BELOW IS OUR MEXICO MISSIONS
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Final Thoughts as We Close Chapter 1 in Tlaxiaco, Mexico
Well, we are here now in Bangkok, Thailand. However, before I write my first post on some of the things we’ve experienced here thus far, I want to close chapter 1 and give you my final thoughts on our time in Tlaxiaco, Mexico. The missions training was great, it has opened our mind to the things of God that we’ve never thought of before. It challenged our perception of who God is and what His word says about reaching people for the Gospel. God has become God to me. God has come out of the box that I’ve had Him in. No longer is “radical” radical, it is normal. I’ve always made radical seem “to cross the line.” Was it my low expectations of what God could actually do that made the radical seem just that “radical?” What if things that seem to be “off the wall” were actually the norm in God’s eyes? God is big, I’ve heard that so many times, but the thing is, it’s true. We tend to think God is so predictable, that He will do this and He will do that and it will look like this…ABCDE… Well I’ve got news for you, it’s not happening in any way we think it will. I’ve stopped limiting God and started expecting “off the wall” stuff. What else has changed in us while we spent the last 7 months in Mexico? Well let me say this, when you are trying to reach the unreached, you got to be content with a slow tedious work. You may not see anyone come to Christ in a year or 2 or 3 or 5. This has nothing to do with the effectiveness of your witnessing or your personality, well maybe the later it does, just joking!!. You may say to me, but I thought you said that you expect “off the wall” stuff from God, Mike. So why is it that you’re telling me that you may have to wait up to 5 or more years before you actually see someone come to Christ? Let me say this, “off the wall” stuff doesn’t mean instant, like potatoes, quick, like drive through. It means when you constantly pour yourself into some one’s life and then comes that one day, that day their eyes open up and their heart becomes illuminated. It’s that day when “off the wall” stuff has happened. It may have been some sort of a trigger that has opened their eyes and heart. It wasn’t that one thing you said to them that day, which opened their eyes. No, it was the pouring out of you into them for all those years that has led them to their decision to accept Christ and commit their live to Him. That is a big thing I’ve learned this year. It’s not always instant results, unfortunately when we talk to people about Christ and they don’t accept Him within the first 10 minutes of our witnessing. We consider them a write off, they’ll never accept Christ, is our response. When you go into a culture that may worship an ant as their God or some other type of thing, you are not always going to walk in and lay down who Jesus is and have an alter call and see 50, 100, 1000, people respond. No, there are times when you will go into another culture and no one will accept your teaching on Jesus, in fact they will want to kill you if you preach anything other than who they believe God is. There are cultures, missionaries have gone into and had to spend 1, 2, 3 decades before they saw any type of response to God, the God we know. Did souls get saved? Yes, thank you Lord!! You may ask, how many? But shouldn’t the real question be would you do it all over again for just one soul? My answer is a great big YES. One live at a time if that‘s what it takes. I don’t need or would even want to live on a mountain top high all the time. Why is that? Because God imparts so much into me during my times in the valley. Me and God were like this! (fingers crossed)
Visions From God Have Become Reality
Does God really give visions? Or is it just in our minds, something we've made up? Well let me tell you personally that God does give visions. Let me share with you two specific visions I received some years ago. I saw myself preaching at a church which was in another country. Also, I was playing drums in the Worship Band. The Worship was just incredible; the Spirit of God fell heavy in that place. These visions were pretty clear, but I thought, how is this possible. I mean who am I, my talents aren't that good. I doubted God; I doubted the visions, thinking they were just MY IDEAS. Today, I've lived them both. I preached in a church here in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, Mexico, my wife being the translator and I also have been playing drums in the Worship Band. I have seen the power of God's Spirit fall heavy in that place. All this done in Mexico. Yup in another country, just like the vision. Does God give visions to people? Does that sound pretty weird? Do you believe it's possible? Take it from me, who personally got the visions from God and now I've lived them, God does give visions!! Soon both Daysi and I will head to Thailand, God has shown me some real crazy stuff that we will witness over there. I won't share this yet but as reports start coming out of Thailand on the crazy things that God is doing then you will know what those visions were. God has called both my wife and I to go to places where the people have not heard the Gospel, the Unreached Peoples of the World. We want to start the foundation, not build on some one elses. Just as the Apostle Paul said in Romans 15:20-21
20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation . 21 Rather, as it is written:"Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand." Folks, God is moving in this world a lot more than what's being reported. God conitunes to establish His Kingdom. Will He succeed? Well you know how the story ends!! God Speed
What Is A Missionary?
Webster defines missionary this way,
1. Someone who attempts to convert others to a particular doctrine or program.
2. Someone sent on a mission--especially a religious or charitable mission to a foreign country.
These definitions give us a general overview of a missionary, however it is much more than this. Let me give you my definition, being involved in a school and doing the hands on thing, I’ve come up with some thoughts that I never had before when the word “Missionary” was mentioned.
1. A missionary is or should be a person of great patience. It has taken years for small communities to accept the teachings of Jesus. Years for just one person, is it worth it for one?
2. A missionary is or should be a person of compassion for people. If you don’t have this, ask for it. It is just as important as food to a person.
3. A missionary is or should be a person who is willing to go into a different culture as a learner. Forgetting what kind of schooling you have. There are many places in this world where the bible has not been preached yet, and whatever your schooling is, it will not help in delivering the Gospel message.
4. A missionary is or should be a person that is content in all things. You may go to a place and the only food you get is whatever’s crawling around that day. You may need to sleep on a cold hard floor with whatever’s crawling around that night.
5. A missionary is or should be a person that is humble. When you go into a community and you see that there are better ways at doing this or that but they don’t have the means to accomplish it in that manner, you need to humble yourself and do it the old fashion way. It won’t make sense to you but to them it’s the best and right way. Be a learner.
6. A missionary is or should be a person that is not afraid to work hard and possibly see no results.
7. A missionary is or should be a person that when you go into a community and you want to reach them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they refuse you and want to kill you, you don’t quit, you go to the next village or the next or the next….
8. A missionary is or should be a person that if God calls you to an area of the world that looks dangerous, you go…..that’s pretty simple, right? Being in God’s will trumps danger!
9. A missionary is or should be a person that will end up with more questions than answers. But you’ll still know you’re right where God wants you.
10. A missionary is or should be a person that will get discouraged to the point that they may want to quit, but they continue knowing God is always with them and that this life they are called to is God Breathed.
11. A missionary is or should be a person who gets down in the trenches with the local people and shows the love of Christ in a way that is both practical and meets their basic needs.
A missionary’s life is not all glamour, in fact very little of it is. It is hard tedious work. Are you OK with being the person that sows and then someone comes along and reaps what you’ve sowed? You will be persecuted, even for doing good. How do I know that? It’s quite simple!! I look at the life of Jesus.
Can you live life with the bare minimums? Are you willing to learn a language that may take you 4 or even 5 years to master, and then preach the Gospel? What if their non- literate, how do you get the Gospel message to them, in them? Is storytelling a good way? What about teaching the bible chronologically from Creation to Revelation by means of storytelling. Effective or not if your audience is non- literate? Think about it, would it be OK to teach the Gospel to a group without having a bible in hand?
There’s a lot more than meets the eye to being a missionary. There are times of joy and times of weeping. Weeping out of joy and out of pain, frustration, brokenness, loss. Have I experienced all this already? NO! Spending time with God, asking Him what are the costs of following Him in this way, this lifestyle you have called us to? Then He gave me this to write. There is much more I didn’t write down here regarding the life of the missionary.
Have I counted the cost? Have we made the final decision to follow as God leads both Daysi and I? Yes, we have. My answer to God is we’re right behind you, lead us, we’ll follow. If you don’t understand this decision we’ve made. Let me give you a glimpse of my believe, grab a bible open it to Matthew 6:19-21……
I’ve seen this Gospel change lives where other programs fail.
Is it real? Can Jesus continue, today to change lives as He did 2000 years ago?
My answer to you is this. Yes, if your life needs a change because you can’t stand it any longer, then give Him a try. Seek Jesus until you find Him.
Looking For An Opportunity To Get Involved? Read Below.
Thanks for taking the time to view the video on Thailand. As you can see there are so many lives that are just stuck in a life. Most don't think they have a choice regarding their lifestyle, if that's their perception then that's their reality. We may see that they can do better that they don't have to sell themselves (some are forced to sell themselves). But can they see this? Can they see any hope at the end of the tunnel? Their looking at the end of the month, not the end of the tunnel. They need someone to tell them that there is hope, that their life has meaning. That they are God's masterpiece. When they are stuck in a lifestyle of prostitution they really don't think they are loved, by any one. They feel worthless. Some, I would think take their own lives just because they feel unloved, worthless, and they are desperate. But their lives can change they need to know the One that loves them unconditionally. But who will go tell them? Who will bring them the Good News? Not only that, who will come along side of them and mentor them, show them that there are other things in life that they can do to make ends meet. It has already happened to some as you've seen in the video. They need someone willing to love them as people and invest time with them. That's why we are going to CHANGE LIVES ONE LIFE AT A TIME. If you are moved to give please e mail me privately at mmady@cogeco.ca Become the hands and the feet with both Daysi & I.These people deserve a second chance!!!
These are the two children Daysi spends time with. Teaching the things of Christ to them. Daysi has shown them Veggie Tales in Spanish and they just love it. Their two older brothers ages 14 and I think, 17years old also sat and watched. It was cool to see them all watch with such interest and to see them laugh so hard. However, the one thing that we didn't teach them, in fact they taught us. Is to be happy with such little. That you really don't need a lot of, what I call, "stuffs." These kids do go to school, however, when they come home their day has only just began. After school there's the usual homework, then maybe
go down and carry back gallons of water. Remember they don't have taps that you walk over to and turn on and water flows out. No, they go get water on a daily bases. Then they start to help prepare the meal, after that it's the dishes that need to be cleaned and not in the usual way you may think or know. Wood to be cut, fires to be started for cooking. Filling up the water for the outdoor showers is yet another thing on the list. There is much more that they do. These two children are not exempt from any of these chores because of their age, don't even try to use that as an excuse to get out of chores. But as I take notice they are always smiling, never complaining. They run around so lively, you give them a lollipop and you just gave them a new computer, a new xbox, a new, ________, you fill in the blank. As we invest time in them, we realize that they are not the only ones learning. Both Daysi and I are learning much more. Who's lives are impacted, really? OURS!!!!
We are so excited to see God continue to move here in
Tlaxiaco and the great ministry
opportunities both
Daysi & I are presented with. We spent Sunday, all day, at the house of
Bolmero and his family. They are very hungry to study the bible. They have been coming to the bible study/indigenous church we have been doing in our apartment on Sunday evenings. This Sunday they invited us to come and hang out with them for the day. They showed us how to prepare cactus, yes that's right, cactus. I'm scraping off all the prickly stuff, then I cut around the edges and it's ready to be cooked. They are absolutely fantastic. We also got a lesson in
making tortillas. We had to get the hang of it at first but after a few tries the tortillas came out pretty good. Of course,
Bolmero's wife was an expert at it. We could definitely tell what tortillas were made by the Gringos and which ones were made by the Mexicans . After a full day, we all got together and got into the bible and some of us shared about what God has done in our lives.
Bolmero had such an awesome experience with God, I know God continues to draw him closer. He shared how we want to go in villages and give to the needy there. This man has a heart for giving and I know God will use him and his family for HIS glory. Thank you once again partners for your ongoing support and prayers. G
od is truly doing something here in Mexico, and you are a huge part of it. Without you it would not be possible for
Daysi and I to be here and minister to these
precious people of
Tlaxiaco. GOD CONTINUES TO MOVE!!! God Speed
The vision of
MADY MISSIONS is to go into all the world, where the unreached people groups are. More specifically the 10:40 window. (You can copy and paste the URL into your browser to learn more about the 10:40 window.) (SEE BOTTOM FOR URL) We feel God’s call to these unreached people. We want to give them the same opportunity that we have received in knowing Christ and His love for us. What He did on the cross and why. What salvation means. These groups of people have the least access to the Christian message and Christian resources on the planet.
Please help us to reach these people. Would you pray about giving to our mission in reaching the people in the 10-40 window and if God puts it in your heart to give, we would so much appreciate it. Your gift would help us to reach the unreached.
Daysi and I have the opportunity to go to Bangkok, Thailand in April 2009, we want to share the message of the Gospel to the people there. This area of the world is one of the least evangelized. Together, one person at a time, we can make a difference in some ones life. Together, we are the hands, the feet, the voice to bring the Good News to the ends of the world.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10/40_Window
Let me share with you what I have felt God saying to me one night while
Daysi and I were in prayer. As we prayed this is what I sensed, that God asked me "Why are people halfhearted? Was I half hearted going to the Cross? When I heard this I began to weep from the depths of my stomach. It was an intense weeping something I've never experienced before. What was my answer to God? Well, I didn't want to disappoint Him so I gave the best answer I could think of, and it was this..........."I don't know." Let's first look at what Jesus really had to endure pertaining to the Cross. According to Matthew and Mark, Jesus was taken by the soldiers into the common hall, the
praetorium, which was thronged with Roman soldiers. There, they stripped Him and mocked Him by putting on Him a purple robe and a crown of thorns. The indignities included being spit upon and being repeatedly beaten on the head. Few incidents in history more clearly illustrate the brutality in the desperately wicked heart of man than that which was inflicted on Jesus the Son of God. Today if Jesus was walking around this earth, He would still be sought after to be killed. The mockery of the crown of thorns, painful as well as humiliating, His being stripped naked in front of the large crowd; the mockery of the purple robe, intended to represent a kingly garment; His being spit upon and beaten over the head repeatedly as well as the mocking worship testified to the unbelief and sordidness of the actors in this situation. It was only after enduring all of this in complete silence, except for the conversation between Christ and Pilate recorded in
John 19:8-11, that Jesus was finally led away to the crucifixion. Jesus was submissive to this entire procedure is the measure of His total submission to the will of God. Here, the Lord of glory, capable of destroying anyone who put a hand upon Him, allowed Himself to be abused in this painful and humiliating way. Why would God allow His only begotten son to go through this? Was God a cruel father? Did Jesus deserve this for some gross sin He committed? Or was it LOVE? Love for us that is. The bible tells us in John 3:16-21..... "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." That's the reason folks, do you remember that, that was the reason. Do we need to go back to the basics and meditate on what Jesus did for us. There is one verse I left out up until now and it's found in The book of Isaiah. Isaiah anticipated this when he stated in
Isaiah 52:14, “His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” Jesus was beaten about the head and the body until He was almost
unrecognizable. What did Jesus endure regarding the Cross, I believe was the initial question. So if Jesus went to the Cross voluntarily and endured so much hatred and so much disgrace as well as
experiencing so much pain. Is it possible that, we who profess to be His followers, disciples, ambassadors, CHILREN, we can stop being lukewarm so He doesn't spit us out of His mouth. Can we give to Him the worship not only that is due to Him but what He desrves from us. Let's stop talking the talk and let's start walking the talk. If God asks you why are My people so halfhearted what answer will you give Him?
It was truly awesome to watch Daysi serve these people. You could see the love she has for them. Her face lit up like the sun as she went about helping, not only in finding the right glasses for the people, but interpreting for the optometrists Paul and Ken. We were both so happy to serve the people of the different villages. We pray that God will touch their hearts. The Pastor that was with us has had a difficult time in reaching some of the villages with the Gospel. They didn't want him in their villages. However, because of these eye clinic outreaches this Pastor received many invites into homes for dinner. Thank you Lord for openning doors for your word. We give all glory and praise to God our Father.
Just finished a really good dinner with Daysi. So since we ate too much we decide to go for a walk. We usually walk around our colonia, which we did tonight. After we had been walking for a bit we see this, what looks like a cow ahead. We think nothing of it and continue our walk. I keep my eyes on this, what I thought was a cow. Then I notice that this "cow" was starting to move towards us and coming quicker. So I pull Daysi to the side and I start to climb up this hill (not a very big hill let me add). Daysi looks and sees the BULL coming at us, we stop dead and so does the bull. We wait, so does the BULL. Then we, very carefully and slowly start to walk back the opposite way with the BULL following. We stop and talk to this family that are out with their sheep and notice they are laughing. Yes, at us!! They tell us that that was certainly a BULL and they were also waiting for it to leave so they too can get back to their home.If this BULL wanted a challenge from a gringo, he didn't get it. If I wanted a challenge from a BULL there are a lot of mechanical ones I could find. This was a challenge I didn't want. (This picture is not the same bull we encountered)
