July, 2008

Greetings from Yucatan!

Left to right: David, Don, and Martha Wehmeyer, PC(USA) mission workers in Mexico.

The hot weather has arrived in earnest, but afternoon rains bring the temperature down so the nights are cooler. Of course, with the rain come mosquitoes, and there has never been a mosquito born that does not like to stick their sticker in my hide! I guess I am God’s gift to the mosquitoes of Yucatan.

The Door of Salvation Church where Martha and I are serving has received new members, for which we are deeply happy. At the same time, a few others are showing signs of wanting to move to another church so we are watching what the Lord is doing and trying to be faithful all the while. In addition, we have enjoyed having a summer intern from Columbia Theological Seminary working with us. Tim Dodenhof, from Morehead Presbyterian Church in North Carolina, has been a big help and opened an excellent new ministry teaching English as a second language. This has brought a number of new visitors to the church.

At the seminary San Pablo, the faculty finally heard a long-time plea—the need to deepen the courses on liturgy. Previously there was a short introductory course in the first year and then a practical class on how to baptize or celebrate the Lord’s Supper in the fourth year. That was all. Now they have decided to have four courses, one each year! That is very good news, as I am convinced that one reason we have so many problems in churches is that most attendees have never learned how to worship! It is something like the situation in our schools. Years are spent on learning to read and write and speak, but who has ever had a class on good listening skills? It is just assumed people know how to listen, and it is assumed they know how to worship, but a lot of joy is missed because those who attend worship do not really know why things are done or even what they are supposed to discern.

Valerie is in France with the deaconesses of the Reformed Church of France this summer. They are known as the Reuilly Sisters, and they have a Web page that is worth the visit, although there is no translation! On the Alta Vista search engine they have a translator service that helps somewhat. The deaconesses of the Reformed Church are very much like a religious order in that they live together as they carry out their ministries. I think this is a wonderful model for the postmodern world. The percentage of Christians in the world is shrinking, especially in Europe. Consequently, community life, like the nuclear family, is increasingly difficult to find. Cities are like giant survival-of-the-fittest contests so Christian values are hard to see in practice. That is where small religious communities can make a difference; they can model a healthy community to both Christians and non-Christians in ways that are very difficult or impossible for local churches, which gather and disperse. Valerie will report on her experiences in early August, and prayerfully there will be lessons that can be applied to mission settings around the world.

Recently I have put a lot of effort into writing a manual about Baptism, because I find so few people really appreciate the gifts they have received by this sacrament. What do you know about Baptism and its significance for your daily life? If it is not a source of constant joy and gratitude then perhaps you need to ask your pastor for a refresher course, just like we need here in Mexico.

The news of the recent PC(USA) General Assembly is very troubling. Churches around the world, including Mexico, have urged Presbyterians in the United States not to abandon the Scriptures as the basis for our faith and practice. As I understand it, the homosexual ordination issue has been sent to the presbyteries to decide. Let us pray for them to have the courage not to use our God-given freedom to do wrong.

May His blessings fill your hearts so they bust open in praise and service for His kingdom.

Don, Martha, and David Wehmeyer

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 256