney princesses. Water falls. Castles. Forests with animated animals. Noah’s ark. They boys had images of shielded warriors. Medieval horses. Farm animals. I have heard the stories that his place is covered with the sweat of loving, hard working, skilled Christian men, women and children. Yes, entire families from all over the country come in the summer time and the thresholds of these rooms are designed with mosaic tiles by children. Tomorrow, we come to work.
My heart is full.
Monday, November 3, 2014
It’s 7:00 AM and we are all here at the compound. There are ladies at the orphanage who are preparing our breakfast. We will be there by 8:30. But first, Pastor Steve, gives us a word and tell us about how God is bringing money into this very large project. The kitchen needs a roof. It’s going to take $30,000. He tells us of a man he doesn’t know at Lowe’s. This man runs up to him and says, “Pastor Steve need to talk to you.” OK. “I have a very large gift I need to give you in in December.” OK. The man gives Steve a card. He owns a roofing company. The man is coming to build his $30,000 roof over the kitchen and cafeteria which is a separate building. Steve is in tears as he is telling his story. This is how God moves in the mission field for those who have the faith to follow. This is how this entire 55,000, 10 million dollar, commercial site has been built. Faith. Money and people and brick and concrete and windows and stone masons and painters. Today, I worked with a group of ladies painting children’s rooms that were unfinished. A clay pot for an unfinished butterfly bush in one of the girl’s bathrooms. Dennis is hanging light fixtures on the first floor. Some of the volunteers are laying stone in a wall, hanging windows, grouting tile, and varnishing doors. We are busy walking up and down the 2 story facility. They only need $800,000 to finish this orphanage. It will come. We know it. They know it. Working here is hard and fulfilling. I am so glad I came. This physical work is a blessing. Such a good day.
P.S. I should tell you about this evening at the compound. There is a young woman here named Jean. She lives here with the family that runs this outpost. She was rescued from the streets. Abused. She is 31. She wanders the hallways quoting scripture. She has completely covered all her body with clothes, including covering her head with a hood. She is beautiful and looks 14 years old. But she is distant and is making the others here uncomfortable with the wall she has created for herself. I was drawn to her the moment I got here on Saturday. We have become friends and many of the women here, including myself have befriended her. She is very private. She cannot be touched. Her OCD makes her wash her hands a lot. She is afraid of germs. She does not want to be touched. No hugs. No patting on the back. After talking to her tonight at length with much laughing and crying, she allowed me to hug her. Just for a moment. Twice. More on this as the week goes on. God has us here for more than one reason. For real.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Mercy Day happens when Tapestries of Life takes $4,000 and buys food at the grocery store in Juarez. We purchase enough food for 350 families that includes beans, rice, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos, onions, bread, cheese, bananas, eggs, butter, canned green chilies, canned vegetables, and toilet paper. Specific gifts come in boxes from churches as far away as Iowa and Pennsylvania and include tooth brushes, suckers, bibles, cookies and home made quilts for the children. There are three Tapestries of Life vans, one pulling a flatbed trailer with all of the groceries. The other two carrying the mission team of 26 people. We drive deep into the heart of Juarez, passed the fancy buildings, passed the nice neighborhoods, passed the busy streets. Suddenly, the houses get smaller, the roads very narrow and there are no yards, just dirty roads and tiny houses with tin roofs. It was like switching a channel on the TV. I can’t imagine in my mind what has happened. We drive deep into a neighborhood and up a terribly steep hill. Before I know it there are parked cars on both sides of the narrow road and we are but one lane pushing up the hill. To my right are nearly 500 people sitting outside on the side of a hill in fold out chairs, under a tarp. The pastor is a the top of the hill preaching to them in Spanish. They see us pull up and the service continues. As we pull the food from the vans and trailers, they turn to see us with these huge smiles on their faces. They know why we are there. Each family has a ticket to receive food from this church through us. As we organize the food and carry food up a steep stairway into the tiny church, the pastor continues to preach in Spanish. Before I know it, there are men and women lined up at the front of the group, about 30 of them, receiving Jesus into their lives. I know what is happening. I don’t understand their words, but I know that God is present and that these people have committed their lives at this moment. I thank God for allowing me to be here for this. We are blessed to witness such an event. I cry.
Each of us has a job here. Some are giving away food. Dennis is passing out beans and rice at his station. One of the ladies is handing out bibles, another toys, others…more food. A church up north has sewn handmade bags for these Mexican people to carry their goods in. They will use these bags again and again to carry things in them. They are happy to have them. My job is to walk among the women who have babies they are carrying. I reach out my hands to a young mother of a sleeping baby. She is not reluctant. I speak only a few words I know in Spanish. None of them know English, except “Thank you” and “God bless you.” I hug and kiss on about four of these moms and babies, and then I see out of the corner of my eye an elderly woman nearly slipping on the last step as they come down from the steep incline from the little church high above. I reach her quickly and help her down with her bag in hand. She speaks to me and kisses my cheek. So there I stayed for the rest of the time. Reaching out to each mom and grandmother there. The dads and grandfathers shook my hand and blessed me with something in Spanish. I just shook their hands and patted their backs. Their sincerity and love was overwhelming. The gratefulness in their hearts was so genuine. I am not sure I have ever experienced this kind of love from people who didn’t even know us. That’s how God is. Just love them, He said. That is the language of Jesus’ entire ministry. Just love them. There are no words necessary. We can see it in each other’s eyes and in our touch and hugs and kisses. And even though I wanted to speak something wonderful to each of them in Spanish, I knew this gift of love was enough for them. It was the same for them to me.
And as we handed out the last bag, it made my heart full to see little children running around with half eaten cookies in their hands and crumbs on their faces, wrapped in blankets that came from the sewing rooms of churches that would not see this joy. How could I be so blessed. It was also a blessing to know that each family had food for a week and that we had some to leave behind in the church for others who would not be here this day. Before we left, we all gathered in the tiny church. We prayed with the pastor and his wife and their children and immediate family and workers. We took up an offering for them in a ziplock bag and it was full of pesos and dollar bills.
Right before we left, my buddy Jason who spoke Spanish is one of our guys from Iowa. He helped me talk to a little girl named Abby. She was eight. She had a new bracelet from one of the ladies handing out toys earlier. She was looking at the bracelets on my arm and touching each one and stopped on one that had turquoise beads on it. I rolled it off my wrist and I touched her hand. As I gave her the bracelet, she grinned and rolled it up her arm. She said, “For my mama!” in English. I said yes, yes, yes. And as I leaned over to Abby and kissed her on the forehead, it dawned on me that I never wanted to leave these people. How much they have changed me.
By now it is dark. Pastor Steve did not want to leave Juarez in the dark. But I had such a peace about me, never once was there fear. Not once. Even in these dark places, no fear.
Friday, November 7, 2014
We have been so busy at the orphanage. This is the last day we are all together. Our friendships we have made here with the two teams from Iowa have become a life long bond we have with each one of these men and women of God. Each one will be missed. We have connected with each one on Facebook so that we can keep in touch. We have posted pictures on Facebook and by now many of you have seen the pictures. If you are not connected with me on Facebook, then I encourage you to send me a friend request and see the hundreds of photos that we have taken and shared with each other. My heart is so full of love for these people at the outpost and their devotion to the Mexican people, my church family that is with me, the cooks at the orphanage, the Mexican workers that we picked up in Guadalupe on the way to the orphanage, the Iowa people’s love for this place. For some of them it is their 9th visit. Our church has been here 4 times. This is my first with them. There are so many stories at so many levels. I am forever changed.
One young woman I should mention is Rut Sanchez. She lives here at the outpost for now. She quit college to live in Fabens to care for her 4 nieces and nephews that were abandoned by their mother in Oklahoma. They are Vladimir (15), Arley (12), Adaley (12) and Emilio (12)…these three are triplets. Two identical girls and a boy. We have been quite the buddies at our stay at the outpost. Their birth mother left them in a shack in Guadalupe all alone. Their grandparents who live in Guadalupe were taking care of them. These kids are American citizens. Pastor Steve found them and brought them to the outpost so that they could go to school and be taken care of here in Fabens. Rut has full custody of them. She quit school and works at the local convenience store around the corner so that she can care for them. She is the same age as Ivy. I cannot imagine such responsibility for a young woman. But she loves them and is taking such good care of them. She is waiting for housing assistance in an apartment complex down the street where she will live with them. Pray that she qualifies for help. Pray that CPS will let her keep them. Pray that she can go back to school. Rut calls me “mama!” She gave me a bracelet before I left and hugged me and said, “Please do not forget us.” I told her of course I would not. My heart is breaking as we leave tomorrow for our journey back to Baird. My mission in life has been changed and now I know of so many things that will happen because of this experience. I may ask you for help. You may feel led to reach out. Please do. I welcome it. Our mission for Fabens and Mexico will be ongoing, but I will tell you now I have many missions in mind for my local community. And even though we are so blessed here, there are still hurting people that do not know Jesus. I am making changes there too for people here.
Tomorrow is Saturday and a full day of travel for us. So much thankfulness to God for this experience and the changes we can make in our lives to help those who do not know our Lord. We are blessed.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
It is full day of church today. Morning service was awesome as our mission team is welcomed back with open arms from our church family. Hugs and love and appreciation. We have choir practice at 5:00 for our Christmas musical in about 4 weeks. I am buying groceries this afternoon. No nap today. It’s good. I am rejuvenated by my experience. I should be exhausted. Choir practice was amazing. Our evening service is time for the five of us to give an account for our trip. Our testimony. And as each of us stood in front of our church, the tears and compassion in our community was evident. I told them about my first day at San Elizario with Brother Mario and about the bibles he needed. I said all I needed was $80. $40 for 32 English bibles and $40 for 32 Spanish bibles. They have cases of them at Lifeway. I mentioned that they could get with our Pastor Jimmy about the money. By the end of the service, Pastor Jimmy came to me and showed me a handful of cash and checks over $400 and said we would be able to buy them more than paperback bibles, we could get them some nice ones. You see, God gives more that what we ask for. I am humbled by His generosity and love he places in the hearts of His people. I pray every day that I can remember to ask him for these things and expect more when His will is in our hearts. Other requests were fulfilled and I am humbled by the compassion and generosity of our little church in Baird, Texas.
P.S.S. Remember Jean? By the time we got ready to leave, I had her laughing out loud with us at the outpost. The dozens of cookies I baked before I left Baird ended up being the tool I used to get to her. She blessed me every day by thanking me for leaving her two cookies every morning and evening beside her bed on a napkin. Her appetite increased during the week. She was smiling and allowed me to hug her each day. But on the last day, when we said goodbye, I told her I needed just ONE thing from her. She smiled like a ten year old and walked up to me and gave ME the hug. This was a huge thing for her. And I could see that darkness that Satan had begun starting to leave her. I noticed her bible was in pieces and asked her if I could get her a new one. She was hesitant, but said if I could send her a Catholic bible, then she would accept. You see, the book of Maccabees is in the old testament and that is one of her favorite books. I told her I would. You see, it’s just love, just love, just love. While others were afraid of her presence, God took this big old mama’s heart, and first born sibling of my family and tugged me towards Jean. You see, she and I have the same name. I am Kathryn “Jean” Byram. God makes each of us for special things. We each have a purpose in His kingdom. Every one of us. This week, Jean was there for me to reach out to when others did not know how to help her. I was really the odd man out. But God takes our oddness, my oddness, and turns it into His work. Never doubt your place in growing the kingdom…what seems odd to you is the light of Jesus Christ to someone else, even if it‘s just for one. NEVER forget that!
Amen to you, brothers and sisters.
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