“How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” (Isa 52:7)
Journal,
Forty-two years ago I had a dream. (1970) It was one of those ‘God directive’ dreams that had to do with instructions for the future. (The Lord has often sealed my instructions in dreams. Cf. Job 33:15,16. Acts 2:17,18)
Here is how it went. I was holding a revival in Sulphur, Louisiana, when the pastor asked me to stay and help him build up the church. He made the package very attractive. But that night I had a dream. In the dream I was standing at the mouth of the Sabine River, looking across the Gulf of Mexico, towards Mexico.
For years I did not understand the significance of the dream but I knew it was from the Lord. The Lord was drawing my affection and my attention to Mexico. I had to turn down the pastor’s offer. (Note the top map.)
Six years later (1976) the Lord gave me a stewardship to raise up a mentoring ministry in Central Louisiana, on the order of the Old Testament school of the prophets. This was the beginning of our School for Christian Workers.
He also put in my heart a song to that would serve as the theme song of Christian Challenge. It is titled ‘How Beautiful Upon the Mountains.’ Don’t expect anything professional, but if you are interested here it is:
http://www.christianchallenge.org/audio/music/14_How%20Beautiful%20Upon%20The%20Mountains.mp3
Two Young Missionaries
Nathan and Pedro Chulin Gordillo
In the 1980s we began sending out missionaries. Our son Nathan, was our first missionary. For several years Nathan and his partner missionary, Joel Dyke, worked together in raising up evangelical churches in Mexico. They were able to set up over twelve churches. (The bottom map shows a few of the churches that owe their beginnings to these two missionaries and their wives. – Both these men married their young wives while on the mission field.)
These churches in Mexico are growing at an astonishing rate and they are planting new churches. Some of the churches have hundreds of members. (The churches are generally known by the name of, ‘Agua Viva.’ – Living Water.)
After Nathan and Joel returned to the States, the churches in Mexico continue to look to them as their spiritual fathers. They make trips to Mexico on a regular basis for leadership training. (Nathan returned in 1990 to work with me at Christian Challenge. We also have a children’s home in Reynosa, Mexico, that we work with quite closely.)
But all this brings me to what I wish to share about our most recent trip to Mexico.
A Dream in Place – An Amazing Venture
For the past several weeks, the dream that God gave me in 1970 kept rising up in my heart. Finally I took a pencil and a map, and drew a straight line from the mouth of the Sabine River down into Mexico. Then I saw it!! The line came to rest on a special church in Las Choapas, Verzcruz. Aqua Viva a las Naciones is pastored by Pedro Chulin Gordillo and his beautiful wife, Coqui.
And that is the church that our Mexico trip was to center on. I knew intuitively in my heart that Pedro’s church was to have a special link with Christian Challenge. (Pedro looks to Nathan as his pastor.) We are in the process of translating our training programs to be used in Mexico and especially for Pedro. But we are making them available to other churches that can use them.
I wish I had the words to describe our trip to Mexico. I’ve made many mission trips into Latin American countries, but I have never seen a church like Pedro’s ‘Aqua Viva a las Naciones’. The whole body of believers is filled with a passion for Jesus.
And when I say that Pedro’s wife is beautiful, that is a term I can freely use for Pedro and for all the wonderful people who attend their church.
The one thing that stood out most to me was that every person in Pedro’s church that I met, carried with them a true heart of a disciple. They not only love their pastor, but they have a passionate love for Jesus Christ.
But that’s not all the story. Not only are they true disciples of Jesus, but they are the most generous and loving people who I have ever met. They opened their homes and they treated us like royalty. (I shouldn’t tell this, but I gained six pounds in one week.)
There were three members on our team, Nathan, Rich Carlisle, and myself. During the time of ministry, church members where furiously taking notes, and that includes Pastor Pedro. The people were like sponges when it comes to teachings. (Pedro has to be one of the most humble men that I have ever met. He does not like you to lift him up in any way. My response to him is that we are to give honor to whom honor is due.)
We had leadership training at the church. Each of us would share a greeting at each meeting, then one of us would bring the primary message. Nathan first spoke at the home group leader’s meeting. I spoke at a general leadership meeting. Rich spoke at the young people’s meeting. All the meetings were well attended. There were a lot of heart connections being made. (Our Facebook friends list is growing pretty fast.)
Nathan ministered at Pedro and Coqui’s twenty-fifth wedding celebration. He brought a teaching on marriage and then did the celebration. The building was packed. Tables were set up for about 300+ people and a meal was served. Believe me, I’ve yet to see anyone celebrate like the Mexicans can. Nathan also spoke at their main Sunday meeting while Rich and I brought greetings. (I also ministered at Pedro’s brother’s church in the town of Agua Dulce – Sweet Water.)
When Darkness Turns to Light
I wish I had the time and space to share the wonderful testimonies that we heard. But there is one that I want to share in particular.
Las Choapas, Verzcruz, at one time was called ‘the slaughter house of Mexico.’ This was because the murder rate there was considered the highest in all Mexico. Crime was at a high peak. But something happened that began resetting the tone of that city.
The Lord has used Pedro in an awesome way in Choapas. After he came some of the pastors began to form a unity and to pray over the city. The Christians saw what was happening and the spirit of unity began to make its way through almost all the churches.
The pastors secured permission to make marches. Hundreds and hundreds of Christians brought banners and vehicles, but no one placed their church name on anything. Everything was to glorify Jesus. And did it ever.
The city officials took note. Out of this unity the crime rate began dropping and a calmness began replacing the spirit of darkness over that city. Choapas is a different city today. Businesses are turning their eyes to the city. Choapas is becoming a light house set on a hill.
Your Youth Are as the Dew
Sunday morning when we were preparing to leave we were asked to share a word with the church. Each of use spoke of our love. Earlier that morning I had asked the Lord for a special Scripture to give to them. He brought me to Psalm 110:1-3. Take note:
“A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.” ‘Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; in holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew.'” (Psa 110:1-3)
I shared how pleased the heavenly Father was with them, that they were a refreshing to the Lord. (This is what the term ‘dew’ has in view.) I also spoke to them about ‘plundering’ the darkness and not to limit their faith.
Once again I am without words. All I can say is, we love you Aqua Viva a las Naciones. We love you Pastor Pedro and Coqui.
We will see you again. And as you often said to us, ‘Please bring your wives.’ We will do that. But you can expect others to also come. I truly wish all our members could experience Aqua Viva, Choapas, in person.
Yes, I had a dream. And I am seeing my dream of 1970 become a reality.
It is my custom when sharing on my journal, to end with a song. Let the Lord speak to your heart. This song, ‘Te Doy Me Corazon’, is in Spanish, but the lyrics can be read in English.
In Christ always,
Buddy
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