El Compañerismo

¡Dios le bendiga!

Today was a wonderful day of fellowship with our brothers and sisters aquì in Culiacàn. After breakfast in the hotel (yes, Peggy did get her avena) those of us who are with North Haven headed out to Emmanuel for Sunday School and church. {to clarify...there are 20 here who came with North Haven, and 2 from a church in Fosston who are visiting their sister church here, and 4 from a church in Worthington also visiting their sister church...we are all staying in the hotel together and traveling together, though}. Marco, the director of the Baptist Conference in Sinaloa (the state that Culiacàn is in), is in the city from Los Mochis and is staying at the hotel with us and using his 12 passenger van to help transport us.

La Iglesia Emmanuel is working through a series called ¡Encender!, or Power Up! and is centering their teaching around the need to grow community amongst one another and to pray together.  Their Sunday School classes, powerful prayer times, and sermons are all centered around this focus. Today´s passage was Hechos (Acts) 2:42-45, and the theme was el compañerismo, or fellowship.

Compañerismo is more than simply spending time together or watching the Superbowl with someone else (which we did not do, mind you...). The leaders of Emmanuel reminded us that to have compañerismo is to be devoted to each other, to be unified, and to have the presence of God amongst the people. Pastor David doesn´t mince words, nor does he say things without acting on them.

Last week, Pastor David and other church leaders were praying for the church, asking God what they should do and how they should lead the church toward greater compañerismo.  Compañerismo necessitates taking down walls, being united, and working through conflict. So on Wednesday, David and others took down some walls - literally! For those who are familiar with Emmanuel`s building, the outerwalls of the room we usually fellowship in, by the kitchen, were torn down so the room is now open to the concrete slab/parking area al lado, or next to, the church. The church is growing, so its building needed to as well. We had the church service in this space, as we would not have all fit in the Sanctuary.

Emmanuel is challenging themselves to true, devoted faith through this ¡Encender! series. We read in Hechos 2 how the believers were devoted to the teachings of Jesucristo so much that they made his teachings their reality. "This isn´t just hard stuff to be asked to do...this is reality" says David. Truly sharing all possessions. Working through all conflict. Being one in heart. Having compañerismo, sharing one with the other about the things in their life. Compañerismo is a way of life, not something we do for a tax refund or as a social event. If Emmanuel is going to take this seriously, David challenged, the fellowship will go deeper and farther than they think it can, and it will get messy. But this is Jesus' call on his followers.

It is humbling to then follow the leaders of Emmanuel to Progreso, where they are constructing a church building, holding weekly services, giving physical and spiritual food aid, and helping people to find employment or go to school. The believers of Emmanuel are living the reality of Jesus´ teachings, and are passing on these teachings to us while they think they are passing them on to Progreso.

We went out to Progreso for that service after relaxing at the church for several hours, eating comida China, playing with kids and conversing with the adults. We had a similar church service to Emmanuel´s, on the grounds of the Casa de Esperanza church building, with a great reunion for our returners and the people there.

Right now, in between people trying to find out how the Saints won, we are waiting for Dominos pizza to arrive at the hotel - what else would native US Americans be doing on Superbowl Sunday?

Paz, y compañerismo...

Elise Probasco for Team 10

We´ve arrived!

Hello family and friends,

Team 10 is officially all together and in Culiacan, at Hotel Santa Fe II (though not all of the luggage is...)!

Our trip was wonderfully uneventful, though we are missing two suitcases. After settling in at the hotel we went out to eat at a favorite local restaurant and had Papas Locas, or Crazy Potatos, with Pastor David, Marco, Jorge, and other church leaders.

Our team from the US consists of 26 people, from different places in Minnesota, Missouri, and California. 20 of us will be spending most of our time in the area of Progreso, 2 will be with Manrique`s church and in Cofradia, and the other 4 will be with their sister church here.

We closed our evening in traditional style, up on the roof of the hotel, to debrief the day and discuss tomorrow`s plans. Thanks to a handy Ipod and speakers, we sang along to the song "God of This City" by Chris Tomlin. The song talks of the great things yet to be done in the city. North Haven Church has partnered with Emmanuel Baptist in Culiacan, helping them to serve the people here, since the summer of 2000, which is why we call ourselves Team 10 this year. We have seen wonderful transformation of people`s lives, of communities, and of the city. But "greater things have yet to be done here." The people of Emmanuel Baptist, and now several other partner churches, are still loving on and serving their city, 10 years later. We are still coming, 10 years later, and we are all still praying and working for God`s transformation for the people here.

It is our prayer for Culiacan, but it is also our prayer for our homes in the US. As we pray for God`s Kingdom to come, for God to bring "peace to the restless," as the song says, we can think of the beautiful things happening in our cities because of people doing God`s work. We can think of the people, communities, and systems that still need God`s transformation. But we don`t sing this song just for our own cities or for Culiacan alone. We can proclaim that "greater things have yet to come" for Haiti, for Colombia, for Palestine, and so many other cities. God`s kingdom and God`s work transforms lives and communities.

God, continue to expand our eyes and understanding of your work here, at home, and around the globe. May we see how you are transforming lives, communities, and systems to be just, loving, and righteous in the model of Christ. Show us our parts in your story of redemption, and give us the strength and courage to follow you.

After some much needed sleep, we will be eating breakfast in the hotel once again and heading to Emmanuel Baptist for church in the morning, and to Progreso for a worship service in the evening. Please pray for our 2 missing suitcases to return to us quickly and easily.

Blessings on you family and friends!

Elise Probasco for the team