The Mexico City Missive ~ spring 2017

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” Luke 9:46-48

This little one having a little fun at vacation Bible school hosted by Luz a las Naciones.

In Luke 9, Jesus sends out the twelve for a season of ministry, feeds the five thousand, affirms Peter's confession of Christ, is gloriously transfigured on the mountain, heals a boy tormented by an evil spirit, and cautions his disciples about his own betrayal. But in the middle of all that's going on, the disciples, masters of impeccable timing, decide to argue about who among them would be the greatest.

Jesus being Jesus, the master of teachable moments, redirects his disciples' attention toward a child and tells them that to welcome a child like this one – vulnerable, dependent, needy – is to welcome Jesus and the one who sent him. In other words, neither brute strength, social privilege, nor political power determines greatness. On the contrary, in God's upside kingdom the one who is least is greatest.

In a world where it was socially acceptable to only extend hospitality to those of equal or greater status, Jesus instructs his disciples to resist the merely acceptable and embrace the most vulnerable. Honor the least significant, he implores them. Welcome the least welcomed. Because true greatness is not achieved through might nor show of power, but by extending Christlike hospitality to the least of these.

This bigger one having a little fun at our Superbowl themed English class at Reto a la Juventud (Teen Challenge Mexico).

Each week, the young men of Teen Challenge Mexico enthusiastically welcome Stuart and I into their lives. Whether I am teaching English, Stuart is playing soccer, or we are celebrating a Teen Challenge graduation we are truly honored by their gracious hospitality toward us.

Likewise, these next few months, Teen Challenge has kindly invited us to preach and Stuart will be ministering at Luz a las Naciones. I will share at a couple of leadership gatherings here in Mexico City as well as in Oaxaca when we visit friends and missionary colleagues, Ilona and Mike Hadinger.

Lastly, I would like to extend an invitation to you to attend one of the Indiana District Women's Ministries Regional Encounters on April 29. Personally, I'll be attending the Central West location in Greencastle, Indiana at The StoreHouse since I happily accepted the invitation to preach there that day! Find all the information you need on their website. Hope to see you there.

Stuart & Wendy Brown

serving in mexico city

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God bless the misfits and the outcasts

In recent weeks, a new friend asked us to pray for him. Of course we said we would. And we did. Then in a conversation a few days later he asked again, but with more urgency. This subsequent conversation proved more revealing as he shared his feelings of rejection and loneliness.

My heart really went out to him. No one wants to feel like a misfit or an outcast; these feelings conflict with our created purpose. God created us for relationships and when we feel like we don't fit in (misfit) or we've been rejected (outcast) it cuts to the heart of who we are and our deep need to belong.

So what's a body to do? How can we the convince the misfit or outcast they can belong - they do belong within the family of God? Certainly Jesus invited the misfit and the outcast to his family. But how did he make them feel welcomed?

Well, I recall that he healed the lepers (and commended the foreigner who returned to give thanks); he shared a lively and deeply theological conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well (who then evangelized her neighbors and brought them to him); he publicly defended the woman who anointed his feet with oil (whose tale would be told whenever the gospel is preached); he rebuked the disciples in order to bless the children (and certainly gladdened the hearts of all their parents); and he endeared himself to a tax collector (who repented of his cheating ways and promised to make restitution).

How did Jesus make the misfit and the outcast feel like they belonged? By embracing the foreigner, respecting the rejected one, defending the courageous, showing compassion to the tiny ones, and befriending the despised. 

In other words, he loved them as his own. 

Because they were. 

Even if they didn't know it yet.

Because our encounter with our new friend had me thinking a lot this week about how we could best pray for him and cultivate this friendship, I wrote this prayer:

Lord Jesus, we pray for all the misfits and outcasts in the world to find refuge in the family of God. Draw them by your Spirit so that they may recognize and embrace your merciful love. And because so many of us have felt like misfits and outcasts, may we treat everyone we meet with kindness and respect so that they may discover their self-worth through the knowledge of being created in your image. Amen. (WMB 2015)

*****

As you can see, because of you, we have the privilege of meeting and befriending some truly beautiful people. Thank you again for your faithful prayers and support. Your partnership in the gospel makes this all possible.

Fall Newsletter 2015 Printable PDF

How to Eat Your Way Through Mexico City and live to tell about it

One must indulge one's children when they return home from university, mustn't one. 

Therefore, Olivia's recent visit gave us an excuse to revisit some eateries like the Crepes & Waffles restaurant.

Of Angels and Missionaries

Years ago, my young daughter confessed that she believed angels had the responsibility to fetch our heads after we die and bring them to heaven.

Read the rest of the story on Tortilla Press.

Let Justice Roll on Like a River

Discouraged. Disheartened. Depressed. Dismayed.

That about sums up my week.

Scars

These last few weeks, we have been looking at the birth and life of Jesus through the eyes of his mother Mary. In the Gospels, the last place we find Mary in the life of her son Jesus was at his cross. I can only imagine her heartache at that moment.

Treasuring the Wonders of God (part 2)

I began these Advent reflections as a way to witness the birth of Christ from a unique perspective. Divinely called and uniquely gifted, Mary gives us a front row seat to the most spectacular birth on record. Indeed, she was the only person who witnessed the life of God's only Son from the cradle to the cross. And therefore, as a mother, I appreciate her point of view like no other.

Treasuring the Wonders of God

Mary's pregnancy and birth were different in many respects. Like any other expectant woman, I'm sure Mary prepared and planned for the day she would give birth. Maybe Joseph saw to the furnishing of the home, while Mary asked a female relative to help her when the time came. But whatever plans they made, they were rudely interrupted by a decree from Caesar Augustus.

Close The Door When You Leave

I don't know who wrote this poem. I found it on a friend's blog. So no copy right infringement is intended. If you or a loved one is dealing with cancer, this is dedicated to you. May you find strength and healing in the one who is all-compassionate.

I never asked you to visit

 At least I don't believe I did

 Maybe I don't know

 It's so confusing

 At any rate, you're a rude guest

 You take my energy,

 rob my sleep, and with a stick

 You swirl and distort my dreams

 All right, You are here for now

 But understand

 There are two places

 That are forever off limits

 You may not tread on my spirit

 You may not occupy my soul

 I have heard of your visits to others

 I know the damage you leave in your path

 The wanton disregard for innocence, value,

 and what some would call fairness

 Also, I hear that laughter confuses you;

 That good food makes you feel bad, and

 That nothing causes you more distress

 Than an autumn sunset,

 The forever blue of a summer sky

 Or the unconditional radiance of a child's smile

 Listen and understand

 You might pilfer my closets,

 Empty all the drawers,

 And trash my house,

 But there are two places

 Forever off limits

 You may not tread on my spirit

 You may not occupy my soul

 Do not mistake my nausea, weakness,

 And pain as signs of your victory

 They are simply small dents

 In the armor I wear to fight you

 Instead, look deeply into my eyes

 That there are two places

 Forever off limits

 You must not

 May not

 Will not tread on my spirit

 You must not

 May not

 Will not occupy my soul

How May I Help You

Just recently, friends of ours learned that their 7 year old son has medulloblastoma, a malignate type of brain tumor. They have been journaling their ordeal and just last night Nick wrote a very insightful blog on what he has learned about caring for others. 

In his own words:

1. Don't help them the way YOU think they should be helped, ask them.  Joey is so patient with us.  Now we ask, "What can we do?" We don't give him advice, or tell him what he needs, we ask a lot of questions and shut our collective cake holes. We've learned to listen...and ask the right questions, and to help him the way he needs us to help him at that moment.

2. Don't ever tell other people how they should feel. He knows how he feels, and if he's sad, and I tell him, "you're doing great!" or "you're fine!"....it's very discouraging to him. Our job is to give him permission to feel however he feels (NONE of us knows how he feels or has gone through what he is going through) and we ask what he needs from us. A wise person once told me, "People always have the right to feel the way they feel".  Doesn't mean they see all the facts or the situation from your perspective, BUT, they have a right to their perspective and feelings.

When someone is hurting, we all want to help; but sometimes, although our intentions are well-meaning, we fall short. Please consider Nick's advice: ask the hurting person how he wants to be helped, don't give advice, accept how the hurting person says he feels, and listen, listen, listen. 

Lasting Impressions

Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression. ~Dr. Haim Ginott

I remember a field trip as a child to Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. The park offered us the opportunity to take home an impression of a dinosaur track providing we brought the Plaster of Paris for the mold. I recall the final mold being absurdly huge; then again, I was a scrawny little kid so my recollections may be tainted. How interesting though, that such a relatively insignificant act could leave such a lasting impression after so many years.

Stuart and I had the wonderful privilege of directing New Vision Children’s Home in Christiana, Jamaica for three years. During that relatively short amount of time, we hosted dozens of missions and medical teams, painted every building on our compound, finished the first floor of the new boys dorm (including a new kitchen and dining hall) and updated a few rooms in the old dorms. We built more than our fair share of retaining walls, a chicken coop, and a playground.

As wonderful and necessary as those projects were what really left an impression upon our hearts and minds were the children and staff at New Vision and the students at the Assemblies of God Bible College. We laughed at the birthday parties, shared the delight of Christmas, beamed with pride at graduations, cried with joy at salvations and baptisms, and grieved with those suffering from loss, rejection, and disappointment.

Life is short and I suppose all of us desire to leave a lasting impression to validate our existence and make a difference in our world. Some wish to build monuments or a name for themselves, but such things hold no importance for us. In the years to come, it will not be the buildings that we remember fondly but rather the people we shared life with in Jamaica: the teams that we connected with in ministry, the students that we taught, the children that we cared for, and the staff that we loved.

My dinosaur mold lasted for a few years until eventually it was broken and tossed away. That physical impression may be gone, but the memories of that day remain.

In Jamaica, we left no footprints so to speak; no lasting physical impression as a reminder of our time there. However, every smile, every tear, every peal of laughter, prayer of thanks, and loving embrace we shared and received has left an indelible impression upon our hearts and minds.

Thank you for your continued support during this time of transition. We trust that the Lord guides our steps and we appreciate your partnership in spreading the gospel.

Please continue to pray for us as we learn Spanish, adjust to a new culture, and eagerly anticipate ministering to the orphans and students of Mexico.