February 16, 2005

Mission Blogging pt III

More from Jake in Mexico:

Century 21

The construction site we are building at is in the middle of a community the city named Century 21. It was supposed to trick the people into believing they were getting into some cutting edge, turn of the century houses. It is the community of the future, if the present was 1700. When you arrive at the community, there is a section of semi-new government housing. Adjacent to those is the crowded maze of dirt streets that is completely lined with small "shelters" and primitive dwellings that is the city of the future.

Well, the future isnīt going to be prettyy. These kids are destined for a life of begging, drug dealing, and prostitution. Some kids are already involved in all of these things. Today we took a girl 17 years old to a rehab facility to get treatment for her crystal-meth problem. She had her baby daughter with her. She also will be going to a hospital to get treatment for the leukemia that she is just ignoring, hoping just to die on her own terms.

I have a heavy heart tonight. I want to hold my son and my wife in the safety of our nice home on four acres out in the country with two cows, and forget about what Iīve seen today. The problem is that too many people are doing that already. The one thing I have learned today is that I can never do enough to help other people- in my community, in other states, or in other countries. I have realized that missions are in our backyards, our neighborhoods, our families, our schools and our jobs. I can never give enough, but Iīm willing to die trying.

I talked to one little boy today, Ramone, who ended up accepting Christ into his heart. It was as simple as telling him that Christ loves him. Why canīt I do that everyday?

Part I; Part II

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