After speaking at a church the Pastor asked me to go to a Mexican restaurant. Apparently they loved mexican but they had to switch restaurants because of an altercation. One of their kids has taken Spanish in school and so she knows a little. When they were eating at their favorite restaurant, one of the waiters said gordita in describing one of the ladies while talking to a colleague. The girl understood and these church members were so offended that they decided to take their business somewhere else.
I told them that was interesting and it was the same way in Brazil. In latin culture, they are brutally honest in describing people and giving them nicknames. If someone is skinny, they say so; fat, they call him that. They are not trying to be rude, that is just how their culture works. Their response to me was, "well, they are here in our culture now; they need to learn it."
I both laugh at this story and am a little bit sad. Most churches have a heart for missions and are excited about missionaries going out into the mission field. But then they miss the cross cultural mission field in their very own backyard. We talk about being all things to all people, except when it crosses our political preferences. We have an incredible opportunity to provide a safe haven for people who have left all they know in order to provide for their family. What a chance to reach different groups of people (not just Mexicans) who came to the US to find freedom, and show them freedom in Christ! We do not have to use all those resources in going as much now, because they are here, and once we reach them, they will be the best missionaries to their own culture!
Don't let politics lead you to not witness to the international living in your neighborhood! God is bringing the nations to you! Do something about it! Get to know your international neighbor, his culture and give him the gospel! What a story to tell of someone moving for freedom or health or wealth and gaining eternal freedom, health and the greatest riches!
Independence Day- American church and hispanic church celebrate together
From Jason (a missionary who can't publicly post from where he is at).
ReplyDeleteAs my wife and I prayed about our call to missions, one thing jumped out to us. For many years, we literally lived next to the "nations". We lived 1 block from an apartment complex with refugees from all over the world. We realized that we first had to reach the nations around us. But, it was through that experience that God opened our eyes to a specific nation in need of Christ. God then began to open our eyes to the many people of that nation around us that we never bothered to notice before. As God's Word reminds us, if we are faithful in the small things that are presented before us, then God can begin to open up more to us His plan for our lives.