Members of our Mexico Gateway Team (Mission Baptist - Hamilton, ON) in action, painting at the Acolman Retreat Center.

August 20, 2007

Well, the full work week begins! There is a lot of painting to be done here at the Acolman Retreat Center here in the northern reaches of Mexico City, so it looks like that will be our main project here this week. Almost all of the painting is over plastered concrete, so it takes quite a bit of paint to cover it well.

Everyone chipped right in and by the end of the day, the Barons and Randy were quite amazed at the progress made by this group of mostly teenagers. There seems to be some good work ethic implanted in these kids! Way to go mum and dad! We’re painting boys’ dorm rooms and bathrooms to begin with; 3 of them in all and also a stairway which requires some scaffolding and ladders.

Our evening team meeting was a great time again of worship and a challenge from Mission Baptist Youth Pastor Mike Powell on Ezra and Nehemiah on confession. We ended the meeting with a meaningful time of confessing sins, struggles, etc. before the group for the purpose of uplifting and encouraging each other in their journeys with Jesus.

Please pray that God would continue to mold each person here to become more Christ-like in all that they are.

We also had to say good-bye today to 2 members of the team, Shelly and Kameron Schmor, who headed home to begin Kameron’s preparations for school this fall. Although both of their flights were delayed, and had to drive 2 hours to Milwaukee from Chicago, they made it home by 2am (Tuesday). Thanks for your prayers for their safe-keeping.


August 21, 2007

Another full day of painting! Sometimes it can be difficult for a Gateway Team that works with their hands like this to see beyond the paint being applied to a wall to the purpose behind that paint; that being the purpose of this Retreat Center (or ‘Acampamento’) as it is called here. This Retreat Center not only provides great facilities for a Gateway Team like this to be accommodated, but also provides a location away from home for campers each summer. Every July, there is an Adolescents Camp (ages 13-17) and a Kids Camp (ages 8-12) here at Acolman where many young lives have discovered their newfound journey with Jesus Christ. Gateway Teams have had a hand in these camps for a number of years as well assisting the staff in a number of ways.

So, the Gateway Team that’s here this week to work on the physical facility of the Retreat Center needs to be reminded that what they are doing here (painting, etc.) has an impact on lives, even though they’re not here to see that impact. Please pray that the team would see this and that the Holy Spirit would encourage and remind them of their overall purpose here.

Even so, the team continues to work hard and make a lot of progress. Everyone is quite tired by the end of day! We also had another great team meeting this evening as we shared in some favorite fun songs but also in some favorite songs of worship. Allison Cannon, one of our female leaders shared a very meaningful challenge and exercise on the misuse of the tongue (James 3). Thank you for your continued prayers Prayer Partners!


August 22, 2007

We shaked up the schedule somewhat today because we planned to head to church (Cristo Vive) in the evening for their weekly prayer meeting. So, we decided to eat on a more ‘Mexican’ eating schedule working straight through until 3 in the afternoon when we would have our big meal of the day (‘Comida’) and then leaving for the prayer service around 5:30pm and returning to the Retreat Center for supper (‘Cena’) around 9:30/10:00pm which was a light snack before bed. It worked out great as the team worked themselves out of all the paint we had! By the end of the day, all of the boy’s dorms had been finished and most of the stairwell as well; and the dining hall/chapel (which includes the painting of a very rough concrete ceiling) had a large portion completed too. Our host missionary, Royce Baron, has been busy with trips to the paint store just to keep us supplied! In between brush strokes, the team members have been able to take turns with Royce to an authentic Mexican market where all manner of interesting sites have been seen!

And, as planned, we headed for the Prayer Service in the evening which was a rich time with the people of Iglesia Cristo Vive (Christ Lives Church). We shared in the prayer time together, heard and prayed for a number of heartfelt requests from those in attendance and also shared some requests for prayer ourselves. Many on the team have mentioned how impressed they are with the openness and willingness of these Mexican believers to share with each other and us!

This is a good example of how a mission team can feel that they are coming to provide something for the these people (in our case, painting here at the Retreat Center), but are surprised to find that they receive from the people at least as much if not more than they are giving. There is so much that we as North Americans can learn from the believers here in Mexico about prayer and many other things. Mexicans are naturally hospitable, but when this is coupled with the love of Christ that is present among brothers and sisters in the Lord, it is an incredible blessing; and our team is definitely been the recipients of that blessing!

Pray that God continues to reveal Himself through the lives of the Mexican believers here who are not going out of their way to show love to our team members, but just do this naturally as a part of who they are. Also, would you please pray for our van driver? He has become a very special person to the team and has also been impacted by the testimony of the other 3 Gateway Teams that have been here at the church and Retreat Center this summer. Please pray that God would continue to work in his live and in the life of his family.

The Retreat Center at Acolman, Mexico. This is just part of it, but the part we´re working on.
In the rain at the Pyramids of Teotihuacan.

A good portion of the Mexico Gateway Team in the new dorm area where we´re working.














August 17, 2007

Our day started very early as we took the Lunas to the airport and were dropped off at our new home for the next week or so in Acolman. The Mission Baptist (Hamilton, ON) Mexico Gateway Team arrived in the afternoon and so we went back to the airport to meet them, changed some dollars to pesos and headed back to Acolman and the Retreat Center where they will work for the next week or so. On the way, a Mexican treat for lunch; McDonalds!

Everyone settled in, had a great ‘real’ Mexican dinner (not McDonald’s) which was made by Olga, an incredible cook and also sister to missionary Moises Ruiz who we’ll meet later in the week. The team also got acquainted with the Barons, Royce and Sue, who are our main hosts here this week at the Acolman Retreat Center. Our first team meeting followed in the evening and everyone was quite ready for bed after a long day that began at 2:00am for the team and 4:00am for the Schmors!

Please pray that everyone would get acclimated well and quick as we begin this new mission!


August 18, 2007

It’s Saturday, but that didn’t matter one bit as the team charged right into our work projects for the week; primarily priming and painting the newly constructed dormitory and other facilities here. Everyone in the group was quite enthusiastic about getting to work and despite the fact that this team is comprised primarily of teenagers, these guys all worked hard and we knocked off a little bit early to play some soccer.

Olga continues to amaze with her creations from the kitchen and everyone is enjoying the authentic Mexican food we have at each meal. The team also found a little time to explore our neighborhood and the ‘tienda’ (store) just across the street. A few tried to harvest some of the cactus fruit here (called ‘tuna’) but ended up with more tiny prickers in their hands and fingers than I think they bargained for!

Church and a trip to the nearby pyramids (Teotihuacan) are up for tomorrow. Please pray as the team shares songs and testimonies at church but also seeks to connect with people. The Retreat Center we are working on is an extension of the ministry of ‘Cristo Vive’ church in Jardines de Morelos where camps, retreats, etc. take place and many young people (and adults) have discovered a new walk with Christ. Attending church with these same people is as important a part of our ministry here as anything we do here at the Retreat Center.


August 19, 2007

We left at 9:00am for church and participated first in a prayer time that preceded the service. The team found much openness in the lives of people as they shared their concerns and prayer requests freely with those present. As the service began, we all participated in the Spanish worship, singing the words as they appeared on the screen with varying degrees of comprehension as to what was being sung! After 45 minutes or so of praise and worship, Pastor Mike Powell shared his testimony as Sue Baron translated. Then, the whole team took to the stage as we sang “My Redeemer Lives” to the congregation, even singing the chorus in Spanish! (‘Mi Redentor Vive’). Then, our Kameron shared his testimony with the congregation; he did such a great job, again his mom and dad quite proud! Allison Cannon then did a great job of in sharing her testimony with the church and the team ended their part of the service by singing in Spanish and English, “Open the Eyes of My Heart”/”Abre Mis Ojos Senor”.

The team really enjoyed the worship experience as Pepe (the youth leader) preached in Spanish and met and talked after the service. It was a blessed time to be together with these brothers and sisters.

Once we had a sandwich lunch back at the Retreat Center, we headed to the Teotihuacan pyramids, but noticed quite dark clouds as we were leaving. It’s rainy season in Mexico from June to October and you can almost set your watch by the afternoon rainstorm that arrives each day. But, the rain didn’t deter as we headed to this world renowned archaeological site. The team did and saw pretty much everything there is to see and do at Teotihuacan; seeing the Temple of the Serpent, climbing the Sun pyramid and exploring the Temple of the Butterfly; all in the rain! The park was quite full when we arrived but emptied out quite quickly as the rain fell. The team marveled as they saw this place that was constructed over 2000 years ago and once inhabited by over 200,000 people until 500 A.D.!

Our team meeting in the evening was one of great sharing of the day’s experiences and worship. Everyone agreed that it was a full, yet very meaningful day! Please pray that the team members would be able to soak it all in; appreciating all the aspects of culture here in Mexico as a part of their total experience on this mission. Also pray for each of them as they consider the challenges they are hearing from us (the Schmors) and the Barons about how they want to consider serving God full-time and how they should use this experience to reconsider how to live back home too. God is definitely at work here and the week has just begun!

August 13-16, 2007

Shelly, Kameron and I enjoyed a few days off between the 2 Gateway Teams this week. We spent some time with the Lunas at their home in Colonia Santa Ursula Coapa (southern Mexico City) and enjoyed an evening in the home of Hugo and Mari Yllescas (from the church in Tlahuac). We also went to San Miguel de Allende, about 4 hours north of Mexico City, for 2 nights. San Miguel is an incredible, authentic Mexican city where many artisans live and exhibit their work; an awesome place to visit and experience! The next team arrives tomorrow from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada to do work projects with our missionary partners in northern Mexico City (Acolman).

Kameron sharing his testimony for the first time and being translated into Spanish by Pastor Juan Luna of Texas.
Isak, Pastor Juan Castro of Tlahuac, Mexico and Pastor Juan Luna of Rio Grande City, Texas on the site of Centro Internacional de Alabanza´s new location.





















At the Pyramids of ´Teotihuacan´.






August 10, 2007

A day of finishing well! It was our last day of Good News Club and we had a great day with the kids. About 5 children responded to giving their lives to Jesus Christ today after Amanda Luna (wife of Pastor Juan Luna, our translators) gave an invitation at the end of the Bible story. Praise God! And then we had some gifts for the children as well to take home and remember their experience this week.

There was some time to ourselves in the afternoon (most went on the Wal-Mart run!) and the ladies treated Anamaria to a trip to the beauty salon. In the evening, Pastor Juan Castro, Hugo Yllescas (lay co-pastor) and Isaac Collin (another lay leader) met with Randy, Mike DeLong and Pastor Juan Luna for a time to discuss issues of church leadership and share struggles the church is having after their 4 years of existence. It was a great time and well received by the 3 leaders of Centro Internacional de Alabanza. We then attended and participated in the Friday night church service with songs, testimonies and a message from Mike DeLong on “Passing the Baton” to the next generation.


August 11, 2007

Today was a cultural day for the team as we went to the pyramids of Teotihuacan just north of the reaches of the city. But, because Tlahuac is in the southeast part of the city, it took 2 to 2 ½ hours to get there! These pyramids and the city below them were built over 2000 years ago by the Teotihuacani people and around 500 AD had around 200,000 people living there. By the time of the Aztecs (like Moctezuma) it was revered as a ‘city of the gods’. It is a full day’s adventure to go to this site with a lot of walking and climbing of steps! And as is the case every day here in this area during rainy season, the rain poured down right on schedule around 4pm and we got soaked just as we were finishing up our time at this historical site.

It was a very full day and we were treated to have around 20 persons from the church join us on the bus we chartered to travel there. The connections we continued to enjoy with folks from the church made the experience and the day even more enjoyable. But, as we headed back home, you could have heard a pin drop on the bus as everyone fell asleep for a good portion of the trip! We were then treated to another great meal at Claudia’s (a lady from the church who owns a walk-up quesadilla stand) and ate to our heart’s content. What an awesome lady, servant and cook! Incredible!

By the time we got back, everyone was ready for bed as we knew Sunday would be a full day as well and our last day here at that.


August 12, 2007

Sunday began with what was to be a very important discussion that Pastor Castor arranged to have at 9am before the Sunday service at 11am. He asked in the beginning of the week, after we had had meetings with a number of the church leaders, if we could have a time with all the leaders of the church to discuss what it means to be a servant leader, how we are to handle conflict in the church and various other issues that these folks would want to discuss. Mike DeLong began the 2 hour session with a six point discussion on what it means to lead as a servant which was very well received and sparked much discussion. Everyone one on the team was encouraged by this meeting and the church leaders that attended (about 25) were very encouraged as well; including Pastor Castro.

This time was obviously a great cap to our time here and it was obvious that prayer had preceded it. Thank you so much for praying for this church; please continue to do so!

Our last church service here was a great experience as well, as we were invited by the worship team to join them in singing “Forever” (Chris Tomlin) in Spanish and English. It was also a very important day in the life of the Schmors! Shelly shared her testimony and touched many hearts with her honesty and our 9-year old son Kameron shared his testimony for the first time as well! We (the Schmors) were so proud of him. Randy also preached on ‘Joshua’ and how his name points to Jesus, the only ‘hero’.
After a time of food and sharing when church was over, our team and a number of folks from the church headed over to the church’s new site a few blocks away. They will be moving there next month. We walked through all the rooms and open areas and held hands in a large circle praying for the church’s ministry in this new location. The new site is very close to a busy interaction and we prayed that this whole new area would have a great impact for the Kingdom. Mexico City has so many needs and has so many un-reached areas; please continue to pray for the impact of Pastor Juan Castro and this church in this part (Tlahuac) of this city of 30 million people.

The evening was set aside for our de-briefing time as the team prepared to re-enter the United States. We discussed our important it is to say good-bye appropriately, how to share our stories with folks back home effectively and probably most importantly, how to integrate this experience into our life’s journey in a meaningful way. The evening concluded with packing, cleaning and generally getting ready for the trip home tomorrow afternoon.

Please pray for safe travel for the 10 members of the team heading home tomorrow and for the 3 Schmors as they head home over the next 2 weeks.


August 13, 2007

Well, departure day is here! And many of new friends came by the church to see the team off as they headed for the airport. It’s amazing how close you can become with people that you just met a few days ago by sharing experiences and more importantly, by sharing the same Holy Spirit. God worked through the team in incredible ways these past days and it will be great to see how this church continues to grow into the future in their new location. It’s also gratifying to know that our team may have something to do with the church’s growth down the road as we shared our lives together.

There was a sense of trust this past week as this was the third time Gateway Teams had come here and Randy had been the leader. Many seeds were planted and ideas sown as this church seeks to follow God’s will for the future. Yes, it was a short week and the time here passed quickly but there was a sense that God was really up to something special during this time. Many in the church sensed it as well as the members of our team.

Thanks so much for being a part of the support of this Mexico Gateway Team’s ministry over these past days of August. Without your prayers, the way could not have paved for the Holy Spirit to be at work. Thank you prayer partners! God bless you for your special role in this project. May His Kingdom come and will be done! Blessings.

PS – the team (10 members) all arrived home safely late Monday night; and the 3 Schmors began to take a few days of rest before leading their next Mexico Gateway Team who are arriving from Canada on August 17…..

sorry, the pics are here! thanks!

August 7, 2007

Another great day here in Tlahuac! It was a day of Mexican culture and understanding as well as a day that included another great evening of our ESL classes. We started the day quite early as we boarded a public bus to head to the nearest Metro (subway) station and make our way to El Centro or ‘Zocalo’; the center/downtown of Mexico City. The traffic while we were on the bus was quite heavy and it took almost an hour just to get to ‘Taxqueña, the closest of the Metro stations. Once we were there, it takes only 20 minutes to get all the way to the center of the city. We stopped first at ‘Ciudadela’, a large market where the team could get some authentic souvenirs of their time here. After 2 hours there, we headed on foot to Avenida Juarez which is a main business district of Mexico City. The team observed a number of landmarks including ‘Palacio de Belles Artes’, a large and beautiful art museum. Close to this museum was our stop for lunch at Sanborns where the team enjoyed a great lunch of authentic Mexican food. We then headed further on foot to ‘Zocalo’, the main center of the Capital where we found the National Cathedral and the Presidential Palace. The National Cathedral is an incredible structure, 350 years old, the oldest building in the Americas. And the National Palace has displays of the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera including a 3-wall mural depicting 2000+ years of Mexican history. By the time we got back to the church via Metro and bus again, we had 15 minutes to spare before the ESL classes began. A very full day indeed!

The classes themselves went very well and were much appreciated. The Delongs did a great job with the advanced group and Kathy and Beth also did a great job with the Beginners. Everyone was smiling, laughing and enjoying their time together. These classes continued to build on the foundation of relationship that is so important for us to formulate with these people before we attempt to discuss some of the aspects of ministry leadership in the congregation that we were asked to come here and help with.

Thanks for your prayers! The Lord kept us safe in all our comings and going today; which were many!

August 8, 2007

Today was the first of our 3 children’s ministry days with the focal point being a “Good News Club”. Around 35 children came for this first day of Club Buenas Nuevas and many of their mothers stayed to watch and participate. When club was over, we had the first of 3 luncheons for the children’s workers of the church. All of the children’s ministry in this church, for ages birth through 14 is led by these 4 ladies who came to the luncheon. We discovered what incredible hearts they have for these kids but they have very little resources or funds to work with. They also find it very difficult to work with the 12-14 year old boys in particular, being ladies and all, but they have such a heart for this and sacrifice much to serve. The other difficulty many of them face, which is common here, is lack of support from their husbands for their service in the church. In the best scenarios, their husbands at least attend church on Sunday, but in many cases, husbands are absent from the role of spiritual leadership in their homes, let alone supporting these faithful ladies in their service to the children of the congregation.
This was a good time of sharing, praying and gathering together, letting these ladies know that they are not alone and that we care about them and their needs.

Wednesday night is also a prayer service night in the church and we were privileged to have Kathy share her testimony with the congregation and have Pastor Juan Luna from Texas, one of our translators and a long-time friend of Gateway Teams, bring a bilingual message on what it means to invite the presence of Christ into our homes.

The team also shared during our team meeting time their impressions of yesterday when we were at the National Cathedral and all that we’re experiencing in trying to understand and appreciate the Mexican culture. There is much to understand about the people we’re trying to serve here. Please pray that we would continue to understand our brothers and sisters here and their needs better and better.

Oh, 2 more things! We can’t forget to tell of the major storm that hit right during church tonight! It brought major amounts of rain and hail which covered and flooded the streets, broke through the tarp covering the church meeting area and forced us to scurry for cover! It was hard for everyone to believe how much hail came down! But after we repositioned ourselves and the sound equipment, the service went on! We also had an incredible meal at Claudia’s after church of tacos, quesadillas and tortas; but nothing like you’ve ever seen in the US! Claudia is a lady in the church who owns this walk-up taco stand and in the Mexican tradition, the team was enjoying this meal around 10:30-11:00pm! “What a feast!” and “Pass the ‘Alka-Selzer’!” were the 2 main comments as we headed for bed afterwards!


August 9, 2007

Another day of Good News Club and for many on our team, the focal point of our time here; meetings in the evening with the leadership of the men’s, women’s and youth ministries. In the case of the men’s ministry, there isn’t any in the church, so imagine our surprise and enthusiasm when 15 men showed up because of their interest in beginning such a ministry in this church! Scott, Mark, Mike and Juan Luna led this time of discussion, presentation and prayer as these men gathered and were challenged on what it means to take spiritual leadership in the home and in the church. They were also encouraged that the young men of the church need them as mentors if the church is going to continue to grow. Young men typically lose interest in the church and fall away, but if this group of men are any indication, God is about to do a great work here and it’s with great joy that we are here to encourage them to move forward. Praise God for this time and how he used the men of our group! Keep praying for these men in this congregation as well in these roles of spiritual leadership.

The women’s ministry time was led by Shelly, Sue, Kathy, Beth and Amanda Luna (translating) and the ladies that came were encouraged to try to find time to meet and especially study together and to just have fun together! The team brought along a Spanish version of Beth Moore’s ‘Daniel’ study and the ladies enjoyed watching this video and discussing the topic. They also enjoyed getting their nails done by the ladies of the team as they met and discussed! Great idea!

Isak la payaso! Isak the clown!

A beautiful little girl at Centro Internacional de Alabanzas park ministry.

August 4, 2007

Greetings from Mexico City! “The Small Group” Mexico Gateway Team from Brookfield, WI that Shelly and Randy are leading to Tlahuac, Mexico arrived Friday night to the home/church of our hosts, Pastor Juan and Anamaria Castro and immediately were a part of the weekly Friday night church service of Centro Internacional de Alabanza. The team is here at the request of the church to help with issues of discipleship and leadership and definitely got their feet wet in the Friday evening service and then with an afternoon outreach on the streets of the ‘Colonia’ for children and for adults in the evening. Randy preached and Mike DeLong and Scott Mathison shared their testimonies at the service on Friday night. The team also helped in a number of ways at the Saturday afternoon outreach as well; leading songs for the children and helping with the set-up and tear-down.

This church is such an example of loving, caring and growth. Their plans include a number of church planting efforts in this part of the city and many members of the congregation have plans to help with these church plants. Pastor Juan and Anamaria view these church plants as mission projects that will multiply what this church is already doing. The Castros themselves are missionaries here in Mexico, sent from their respective churches in Chile and Brazil and the fervor that they have brought here for church planting has definitely been contagious.

The team we have here consists of 9 adults and 4 of our children and we’re looking forward to what God already has done and will do this week. If our first day is any indication by the number of people that came to the Saturday outreach and responded, we are in for many blessings this week.


August 5, 2007

The weekend is an incredibly busy time here at Centro Internacional de Alabanza. The Sunday service is definitely the focal point of the week here and we were privileged to be to play a major role in the service this week. Our team shared 3 songs of worship as a group before Beth Mathison and Mark Kelm shared their testimonies of following Christ. Beth and Mark had 2 young people from the church as interpreters who had the opportunity to translate in public for the first time. It was a little shaky at times but fortunately they were given some help from some other bilingual people close-by and it was a good experience for them.

Mike DeLong was asked to preach in this service and he was interpreted by a long-time friend of Gateway Teams, Pastor Juan Luna of Rio Grande City, Texas. Juan and his wife Amanda are here in Mexico City (originally their home) to help our team with translation in many of the events we’re looking to do here this week. Mike had a great message encouraging the church in all the great things they’re already doing and challenging them to keep their eyes on Jesus as they look to move to a larger facility next month. Mike also challenged the men to be the spiritual leaders of their homes; something that is not always so easy in this culture. Juan Luna is a great interpreter and preacher in his own rite, so it was a great message and it was awesome to see Juan using his interpretive skills.

The rest of the day included an invitation to a church family’s home for a birthday party and a trip to Coyoacan; the “artsy” area of Mexico City. It was a very full day and the entire team shared how they are so impressed with the dedication, passion and servant hearts shown through members of this church. One example of that service is Monica. Monica is cooking meals for us this week but in order to do this, she had to take a week’s vacation from her job which she willing did to serve us in this way! She is just one incredible example of the servant hearts of the people at this church. It is such a blessing to be here.

August 6, 2007

Finally the pace slows down! But, just a little! Today is a day where our plans include our first of 2 ESL (English as a Second Language) classes in the evening, but we knew that much of the morning and afternoon would be given to preparing for these classes and also preparing for the “Good News Club” for children we’ll be offering on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week. The team pulled together and did a great job preparing for these ministry times which enabled us to have some time to explore a near-by market.

That evening, the ESL classes (we offered Beginner and Advanced) came together beautifully as we had a good turnout of people. But really, what everyone realizes is happening between us as a team and the people of this church is relationship. So many of the team members have shared how incredible it is to develop such a bond with these brothers and sisters in Christ in such a short time. The only explanation is our common bond of the Holy Spirit and the oneness that can be felt in the body of Christ.

I’ll also share with you that we have definitely experienced some of the spiritual attacks that we talked about before we came here. Mexico City (and Mexico in general) has been under the influence of much occultic activity for many, many years. And anyone that has ever sought to further the cause of Christ here, including us, has experience opposition. Please pray for us as we seek, with God’s help, to overcome. God has definitely been here at work through us, but we have also experienced efforts to halt that work.

Would you please lift our team and this church up to Jesus right now as you read this? God bless and thank you.

Hey folks,

Thank you for the prayers regarding yesterday's prayer request and the young boy who died at Good Spirit Bible Camp in Saskatchewan.

I just wanted to let you know that there will be a number of blog entries ahead as we head to Mexico City on Friday to lead 2 Gateway Teams.

Thanks for your continued prayers for us. Blessings!