Spring Break Projects a Thumbs Up in Hidalgo County, TX

“In a heartbeat!” were the works of Beth Smith from Brentwood United Methodist Church when I asked her if she would consider returning to Hidalgo County, Texas to serve again with Mission Discovery.

Beth was one of over 100 high school student that served in the poorest county in the U.S. with Mission Discovery over these last two weeks of Spring Break. The groups gutted and repaired homes, built ramps for the disabled, and made old homes new again.

Along with the construction projects the groups led outreaches in the neighborhoods for children and adults. Every leader of a Mission Discovery project bring with him/her groups who have spent weeks in preparation for their service week. The learn cultural appropriateness, language skills, and how to tell the story of what God is doing in their lives.

I know you may be thinking, “cultural appropriateness and language skills, isn’t this Texas?” Amazingly, we needed a translator for children’s Bible school there!

This week I join a Mission Discovery team in Port de Paix, Haiti to dedicate the Mission Discovery Hold the Children Orphanage. It is the exciting beginning of the ministry that is over 4 years in the making. Our sixty bed building will be dedicated today.

I spent a week with an incredible group of adults in Guatemala last month. The team of 42 came alongside Excuela Entegrada, a school for the poor in the heart of Antigua, Guatemala leading children’s Bible school, re-roofing houses, and delivering food to families of children enrolled at the school.

Two weeks ago in Jamaica, Jimmy Rivera, lead a team to serve at the Jamaica Christian School for the Deaf. The team continued construction work on the vocational building at the school.

All of the work of Mission Discovery is made possible because of your gifts and partnership! God bless you and thank you for your friendship.

The Church at Its Best

Most nights I go to bed listening to either CNN or FoxNews. Ann says that's not good for me to listen to arguing before bed. I had a dream that I argued with a pediatrician about anti-depressant drugs and Ann said it was because I had been listening to Larry King and Hanity's America....hmmm. Last night I had to wake up our dog Rudy, because he was crying in his sleep, obviously to much "Dog Whisperer".

My excuse for watching the shows is to get a pulse on what's going on in the world. This morning I read a more comforting perspective on the pulse of my world when I read II Peter 1:3,4 that says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
Here are some key phrases for me:

"EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS"
"PARTICIPATE IN THE DIVINE NATURE"
"ESCAPE CORRUPTION"

If I read this backwards it says "escape to participate and have everything I need for life and godliness." Everything, participate, escape....

This past week in Guatemala 37 adults joined Mission Discovery in Guatemala for a week of "participating" with God in his divine nature. They played games with children, delivered food to the needy, put roofs on houses, and honed their Spanish language skills each morning before heading out for the work day. It was the church at-its-best, with multiple denominations, styles of worship, and regions of the U.S. all in one place serving, laughing, and allowing God to touch the deep places of their hearts by going where He would go. Serving among the poorest of the poor.

God is doing a great work in the world and He invites us to participate with Him in that work. While the world's leaders struggle to find a government that works, we know that, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness."

Maury Buchanan

Mission Discovery Testamonials

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