February/Febrero                                                                     2015
Border Reflections/Reflexiones Fronterizas
Letting go and letting God/ Soltar y Permitir
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Do you ever feel like your prayers are full of complaints? You have so many questions and these feelings are taking away your joy. You are not alone, keep on reading, we are in good company.
A veces has sentido que tus oraciones estan llenas de quejas? Tienes tantas preguntas y estos sentimientos parece que te estan quitando tu gozo. No estas solo, continua leyendo, nos encontramos en buena compania. 
  
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Mercy has worked with International Ministries since the year 2000. Mercy and Rick began their ministry in Mexicali in 2002 as mentors to new church planters.
 
After Rick resigned to follow a specialized call to ministry with undocumented immigrants as a chaplain on the northern side of the border, Mercy felt the call to concentrate on leadership development through the ministry of teaching at the "Seminario Bautista Dios con Nosotros" in Mexicali.
 
Mercy says: I have the best of both worlds. I love to see how the students grow and their call and their journey of discipleship. They begin to discover how God can use them and is using them. I also get to experience God's blessing in my life as I interact with the student body.
 
Mercy teaches classes in Church History, Conflict Transformation, eschatology, ecclesiology and the ministry of women. She also mentors students, both male and female as they discover where God is calling them to serve.
 
If you wish to support this essential ministry that is preparing leaders for the future and present transformation of Mexico, You can send your donations to
 
 internationalministries.org/give
 go to Barnes and donate

 

You may also give by calling

1-800-222-3872

and donate over the phone.

 

You may give through your local church and specify that your gift is for the Ongoing Support of Mercy Gonzalez-Barnes. This will be processed as a Targeted gift.

 

You may also give by sending your donation via the mail to

 

International Ministries

P.O. Box 851

Valley Forge, PA

19482-0851

 

Mercy will be on home assignment starting in June 2015 and will be available to speak at your church, special interest group, retreats. You may coordinate this visit by writing to Mercy at

mercyrickmx@hotmail.com

Please keep Mercy and the ministry in Mexicali in your prayers.



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Letting Go and Letting God/Soltar y Permitir

Aida on bike
 27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel,    "My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God"?

 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.                                                     Isaiah 40.27-29 NIV

                                                                     

My students and I were speaking in class and one of them asked me whether I had ever had a "berrinche" while in prayer. This would be a Spanish slang word for a childish tantrum. I laughed out loud and said, of course, my most heartfelt prayers have been lifted up in the midst of heartbreak, sorrow and pain. I believe that God has big shoulders and can "take it". I explained to them that when my kids were little and would have a meltdown in the supermarket, I might be annoyed or overwhelmed but I never stopped loving them. I knew they were overtired and needed to be held and loved, reassured, even though they might not know it. On another note I also told them that I tend to be a "control freak", and it is difficult for me to let go and let God. My tantrums are usually a power struggle like Jacob and the angel.

 

Yet this scripture lets me know that I am not alone in my prayers. I am in good company with the saints in history and even with Jesus on the cross. God knows what's in my heart so why hide it from him. I shared with my students that the response from God has usually been a reassurance of God's love for me; that my life is in God's hands, that God has a purpose for me. And that even though I may be overwhelmed and weary, God will give me strength from above.

 

This year has been one of those years where I have had to relearn  and remember that God's understanding is beyond my understanding. My oncologist was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away soon after. I lost a colleague to kidney cancer. My health has been good and yet I have had a sense of restlessness. The path ahead is not clear and a part of me is afraid of making plans and following up on them because of the "what ifs"... There have been many sleepless nights as I toss and turn searching and wondering whether my desires and dreams are consistent with God's desires and dreams for me, for my husband, for my family, for my ministry.

 

Yet, as I struggle with the "what ifs", I hear the Spirit of God speaking clearly to my heart:

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40.27-29 NIV

 

When I acknowledge that God is in control, then I can enjoy the journey. My greatest teacher in this have been my children. I remember when Aida was barely walking, Rick purchased a bicycle seat and a helmet and got her ready to ride with him. I was horrified, how could I let that precious child out of my sight, "what if" something bad happened. I will always remember her little legs kicking back and forth, and her voice squealing with joy as Rick took her on this adventure. What better place to be in than in the arms of my God.

Lord, help me to squeal with joy and enjoy the adventure.              

 

 

27 �Por qu� murmuras, Jacob? �Por qu� refunfu�as, Israel:

�Mi camino est� escondido del Se�or; mi Dios ignora mi derecho�?

28 �Acaso no lo sabes? �Acaso no te has enterado?

El Se�or es el Dios eterno, creador de los confines de la tierra.

No se cansa ni se fatiga, y su inteligencia es insondable.

29 �l fortalece al cansado y acrecienta las fuerzas del d�bil.

                                                                                                 Isaias 40.27-29 NVI

 

Mis alumnos y yo est�bamos compartiendo en el sal�n cuando uno de ellos me pregunt� si alguna vez hab�a tenido un "berrinche" mientras oraba. En Mexicali se entiende berrinche como una rabieta de un ni�o. Inmediatamente me re� y le dije, "claro, las oraciones que he orado con mucho fervor son las que han venido de un coraz�n quebrantado lleno de dolor y angustia. Yo creo que Dios tiene unos hombros muy fuertes y puede aguantar mis "pataletas". Le expliqu� que cuando mis ni�os estaban peque�os y comenzaban a patalear y llorar en lugares p�blicos, a veces me sent�a enojada y abrumada pero jam�s deje de amarlos. Yo sab�a que estaban cansados, hambrientos o cualquier otra cosa y lo m�s que necesitaban era el sentirse seguros y amados. Necesitaban saber que alguien estaba en control aunque ellos estaban perdiendo el control sobre su ambiente. Tambi�n le dije que a mi me gustaba controlar mi medio ambiente y se me hac�a dif�cil dejar que Dios me guiara.

 

Sin embargo esta escritura me deja saber que no estoy sola en mis oraciones. Me encuentro en buena compa��a junto con los santos en la historia y hasta con nuestro Se�or Jes�s en la cruz. Dios conoce mis pensamientos y mi coraz�n, entonces porque esconderlos de �l. Compart� con mis alumnos que la respuesta de Dios casi siempre ha sido el asegurarme de su amor por mi; de que mi vida se encuentra en sus manos, de que �l tiene un prop�sito para m�. Y aunque a veces me encuentre abrumada y cansada, Dios me dar� fuerza para continuar.

 

Este a�o ha sido uno de esos en donde he tenido que volver a aprender y recordar que el entendimiento de Dios es mucho m�s alto que mi entendimiento. Mi onc�logo fue diagnosticado con c�ncer pancre�tico y muri� poco despu�s. Eso me entristeci� mucho. Luego perd� a un colega con un c�ncer agresivo del ri��n. No entend�a por qu� estas personas perdieron su lucha. Yo me encuentro bien de salud, sin embargo he estado luchando con un sentido de desasosiego. El camino a seguir no me parece claro y a veces parte de m� se siente con temor de hacer planes y perseguirlos pensando en los "qu� tal si..." pasa algo. Han habido muchas noches de insomnio mientras doy vueltas pensando si mis deseos y sue�os son consistentes con los sue�os y deseos que Dios tiene para m�, para mi esposo, para mi familia, para mi ministerio.

 

Mientras lucho con las preguntas "que tal si...", oigo al Esp�ritu de Dios susurrar claramente a mi coraz�n:

�Acaso no lo sabes? �Acaso no te has enterado?

El Se�or es el Dios eterno, creador de los confines de la tierra.

No se cansa ni se fatiga, y su inteligencia es insondable.

�l fortalece al cansado y acrecienta las fuerzas del d�bil.

 

Cuando reconozco que Dios est� en control, entonces puedo disfrutar el camino. Unos de mis mejores maestros han sido mis ni�os. Me acuerdo cuando Aida estaba muy peque�a, mi esposo compr� una silla para la bicicleta y un casco para bebes para llev�rsela con �l a correr la bicicleta. Yo me sent�a aterrorizada. �C�mo iba a dejar esa preciosa criatura fuera de mi vista? �Qu� tal si algo malo le ocurriera? Entonces me acuerdo de ella sentada felizmente en su asiento con sus piernitas movi�ndose con alegr�a y su risa de deleite cuando Rick la llevaba a esta aventura. Que mejor lugar para estar sino en los brazos de mi Dios.

 

 Ay�dame Se�or a deleitarme contigo y a disfrutar de la aventura de la vida


2014 students Ministry Update 

This past year has been one of may changes at the seminary. We had two couples get married and I had the privilege of participating in the consecration ceremony as only the government can legally perform marriage ceremonies.

We have had new students come join our community and will be receiving more starting on Feb. 17 (the start of the second semester). Both of the couples that were married were expecting. One lost her baby girl when the baby died in utero after almost being full term. I ask for prayers for Rossio and her husband Jose Carlos as they grieve this most personal and devastating loss.

The other couple is due in May and everything seems to be going very well. I also ask for prayers for this young couple, Janette and Jorge. Another couple of recent graduates also lost their baby through a miscarriage so its been a very sad time for us during the past few weeks.

Changing the tone, I had the privilege and blessing of traveling to San Cristobal in Chiapas to teach an intensive course in Church History. This was really a stretch for me and I was afraid that I would not be able to fulfill my task. God was good and it was a wonderful time for me and for the students. I loved traveling to Chiapas and being exposed to the indigenous culture in Southern Mexico.

This semester I will be teaching Church History (from the reformation until the present time), the Intertestamentary Period and the Ministry of Women. I am thrilled to be meeting new students and to share my passion of the Church, past and present and how the Holy Spirit continues to create new wineskins (structures to hold the wine) that are making the Church relevant in todays society and culture.  

In other news my area director Rev. Jose Norat will be retiring in March and it is truly very sad for us to lose him as our pastor. At the same time I am excited with the announcement that my colleague and friend Adalia Schellinger-Gutierrez will be the new area director. It is an exciting time for International Ministries and especially for my area of Ibero-american and the Caribbean.

Please keep Adalia in your prayers as she embraces this new challenge in her life. Pray that we as missionaries may be supportive to her in this transition.

As I noted before I, Mercy will be on home assignment starting in June 2015 and I would love to make arrangements to visit your part of the woods, or the city. I would love to share personally what God is doing in Mexicali through the ministry of the Seminary. If you would like a visit please be in touch with me at mercyrickmx@hotmail.com or with Michelle Madsen at michlmb@aol.com 

Este pasado a�o ha sido uno de muchos cambios en el seminario. Dos parejas se casaron y yo tuve la oportunidad y la bendici�n de poder participar en la ceremonia de consagraci�n de una de las parejas ya que solo el gobierno mexicano puede legalmente ejercer ceremonias matrimoniales.

 

Hemos tenido estudiantes nuevos que se han unido a nuestra comunidad y vamos a recibir a nuevos alumnos para el pr�ximo semestre que comienza el 17 de febrero. Ambas parejas que se casaron el a�o pasado estaban esperando su primer bebe. Pero recibimos la noticia hace poco que una de las parejas perdi� el bebe luego de casi los nueve meses de gestaci�n. Pido oraciones por Rossio y su esposo Jos� Carlos, ya que los dos est�n pasando por un periodo de duelo muy devastador y personal.

 

Todo le va bien a la otra pareja que esperan dar a luz en Mayo. Tambi�n les pido las oraciones por ellos, su nombre es Janette y Jorge. Mientras tanto hubo otra pareja de egresados del seminario que sufrieron la p�rdida de un embarazo. No importa si es al comienzo o al final, esta p�rdida siempre es dolorosa. Como pueden observar ha sido un tiempo bastante triste para la comunidad del seminario.

 

Cambiando de tema, tuve el privilegio y la bendici�n de poder viajar a San Crist�bal en Chiapas para ofrecer un curso intensivo en "el centro intercultural M�yense" sobre historia del cristianismo I. Nunca hab�a ofrecido un curso intensivo pero deseaba hacerlo. Tuve que trabajar bastante en la preparaci�n de la clase y tuve temor de no tener �xito. El Se�or me bendijo y tuve una experiencia de mucha bendici�n tanto para m� como para mis alumnos. Me encant� viajar en Chiapas y conocer a la comunidad ind�gena de San Crist�bal en el sur de M�xico.

 

Este semestre en Mexicali, estar� ense�ando la segunda parte de Historia del Cristianismo desde la Reforma hasta la Era Inconclusa (el presente). Tambi�n estar� ofreciendo una clase del Periodo Intertestamentario y otro curso sobre el Ministerio de la Mujer. Me siento tan contenta de poder conocer a los nuevos alumnos y compartir mi pasi�n acerca de la Iglesia, pasada y presente. El Esp�ritu Santo contin�a creando nuevos odres (envases para contener el vino nuevo) que hace que la Iglesia sea relevante en nuestra sociedad y cultura hoy d�a.

 

En otras noticias mi director de �rea el Rev. Jos� Norat se estar� retirando de su posici�n en marzo. Es verdaderamente triste para nosotros el perder a nuestro pastor que nos ha ayudado mucho a trav�s de los muchos desaf�os que hemos tenido en ministerios internacionales. A la misma vez me encuentro feliz al saber que anunciaron que mi colega y amiga Adalia Schellinger-Guti�rrez fue nombrada para ser la nueva directora de �rea para Ibero-Am�rica y el Caribe. Es un tiempo muy emocionante para ministerios internacionales, especialmente para mi �rea de Ibero-Am�rica y el Caribe y ruego sus oraciones por Adalia en este nuevo reto en su vida.

 

Como note antes, yo, Mercy estar� en mi tiempo de U.S./Puerto Rico assignment en donde estar� disponible para visitar Iglesias o grupos de las Iglesias. Me encantar�a poder compartir con ustedes personalmente lo que Dios est� haciendo en Mexicali y en mi vida. Me encantar�a ver como ustedes podr�n apoyar el ministerio seg�n sientan del Se�or. Si desean solicitar una visita se pueden comunicar conmigo en mi correo mercyrickmx@hotmail.com o con Michelle Madsen al michlmb@aol.com (Michelle no habla espa�ol).

               
  
Family update

Our family is doing well. The saddest news was that we had to take our older black lab Sirius to the vet to be put down. He was about 13 years old, had arthritis and cancer and had some sort of tumor in his lungs and nostrils that would cause a lot of bleeding. When he wasn't bleeding, he was happy, sleeping and never stopped eating. We still miss him but our younger lab Orion keeps us busy.

Rick, my husband continues to work as a Chaplain with undocumented immigrants at a detention facility. He is developing the program and training volunteers. He is also working on the house on an unending list of honey-do's.

Aida is at the University of Charlottesville, VA working on her Master's degree in Government. We just spoke a few minutes ago and she sounds very happy. Please pray for guidance as she navigates her time and searches for a job.

Richie is finishing his senior year at the University of Chicago and is currently writing his senior thesis. He is extremely tired of the cold weather. He has applied to a few schools for his PHD program so please keep him in your prayers as he navigates the next steps in his life.

Joshua is studying 10th grade at Southwest H.S and is doing extremely well in his classes. He traveled with me last November and spent a week in Puebla visiting with another missionary family.

I, Mercy am doing very well physically, enjoying life and trying to keep up with paperwork. My last medical appointment showed no evidence of disease so am now trying to decide whether to go back to finish my DMIN or just enjoy some down time.
  Please continue to keep our family in your prayers so that we can continue to delight in what God has in store for us.

Thanks so much for your support.
               
  
Contacts
Mercy Gonzalez-Barnes
Missionary in Baja California, Mexico
2310 W. Elm Avenue
El Centro, CA 92243
  

Thanks so much for your continued support and prayers.

Muchas gracias por su apoyo continuo y sus oraciones.