A Bridge Full of Mishaps at HOM

Ensenada, Mexico, November 7-9 Bridge Bible Church HOM Build

     This was another soul-searching experience at the Nuevo Rancho Casitas location with Danny and Joy Van Nes and family.  Danny spoke frankly about how we really need to get over ourselves, and just throw our hands up to God every day and tell Him we suck, and ask for His help in everything, because we NEED Him so much!  It was reminiscent of the apostle Paul’s “old man/new man” and “dying to self” truths from the books of Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, and Colossians.  Danny loves to ask questions to get us thinking about our faith and to challenge us to go further in our relationship with God.  He threw out several, but the ones that stood out to me were as follows:  “If you could choose to go to the mission field to a place where you had a 93% chance of being killed, or one that was relatively safe, which place would you choose?”  AND  “Would you be willing to give up your ‘back up plan’ (such as your retirement and everything you own) to follow Jesus?”  Tough stuff!
      The highlight of the trip for me was getting to be part of a conversation that Dr. Hernandez had with the lady we were building the house for.  Her name was “Eleohae” (I know I’ve butchered it, so I have been calling her “Aloha” because it is beautiful, and it sounds like her name a bit.).  She transplanted from Oaxaca, Mexico, in the way south of the country, when her husband came north to find work.  Sadly, he abandoned her and the children, and she was living with an older daughter.  Her native language being Mestico, she had not been able to understand the pastor of the church she and her daughter attended (The daughter is Christian.), so she had not accepted Christ yet, mostly because of the language barrier.  After the doctor told her the salvation story and how much Jesus loves her, she broke down, and then, later, when we read the verses that we had written on the foundation of her new house, this beautiful lady just sobbed.  We are praying that with the new Mestico audio Bible she received, and the encouragement from her daughter and the pastor, that Aloha will soon understand what Jesus did for her and accept Him as her Savior.  We know the Holy Spirit was there that day, and that He can break through any barrier to save souls.
     Before I close with a more lighthearted side to our story, I want to leave you with this thought. As we were traveling home from Mexico, I was thinking out loud, and I wondered about something.  Is it even possible to become so over-whelmed by the I AM THAT I AM, and so devastated by our humanity, that we will ever be able to fully “run with God,” giving up everything for His kingdom, because of His steadfast love?  I fear all I will be able to ever achieve is the continual striving for this goal, because of my brokenness.  But then, someday, when my journey has ended, I can sing…….(This is for you, Mr. Gibbons.)…….

 “Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I'm come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,  Safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the folds of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood.”     

     Lots of crazy stuff happened on this trip, and unfortunately, it is hard to capture those moments on camera, because the unexpected never waits for the lens!  So, instead of expounding on what happened, I will leave you with some burning questions to ask the people who went to Mexico this time around from the Bridge!  You know, when you don’t ask the right question, you don’t get the answers you want.  If you’re a parent, you’ve learned that the hard way!  I always have lots of questions, probably because I’m pretty much still a big kid!  I hope you have fun with this, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll hear a life-changing story to boot!

TO:
Greg Gibbons---“How heavy is an Ebenezer?”
Tori and Nate Gibbons—“Do you know the names of your guardian angels?”
Kent Jones—“What’s the view like at around fourteen feet with your thumb underneath your hammer?”
Scott Rush—“Can you build me a gabled roof?”
Morgan Champlin—“May I have a paseo el de lengüeta?”
Kelly (Sorry Kelly, I can’t remember your last name—ask Morgan, guys!)—“Would you like to play the name game?”
Chip Woodard—“Who ordered the paint?”
Lawrence “THE KING”—“How many stop signs between Tijuana and Ensenada?”
Kyle Tiffins—“How do you engineer a bridge?”
Tom Woodard—“How did the Romans move bamboo stacks?”
Dr. Jose Hernandez—“Is it possible to work smarter, not harder?”
Bo Froehlich—“What do I do to stop a Charlie Horse while hanging in the balance?”
Sammy Froehlich—“Can one catch nails in mid-air?”
Crystal Froehlich—“When is the best time to dodge?”
Ron Froehlich—“Which corner?”
John Tjepkema—“How are your brakes?”
Tracy Woodard—“What’s a chalk line?”

Ali & Jenny Newton—“Can you build me a table?”

Scott Andrews—“How do you make a perfect square?”
Kristine Pavlevitch—“Will you take my picture?”
Vicki Andrews—“What does it take to become a man of God?”

P.S.  For those names above, please know that now that we are all safe, and we have breathed a collective sigh of relief, I am only laughing with you, not at you!

https://www.dropbox.com/home/Bridge%20Mexico%202014%2010%20House%20HOM%20Build