The Mission Diaries

October 4th will be here soon. Twenty years ago, October 4th of 1987, the Mexico City Church of Christ celebrated its first official Sunday service. With 174 in attendance, there was no way to describe the joy felt by the 13 mission team members who had labored for months to reach that milestone. As the 20th anniversary of the Mexico City Church approaches, I think I owe it to our readers to share a few notes about that planting…

One of these days I’ll have the freedom and the resources to write a full account of the mission work in Mexico and Central America. For now, though, a few thoughts and memories will have to suffice.

  It would be years before the church would see a crowd like this

One of the key aspects of mission work is keeping the mission team grounded in its vision. The challenges of cultural adaptation, health, and finances can easily sap the faith of the missionaries unless they are constantly reminded of why they are there. The Mexico City mission team had to maintain its vision. Here is a commentary by one of the original team members…

“My food, ” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work. Do you not say, Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”  John 4:34-35

No one ever imparted vision more personally and profoundly into the heart of man than Jesus Christ. This scripture illustrates His ability in this regard so beautifully. He never fell to the worldly temptation of building up the personal potential of the disciples. No, He gave a much more enduring and powerful vision: God has prepared a harvest—if we will only work. The fields are ripe EVERYWHERE because He is working everywhere, to bring all men to Himself.

It was essential that this vision become intimately embedded in the convictions of the Mexico City team members. It would be neither our talent nor our expertise that would build a dynamic multiplying ministry. It would be the simple, incredible fact that God had labored long and hard to prepare a harvest. As the plane pierced the smog and Mexico City unfolded endlessly before us, we were thirteen convinced Christians. We knew that day after day for years and in millions of intricately different ways God was arranging where future Mexican Christians would work, where they would habitually eat, what subway stops they would take, what university classes they would choose—all so that He could put a disciple in their path and change their lives and eternal destinies. It was Jesus Himself who said  “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” (John 6.44)

In my next post I’ll talk about our initial strategy. Have a great week!

J De Anda

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