I left the Amor Ministries campground in Mexico last night around 9:15 p.m. to return back home to San Diego after visiting the Family Camp group. I wasn’t happy when I realized that I was in my personal van, which didn’t have the necessarry permits to cross through the shorter dedicated commuter lanes (Sentri), and would have to sit in the much longer normal traffic lanes. My mood worsened when I saw a line of cars going to the U.S. that I estimated would take at least an hour to get through. (After crossing the border for almost 32 years I’m pretty accurate in guessing how long it will be – this night took about an hour and fifteen minutes.)

So I found myself in line with plenty of time to reflect… on Family Camp,  on Mexico, on Amor.  I also watched people that I had been missing by going through the Sentri lanes.  Moms holding their babies were begging.  A man with only one leg hopped up and down the border line asking for spare change. Men with grimy rags aggressively cleaned windows with the hope that one would give them a buck.  Then I saw this:

A mom and dad holding the hands of their two little boys – a family just like the ones for whom we build.  Of course,  I don’t know their exact story or why they were at the border.  But I could tell they lived in one of the communities in which we work – in one of the makeshift shelters that barely protects them from the elements.  And it got to me.  Just like it is now as I write about them with tears in my eyes because I HATE POVERTY.

I wanted to open my door and ask them to come in.  The van, my van, that I was cursing just a few minutes earlier is a better shelter than where they live.

It’s been said to me several times in the past year, either directly or indirectly, that I would tell people they are safe to come to Tijuana because I need to get those houses built.  I find that incredibly offensive. Anyone that has uttered those words should be ashamed, especially if they have ever been on an Amor trip. But I will not apologize for the fact that I do indeed want those houses built.  We build homes to keep families together.  Maybe, just maybe,  that family at the border last night needed a home.  I will never know.

What I do know is this:  I needed to sit in that border line.  Because even I, as someone who goes in and out of Mexico on a regular basis, need to slow down and see God’s people.  And now I am left with trying to understand how so many that committed to come to Mexico this year could cancel knowing that a family would not get a home.  Maybe everyone needs to sit in the border line.

By Gayla Congdon, Founder and CSO of Amor Ministries

Read more by Gayla by clicking here.

As we sorted through the two big boxes containing photos, cards and memories left behind by my mother, the difference between my sister and me became very clear. Her stacks of photos captured her children (now adults) with various members of our family. She said she was going to show the kids, and anything they didn’t want, she would toss. My stacks of photos were pictures of my childhood and of my parents at various ages throughout their lives. At one point I looked at her and said, “Isn’t it odd that I am the one who hangs on to history and have no heir to share it with?”

While I may not have heirs in the form of children, I have a responsibility to those with whom I share my faith, values and ideals as a follower of Christ. Too often we see our heritage as circumstances of our birth, the passing down of family traits and wealth, our nationality or place of birth. As followers of Christ we have another kind of heritage to transfer to another generation.

One of my Bible college professors said that Christianity was one generation from extinction, always, because it isn’t a birthright or  family asset or nationality. Christianity is a choice made by individuals regardless of all other circumstances. That’s why followers of Christ can be found in countries where nationality implies religious affiliation like Iraq, India, and Israel. They are found in prisons of conscience, of war and of punishment. Followers of Christ exist in places where written language is non-existent and even a few can be found in places of profound learning and an abundance of books. Followers of Christ serve in the military, in the sciences, in the arts, in politics and alongside the church. The family of God is big and diverse.

What is the common thread that holds us together as believers? Is it a birthright? Is it a physical location in the world? Is it a language? Is it a political point of view? Is it a free-market economy or the leader of a country? Is it the color of our skin? Is it our personal rights? Is it our corporate rights? Is the promise of prosperity? Or the hope of the future during times of trial?

Romans 15:7-9: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written:
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.”

Bringing Christ to all is done through the breaking down of barriers and loving one another as Christ has loved us. Who are your heirs and what will you leave behind to teach them about what is really important to you?

The family of this  sweet and talkative little girl received a house in Lomas de Pedregal. She lives with her great aunt because her mother left her as a baby and never returned. Amor Ministries Field Specialist Jonathan Zinn was working with the group who built the home. He said the little girl (5 years old) scolded him for not being there sooner. She complained that in her old house she would get wet when it rained. Then she told him that she was strong enough to work, so she asked him for a hammer to help build her house!

If you have  a photo of an Amor Ministries experience you would like to share, please send it with a description to jon@amor.org .

As I was thinking about what to write for this week,  several things where running through my head. I found myself wondering what people thought of me, what I thought of myself and most of all, what God thought about what we are doing. I wondered if living in Mexico for two and a half months was really worth it. Am I really able to make a difference in that amount of time? Can living in a dirt campground, showering with water that is not really clean to start out with and spending my days building houses really helping anybody? Is it worth it? Should I have spent my summer doing something else?

After thinking more about these thoughts and others I came to the conclusion that yes, it is worth it. God has called me and the rest of my team to do this. He would not have placed us here unless it was worth it. We might not be able to build a house for every person in Mexico, but we can build a house for the one, two or three specific families each week. It may not be fixing all the problems we as a group encounter and  will not fix all the problems of the families for whom we build, but it is a place to start.

We might worry about what others think of us … and what we think of ourselves. But I have come to realize that we should never wonder if it is worth it.  It is – and we are making a difference even when we do not feel good about ourselves and even if others do not like us all the time.

By Rachael Baughman

Project Nexus is a group of 18 – 25 year olds who are spending the summer in radical service, living at the Amor Ministries campgrounds and serving our groups in Mexico.

A few years back, I was introduced to the book The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. He offers these sacred agreements as a way for us to bring our best into the world on a daily basis:

Read more…

Bud Cooper was less than thrilled when I decided to move to Tijuana at age 23.  Of course, being  his only daughter and sandwiched between two brothers who married their high school sweethearts and chose to live within an hour of the Cooper homestead only compounded his concern.

My dad passed away on October 8, 2005. Untill the end, he never quit worrying about me and my safety.  Once, when I was in my early 40′s and had been serving in Mexico for almost 20 years I called him just before going to Tijuana for a campfire or something.  He asked me, “Gayla, do you still have to go down to Mexico?  Can’t you get those people that work for you to do that?”  I reminded him that I loved going to Mexico and that as a Christian he had to understand that my life is dedicated to serving in Mexico where God has led me –  and that he will have to trust God with my life no matter what happens.  No matter what.

I miss him terribly and am thankful that he raised me to love God and his church and that until he took his last breath he was concerned about me and my brothers.

My dear friend Dean Mathis comes every year to Mexico with his wife Amy to lead our Family Camp.  Each year he is in Mexico on Father’s Day. A couple of weeks ago Dean’s 88 year old dad, Warren Mathis, suffered a stroke.   As he laid in his hospital bed recovering, Dean spoke with him about not coming to Mexico and staying back in Indiana to be there with his dad.  Warren Mathis, who had been a pastor for over 60 years told Dean, “Boy you get down to Mexico and help people!  Don’t stay here on my account.”  He was telling Dean to trust God with his life – no matter what happens.  Two fathers, Dean’s and mine, looking out for our best interests.

This Sunday in the ‘Parade Magazine’ insert of your local paper is a story by Jamie McEwan, the bronze medalist in white-water slalom in the 1972 Olympics. It’s not only a great article of a father’s love, but it really speaks to this issue of risk.  McEwan is an Olympic kayaker, yet faces the same fears we all face as parents when he runs the rapids with his son – worrying that something dangerous could happen.  As he says in the article, “Suddenly, I feel an overwhelming urge to protect my precious blue-eyed boy.”  But he also says that “taking risks is part of life and that to avoid all risk is to become immobilized.” I encourage you to read it in its entirety as a reminder that we will never quit worrying about our kids no matter how old we or they are.  But also, we need to be very careful about getting in the way of what God wants to do in their lives.  Trusting God no matter what happens.

Happy belated Father’s Day Bud, Warren and Jamie!

By Gayla Cooper Congdon,  Founder & CSO of Amor Ministries

Amor is hosting a weekly discussion about intergenerational politics and relations – specifically regarding Millennials (Millennial (Gen Y) Generation – Birth years: 1981-2000). Check back with us every Tuesday for more.

I have heard some of the most profound and most erroneous ideas about leadership recently:

• Leaders are born not made.
• You earn leadership roles, so bide your time.
• We call them “elders” for a reason.

These may make for good axioms, but lousy models for developing leaders. Leaders are developed intentionally or unintentionally through how others lead.  So leaders aren’t born ready to lead; leadership skills don’t come magically over time, and age doesn’t mean wisdom, unfortunately – or I should be a lot wiser than I am.

Historically and Biblically, we know that Jesus was not an aged man when he stepped out to lead, and more importantly, neither were his followers. It wasn’t the elders, the established leaders or the rabbinic leaders who followed him. It was young men, who were obviously open to seeking something more who dropped their nets, left their jobs and defied their century’s “helicopter” parents to spend years learning from Jesus.

One of my favorite stories about Jesus as a leader is found in John 4 – the Samaritan woman at the well, and not for the reason most people think. I think it’s a great example of leadership in action.

First: Jesus sent the disciples into town to get food. This probably wasn’t the first time they needed food and money was tight, because they were a non-profit, so they had to ask for donations. We know that’s hard, especially the first time, but if the disciples went into town on their own they had learned what to do already. So we know that not only had Jesus taught them, but he empowered them to do the task without hovering in the background or coaching from the sidelines.

Second: When the disciples returned the story narrative says that the disciples didn’t even ask him why he was speaking with her or why she was speaking to him. They surely had some ideas, but they waited and watched to see what he was doing. They had asked a lot of questions before, but this time they observed.  They knew to pay attention because Jesus had showed them paying attention helps.

Third: When opportunity presented Jesus used it to give the disciples an “Ah-ha!” moment of application. They urged him to eat, and he turned that request into an object lesson that taught them not to waste any opportunity presented. He didn’t evaluate their efforts, pontificate on what he accomplished in their absence or tell them how they need to “watch and learn”. He saw the opportunity in context to the big picture so that they would apply it in the future.

Finally: Jesus had spoken the truth in love to the woman, who, in turn, returned to her village and urged people to come and hear this man who gives living water. Her passion, in spite of her position in the community, drew many in the village to hear Jesus and believe. Jesus didn’t say to them, “This woman is new to the faith; you cannot trust what she says. You must hear it from someone who is older, wiser and definitely more respectable.” He allowed her stretch her learning right away, even if she got it wrong.

There are reasons business, cult, and political leaders use Jesus as a model for leadership and it has nothing to do with faith. In three years, he started one of the most radical and controversial movements in history using 12 average young people and left it in their hands to continue. And continue it did for over 2,000 years.

Now it is in our hands. Are we prepared to hand over the keys to the kingdom to our young people with just three years of training? We better be! Millennials have the potential to be the generation that will really change the world – just like the disciples. However, we have to be willing to let them try, fail, and learn. Are you ready to lead like Jesus and turn your Millennials into leaders in just three years?

It’s hard to ignore our national obsession with the topic of leadership. Turn on the television or open a newspaper and the merits of elected officials are argued, corporate executives are indicted, or another book on effective leadership principles is climbing the national bestseller list.

Even in the church countless hours are dedicated to studying the topic and determining how Christians can be different (and better) at leading than our secular contemporaries.

At Amor Ministries we’re not above talking about the qualities of good leadership. In fact, we think it’s a worthy discussion. But frankly, our passion doesn’t rest in words, it relies on actions. With Jesus as our role model, we know that in order to lead we must first serve. And so we gather our tools and build. Of course, there is a whole lot more to Amor’s philosophy than just building houses, but at the heart of everything we do there is a desire to serve first.

We believe so deeply in the concept of servant leadership that over the years we’ve entreated more than 100,000 people to pick up their hammers and join us. With that experience in mind, here are a few things about servant leadership that I’ve learned along the way.

It’s about Relationships.

Becoming a servant leader is a call to relationship. A  Greek word used often used throughout Corinthians embodies what true leadership is- ‘parakaleo’.  It means to “come along side”.  When we think of a leader, we often think of the one who runs to the top of the mountain and calls to the people below to come up with him, but the leadership that Jesus exemplified was that of the one who went down the mountain and walked alongside another all the way to the top.

At Amor, relationships are at the heart of what we do. Our mission isn’t to simply build houses, it’s about building lasting relationships and sharing God’s love.

It’s about humility.

It may be hard to believe, but there was a time in my life that I believed that God was lucky to have me on his team. But over time, and through a series of events, I learned that God doesn’t NEED me on his team. I simply am privileged to be on HIS team. Once I realized this, it became so much easier to lead as a servant because my life became a reflection of my devotion and gratitude for his grace. This is where servant leadership begins – the point where we realize that God is reason we live and everything we have should be used for his glory.

I’ve had other leaders tell me that they appreciate Amor’s spirit of humility – that if they’ve learned one thing from us, it is that we don’t know it all, but that we are continually trying to learn and get better.  That’s all that we can do.  The moment we think we know it all, is the moment we fall and realize we have a lot more to learn.  I praise God that we have humble men and women who serve alongside us unselfishly in this ministry.  They are our true servant leaders.

It’s about discipline

How do we serve each other and lead? It is a discipline. There will always be a temptation to think more highly of our self than we should. A servant leader understands that they lead only because God has opened the door of opportunity for them.   Amor believes that a true leader practices the discipline of compassion and continually puts others needs ahead of his/her desire to succeed. True leaders worry more about treating subordinates, co-workers, and others with respect and grace, than how they as individual are perceived.

So I challenge you to ask yourself a few important questions. Where do you find your value? In your work? In your status?  Our self worth should be tied up in who God made us. He gave us our gifts and talents and uniqueness to share with the world. Make a discipline of serving others and in that, you will truly learn to lead.

It’s about empathy.

Although the concept of Servant Leadership goes back centuries, the terminology “Servant Leadership” was coined by Robert K. Greenleaf (a former AT&T executive) in The Servant as Leader, an essay that he first published in 1970. In that essay he describes the differences between someone who chooses to serve first versus some who chooses to lead first:

The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?

At Amor, we couldn’t agree more with that definition. A servant leader is one that wants to effect change for ALL people. Those that they work with, live with, and have community with, as well as, the poor and less fortunate in society.  We also believe that in serving the poor, valuable lessons about leading are revealed in a way that can’t be taught in a classroom or by reading a book.

So where are you serving and showing compassion today? If you can’t answer quickly, you need to pick up the phone and call us. We’ll be happy to sign you up for an Amor mission trip and help you begin your journey as servant leader today.

That’s why our mission trips are designed to help people of all ages learn important lessons about leadership and life. We are confident that once you participate in an Amor mission trip, you’ll be changed forever and you’ll be on a path to becoming a true servant leader.

By Gayla Congdon, Founder and CSO of Amor Ministries- originally published in the Fall 2008 Matters of the Heart newsletter.

Greetings once again from the whole Nexus team. This past week was full of amazing challenges and triumphs as we received our first groups. All six of us were blessed with outstanding groups, who probably affected us more than we affected them. I was blessed to work with a group from Naples, Florida composed of high school and college age students. It was awesome just to stand back at numerous points and watch as these kids were cranking out slab, frames, chicken wire, and stucco. These people stood up for their faith by coming at a time when it was difficult to take a short term missions trip to Mexico. They are invested in continuing to build for Christ’s Kingdom by helping those in need.

As I was working with my group, God showed me how much of a selfish person I am. One of the main roles of a Nexus participant is to be a servant to the groups. I am supposed to be available to help my group in any way possible. But I spent this past week really struggling with this idea. I had just been trained on all of the proper ways to build an Amor house and there were many occasions when my group deviated from what I had been shown. There were so many times when I wanted to jump in and say, “No, no, no, do it this way.” There were a couple of times where I actually did. I also struggled sometimes feeling like I wasn’t doing anything to help the group. My response to this was to jump in and take a job away from one of the kids who had paid to come on this trip. I didn’t want to just stand around bored, so I overstepped my role and took jobs away from some people. Finally, midweek, God struck me with a thought, “Why did I come on this trip?”

In Linz’s awesome blog post from last week she wrote about why all of us came to serve  with Amor Ministries this summer. Paraphrasing myself, I said I wanted to follow God wherever He led me, and step out of my comfort zone. If God led me to Amor, then He would not want me be selfish throughout this summer. Likewise, if God led me to Amor, He would want me to change my thought processes to see that it is in true humility that I can be successful each and every week.

Paul writes in Phillipians 2:3-4: “When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than you do yourselves. Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.” (NCV) We were all told before we came on this trip that our job this summer was not going to be building houses, but rather serving the groups. Even knowing this, I approached this summer in a selfish way. I wanted to come to Mexico to get as much out of it as possible. I was not as concerned about how I could help the groups that came down, or even the families for whom we would be building. I wanted to follow God to Mexico for my own reasons. Yet Paul instructs us in the opposite manner. He says we need to “be humble” and “give more honor to others than ourselves.” So instead of worrying how I can be happy and fulfilled on the worksites, I need to realize that God has called me to concern myself with others.

Being a servant is not a “sometimes” thing. It is being whatever, wherever, whenever.  Being selfless on the worksite could mean taking time to talk with the family, or  reaching out to one of the kids on the trip who is going through some  difficulty. If I am a servant when I want to be a servant, then I am still being selfish because I am choosing. It is not about doing things on my time, but when others need the help.

Talking with some of my Nexus teammates helped me work through these thoughts:

Kate  realized this week that, “The thing [she] came to do, building houses, was the thing [she] wasn’t needed in.” The great thing is, that Kate realized this and then accepted her role in different areas.

Jon experienced many of the same difficulties that I did. His group knew how to build the house, so he was left searching to find different areas to help. He came to the realization that, “Maybe [his] role is to just be there and allow this group to know they can build the house without help.” It is such an awesome thing when people realize what being a servant is all about. Jessica remembers the story of when Jesus washed His disciples feet as an example of true humility and selflessness.

Sometimes it is difficult to see what it actually means to be a servant. The most amazing thing is, God gave us the greatest example of a servant we could ever have: Jesus. Continuing on in Philppians 2:6-7, Paul writes, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” When I am not sure how to be a servant, all I need to do is look at how Jesus lived His life. What an awesome fact, that our Savior was willing to take on the role of a human. In His human life He did not live in wealth, but He lived in servitude. In a world that demands one must watch out for one’s self, Jesus humbly shows how we must live for others. It is my prayer that I will be able to draw upon the example of my Savior and live my life in a selfless manner – putting the needs of others above my own.

-Mark Lacasse

Project Nexus is a group of 18 – 25 year olds who are spending the summer in radical service, living at the Amor Ministries campgrounds and serving our groups in Mexico.

For the third time Amor has been named a Best Christian Worplace by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute!

The BCWI employee engagement survey gives us important information about how we are doing as an organization.  It tells us how engaged we are in our work, how committed we are to our mission, and how our values shape how we work.

So what did this year’s survey results tell us? We are more committed than ever to living out Christ’s mission for us to serve the poor, not only in Mexico, but now around the world.

Those of you who get to interact with our Team Members already know we have an amazing workplace.  But, then again, when we get to work with all of you, how can we not have the best Christian workplace?