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He Knows

June 9, 2011 in Devotional, Ministry by Dave | Permalink

In light of recent events, it’s easy to fall to the temptation of asking: Does God see; does He even care? Fortunately, as we are observant, God show us examples of that care, how we are worth more to Him “than many sparrows.”

We witnessed one such example, in Tzalam, Yucatan. There, in a garage that served as a place of worship, we gathered in prayer. We asked God to bless the fledgling congregation led there by Pastor Eucebio Pech, and we prayed that out of that place would rise up witnesses of God’s love for that community and beyond.

Finishing our prayer, my brother, Mike, who had been visiting with his Chi Alpha team, asked me what the needs are in that community. He wanted to know the hindrances to the gospel in that place. I told him quite frankly that transportation was the big issue. The pastor didn’t own a car, and the 10 year old scooter that he used no longer had the power to drive the hills between his town and the people of Tzalam. The only way to reach his congregation was to borrow a motorcycle that wasn’t always readily available. He needed dependable transportation to be able to faithfully continue his ministry in Tzalam and in the other four communities where pastored. Mike and the team left with a burden in their heart and a mind to do something about it.

Having returned to DC, they had found that the work that they had done in fundraising had more than covered the cost of their trip. In fact, they had $1,000 dollars to invest in a used motorcycle for Eucebio. That’s wonderful news, but we haven’t got to the good part yet.

It turned out that in the course of the month and a half that had passed from the time that the team had returned until they notified me about the extra offering, Eucebio’s 10 year old scooter had finally broken down. Without funds to fix it, not only was ministry in Tzalam in jeopardy, but also in the other missions to which he had to travel. The $1,000 blessing arrived “just in time” to fill the need.

So, as we reflect on God’s involvement in our lives, I hope that you are encouraged by how he met the need of one pastor in Tunkás, Yucatán, and I pray that, even before you find yourself questioning, you’ll be reminded that in whatever situation you may be in, He knows.

Tags: Provision, Tunkas

New Leadership for the Yucatan

May 31, 2011 in Ministry, Prayer by Dave | Permalink

Last week was our District Convention, a pivotal convention in which new leadership was elected. Our former superintendent was forced to step down because of term limits, leaving the convention to vote for another to take his place. I appreciate those who committed to praying for the selection process.

Of course, the selection is just the beginning. It is important to have the right person in place, but it is even more important the the right person do the right thing after having taken office. Therefore, I submit to you the list of the current leadership of the Yucatan District. These are the people with whom we have the privilege of working side by side to see God’s will be done in this state as it is in Heaven.

District Superintendent: Tomás Vera
District Secretary: Raúl Sánchez
District Treasurer: Felipe Sabido

Regional Presbyters:
West: Juan Hau
South: Rosendo Cabrera
East: Amelio Ãguila
North: Manuel Diaz
Central: Fernando Moctezuma

Missions Director: Abel Can
Coordinator of Ministry to Ethnic Groups: Miriam Pech
Christian Education Director: Jorge Canto
Evangelism President: Moises Diaz
Spiritual Retreat Coordinator: Willer Pompeyo

Would you take a moment and lift these leaders up in prayer? Pray that God would give them a vision for the work. Pray for wisdom as they carry out their duties, and pray for blessing and protection for them and for their families.

A Special Day

May 20, 2011 in Ministry by Dave | Permalink

Monday was graduation day for the 64th class of Bethel Bible Institute, but it was remarkable for more than the proof of this institution’s longevity. It was the launching out into ministry of a group with whom I had shared a special bond.

I had taught them a total of two classes, but my heart swelled to see them finish their three years at Bethel. There was a sense of satisfaction, the feeling that I had helped this group reach their destination. And the feeling was shared. As the ceremonies finished, several of the class told me that they would never forget the impact that I had had on their lives. One student in particular embraced me and thanked me for what I had taught and modeled before him.

No. It wasn’t any amazing word that I had spoken into their lives that had made the impact. It wasn’t any particular truth that had meant the world to them. In fact, if I were to have grilled them on the spot. I would dare say that they would have all had to search hard in order to repeat even the most bare essentials of the Evangelism or the Church History course that I had taught them. The impact that had been made, the bond that we shared was forged in a different way. It came about through shared experience.

I hadn’t necessarily planned it. I had noticed at the time that the Evangelism course that I was teaching was going to finish short on hours. I made a comment to the director, and he suggested that I have the class hold a campaign in order to make up the time. I was less than enthusiastic about the suggestion, but I presented it to the class. They took it and ran.

In a few weeks time, they had organized themselves and planned the event. There was to be services, a medical outreach, and a clothing giveaway, but a blown radiator on the way made some wonder if the event was even going to take place. Still, that precious time of adversity and the fulfillment of having together pushed through to see God’s blessing in perseverance was invaluable to forging the relationship that still holds two and a half years later.

Taking that trip with them and staying with them through the crisis opened the door for me to speak to their lives, but the benefit was reciprocal. They were no longer just students. They had become friends. I wasn’t only teaching; I was learning as well, and it was that shared experience, that trip that I had only reluctantly agreed to lead, that had made it all possible.

Many of my colleagues have said that what impacts students most during their time in Bible School is not what they learn in the classroom. It is the time outside of the classroom: the words of counsel over a cup of coffee, the visit to their home by their professor, or even the evangelistic event in which they participate together that indelibly affects them. On Monday night, as I left that graduation event, I found myself in total agreement.

Tags: Bethel Bible Institute, Graduation, Shared experience

My Favorite Day of the Week

April 23, 2011 in Ministry by Dave | Permalink

Here in Mérida, Holy Week, the week before Resurrection Sunday, is one of our busiest times of the year. Starting on Palm Sunday and extending throughout the week our schedule is filled with services, each remembering a special aspect of Jesus’s final week of ministry. My favorite day of this week, though, is Saturday, the day on which the biblical record is silent. That’s because Saturday is the day when Centro Cristiano Gólgota, our home church, chooses to baptize.

I like it because baptism enables us to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Exactly following our Friday remembrance of his work on the cross, each baptism candidate is able to symbolically bury their old life in the baptismal waters and be raised again to new life as they anticipate the Resurrection morning celebration the very next day. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the rebirth that we’ve experienced because of Christ’s resurrection. Of course, the fact that it all takes place at the beach doesn’t hurt matters either.

That’s right, this Saturday morning, the church met at 8 AM and took the 30 minute drive to Progreso for the sea-side service. After assembling the baptismal candidates, singing songs, and reading passages about the significance of baptism, those participating in the ceremony waited as the ministers waded into the water to receive the candidates. Then, one by one, the candidates were led out into the ocean and baptized in turn.

This year was especially memorable as I was able to perform my first baptisms here in Mexico. I waded into the water with our Deputy Superintendent, Samuel Vazquez, and shared with him the honor of baptizing the youth and adults who will be welcomed as members of the church tomorrow. Included in this group were two of youth that attend our the Sunday school class that Kelly and I teach. The pictures included in this post are of those youth.

Following the baptisms, it’s time to celebrate! We take to the water to enjoy the beach together, and wrap things up with with a meal of fried fish complete with pickled onions, lemon, and plenty of tortillas! Forget the baptistery! Every church should baptize this way!

How about you? What’s your favorite Holy Week or Resurrection Sunday tradition? Make a comment and share it with us!

Tags: Baptism, Holy Week, Resurrection Sunday

In Search of Workers

April 12, 2011 in Maya, Ministry, Prayer, Progress by Dave | Permalink

Lately I’ve been traveling. I’ve been two hours to the east, and twice on 2+ hour trips to the south of Yucatán. My goal? It’s to find workers.

In the last print edition of our newsletter, I mentioned the organization, Power to Change, which is looking to bring the Jesus Film Project to the Yucatan. In this program, a team of two will visit churches to train action teams who will project the Jesus Film in the Maya language with the goal of planting a church within one month. The program is well defined and has produced some tremendous results all over the world, but the fact is that programs do not run themselves. They are only as good as the workers who take part in its execution.

For this reason, over the past two months, I’ve visited sectional meetings of pastors in order to promote the goal of partnering together to reach the Mayan culture. Through this promotion, I hope to find this team of two who can take the reins of this project and continue the work of evangelism among this marginalized people group. Not only will it require those who can speak the language, but it also calls for a special missionary vision to reach people throughout the state of Yucatan and beyond.

Would you pray with us? Pray that qualified, potential workers will respond. Pray as well that we will have God’s mind as our team selects those who will be trained to make up this Jesus Film Team.

Tags: Jesus Film Project, Maya, Power to Change

Life Lessons Learned in the Yucatan

March 30, 2011 in Ministry by Dave | 1 comment

The following post is a guest submission from my brother Mike.Â He’s a missionary to the university students of Washington DC where he directs the DC Chi Alpha Team and pastors a Chi Alpha chapter @ American University.Â This post was first uploaded to his personal blog at theGodzwas.com and recounts his experiences with us here in the Yucatan.

I will always take students on short term mission trips. It’s amazing how the simplest truths become profound whe you experience them in a different cultural context. This exactly what happened on our spring break trip to Yucatán, Mexico.

I lead a group of AU Chi Alpha students to work with my brother Dave, who’s just beginning his second term as a missionary there. We partnered with Pastor Eucebio Pech in his outreach to 4 different communities in central Yucatan. It was a full week of ministry! We led or participated in 7 services and dug out the foundation for Pastor Eucebio’s mission in the town of Tunkás.

We were able to experience some amazing moments. On Sunday night, we saw God hold back the rain so we could lead the mission’s first ever open air outreach in Tunkás. On Monday, we participated in an outreach where dozens were fitted with a free pair of glassesâ€“a daily reminder of the love of Jesus every time they put them on. The next day brought a surprise visit to the local cenote and we got a chance to go swimming in crystal clear water 80 feet below ground level. Wednesday gave us a chance to practice our balloon tying and help a share the gospel to all of the kids in San Antonio Chuc. O our last day of ministry, we experienced God’s presence as we prayed for the churches and visited members in 2 small communities. God held back the rain again that night, and we were able to do one last open air service in the town square.

I mentioned simple truths becoming profound on mission trips. For us, it was the power of pushing past discomfort to allow God to work through us. We slept in hammocks and shared one toilet for the entire team. It would have been more comfortable to stay in a hotel, but the location of the house helped us to maximize our work and opened a door for the owner to hear the gospel. It would have been easier to hide behind our limited Spanish and keep the Yucatecos at a distance, but when we pushed aside our embarrassment, relationships were formed and the love of Jesus was expressed. It would have been much more comfortable to use our lack of construction experience as an excuse to give a half-hearted effort, but when we pushed past inefficiency and sore muscles, wer able to see a hole turn into the foundation of a church. It was a lesson learned in Mexico, but it wasn’t left there. Our team prayer is that God would help us to step into the uncomfortable places we avoid on campus so we can depend on His power to do what we can’t. Profound truth, learned on the mission field, but meant to live by.

It’s interesting how God seems to speak more clearly to us as we move from our familiar surroundings and everyday routines. Did this article bring to mind something that God spoke to you when you were pushed past your comfort zone? Share it with us!

Tags: Chi Alpha, Missions Trip, Tunkas

Discipleship in Progress

February 22, 2011 in Ministry by Dave | 3 comments

Discipleship has lost traction in our fragmented society. Once upon a time we had been discipled simply by exposure to the gospel both in teaching and in practice several times a week. Now, however, packed schedules and enticing alternatives to the classical Christian community have left us searching for ways to make disciples in the modern world where even professing Christians seem to have left their faith behind when it comes to everyday living.

We face the same challenge here in the Yucatán. The taste for Christian activities and the informal discipleship structure that they promote seems to be dwindling. Where Christian maturity was once on display several times a week to serve as a model for the younger or less mature, many are beginning to ask, “What does a mature Christian look like?” and “How do I become one?”

Fortunately, resources are out there for us to help answer these questions. Recently, El Centro Cristiano Gólgota has begun an intentional discipleship program based on materials offered for free by Global University. We’ve been blessed to be a part of team working to adapt the individual studies to a group format. Meeting once a week, we’re going step by step through the process of Christian growth with the goal of making discipleship a tangible, achievable process. The picture above is of one of those sessions.

How about you? Have you’ve been wondering lately about discipleship? Have you heard someone asking aloud what mature Christianity should look like? What steps have you or your church taken to make discipleship an intentional process?

Tags: Discipleship, Global University, Intentionality

Premiere of the Jesus Film for Children in Maya

February 11, 2011 in Language, Maya, Ministry by Dave | 1 comment

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought that 7,000 words might be sufficient to describe what went on at the premiere of the Jesus Film for Children in Maya put on by the missions organization, Message for the Mayans. (Of course, I did take the liberty to add captions.)

Enjoy!

“I was invited to the premiere of the Jesus Film for Children in Maya put on by the organization that made the film, Message for the Mayans.”

From The Premiere of Jesus Film for Children in Maya. Posted by David Godzwa on 2/12/2011 (8 items)

: The film was set to take place in the park, but had to be moved inside because of the…

: Lots of smiles were evident during the event.

: Gamaliel Gonzalez, a pastor in Xcan and coordinator of evangelism for the Missions or…

: Many responded to the call to accept Jesus following the film.

: Randall Groves, the father of Eric Groves, the missionary hosting the event, traveled…

: Gamaliel, pictured here, leads evangelism teams each week with the goal of planting c…

: I traveled the 3.5 hours from Mérida with four Bible School students (from left to ri…

Generated by Facebook Photo Fetcher 2

Tags: Evangelism, Jesus Film for Children, Maya, Message for the Mayans, Xcan

Team Play

January 27, 2011 in Ministry, Missions by Dave | Permalink

This week finds me decidedly out of the country and out of my element. I’m in Springfield, MO, the home of Bass Pro, Andy’s Frozen Custard, the Assemblies of God, and until recently, some bone chilling temperatures, especially when you compare them to what we’re used to in the Yucatan.

Why am I here? Well, it’s certainly not for the ice cream. Actually, it’s because I serve as part of the leadership team for ACLAME, an organization that exists to network and encourage missionary educators that serve in the Latin American context.

For the past two days we’ve met to evaluate our events and retool our structure and purposes. All of it has been fruitful as we try to make ourselves more effective in the role that we serve. Still, as I worked among these individuals, each one with a wealth of experience and talents to offer, I found that the simple act of being together had enriched us in ways that we had not expected. We were exposed to resources we had not yet tapped, information that lay outside of our awareness and tecniques yet unexplored. I would say that each of us is walking away a better person for the time spent.

So yes the work in the field is on pause for another day as I pack up and ready to depart the near tolerable temperatures that are expected to visit these northern climes, but I believe I’m headed back more capable to handle what awaits as I return. I’m glad to work within an organization of team players.

Tags: ACLAME, Education, Springfield, Team

Laying the First Stone

January 12, 2011 in Ministry by Dave | Permalink

On January first, instead of being in bed recouping from the events of the night before, we hopped in the STL vehicle and headed to Tunkas, where we had expected to go a few days before, for the laying of the first stone of the mission being planted by Pastor Eucebio Pech. I had been invited to preach the service by Manuel Diaz, the Regional Presbyter.

It was, in fact an opportunity that I had almost missed. I had been invited previously to preach this same service on the 25th of December, Christmas Day, but as we had already decided to spend that day at home as a family, I had had to say no. Fortunately, the calendars had been confused, and, when the confusion had been cleared, a way was made for me to participate.

This was the first time that we had ever attended a “stone-laying” service in this our 4th year of experience here in the Yucatán. In this case, all four missions overseen by Pastor Eucebio were present for the event. On the lot, where there had been not much more than a pile of rocks, there were now chairs and a tarp under which the groups assembled. Also there was a table on which was set a glass box. In the glass box was a Bible, a hymnal, a scroll, and a series of peso coins.

I asked Manuel about the box. He explained to me that the box would be set into the actual foundation of the church, where a cement vault had been prepared to receive it. The items in the box were symbolic: the Bible signified the beliefs upon which the church is founded, the hymnal signified the praise and adoration of that would be soon lifted up in that building, while the coins signified the prosperity that the believers hoped would be a part of its developing story. The scroll contained all of the names of the founding members of the church.

We sang, I preached on Psalm 121, a pilgrim’s song, about the journey upon which the church was embarking, and scriptures were read. At the end of the service, we moved to the laying of the stone. Manuel Diaz asked the members of the mission to come forward and place their hands on the box while he prayed. After the prayer was over, Pastor Eucepio and I carried the box to the vault and placed it inside. We sang as the workers present sealed the vault. Then Pastor Eucebio and Manuel Diaz placed the first stone (an actual rock) on top of the vault.

As the celebration continued into the evening, we shared a meal, greeted many who had participate with us, and tried to take in the significance of the event. It had been a great beginning. Our prayer that night was that it might be as well the beginning of something great.

Note: You can see these and other pictures of the event here: https://www.disciplemexico.org/gallery?album=LayingTheFirstStone_DiscipleMexico

Tags: Missions, New Year, Preach, Stone, Tunkas

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