What was the gift that you dreamed most of receiving for Christmas when you were a little kid?  Were you like Ralphie in the “Christmas Story” yearning for the Red Ryder BB gun?  Or did you hope for a desk and chalkboard where you could make your younger brother play school?

Most likely, a house was never on your Christmas list.  Having a home is just something most of us took for granted.  It would have never crossed our minds to ask for that.  But that is what the Bustillos Marquez family of Puerto Peñasco is asking for right now.

In 2008 they were approved to receive a home in the community of San Rafael.  They were paying for the land so their house could be built with an income of about $80 a week. With three children, including one with autism, this family was living in one room with a dirt floor and a damaged roof.

The Amor bio of the family says that they were “eagerly awaiting the arrival” of the group that was going to help them build their new home.  And the Bustillos Marquez family wanted to say “thank you so much for your help and the blessing this house will be to our children.”  Over three days in November of 2008, the family saw their dream of a home come true!

But three years later this dream was burned to the ground.

As you can see in the picture the Bustillos Marquez family no longer has a home to bless their children.  However, they have a Pastor, Eladio Calderon, from our Mexico Ministry Planning Board that cares about them and has asked us to help this family rebuild their dream.

Our pastors in Puerto Peñasco are eagerly awaiting the funds so that they and their church members can build this family a new home.  We are personally asking you to give this holiday season to help not only this family, but also so many others that are in need.

In a couple of weeks children will be opening the gifts they dreamed of receiving for Christmas.  And as you and your family sit around your tree in the warmth of your home, wouldn’t it be a blessing to end your year by making the dream of this family come true once again?

Click here to give, knowing that your gift will allow our Pastors to help this family and more this holiday season!

In the true spirit of Christmas,
Scott and Gayla Congdon

By Gayla Congdon

The last line from Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”  I can just imagine that is how the man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho in the parable of the Good Samaritan felt after being beaten, robbed and left for dead.

The injured man maybe never heard that two professional religious workers, a priest and a Levite, not only passed him by but had moved to the other side of the road to avoid him.  So much for the kindness of strangers. In the parable a stranger from an unlikely place, Samaria, helped a Jewish man that day on the side of the road.  This was an out of the ordinary act of kindness by a Samaritan for a Jew.

This past month I was traveling alone from Nice, France to Luton, England.  As is typical for me, I got on the plane and picked my seat closest to the bathroom.  I then sat down, opened my Kindle and began reading until the flight attendant would tell me to turn it off.  I normally get lost in the adventure of what I’m reading and don’t notice the commotion around me.  On this flight there was unusual commotion as a gentleman was being asked to leave the plane and he was looking through all of the overhead bins for his suitcase.

Scott often tells me I should be more aware of my surroundings and on that day he was right.  Before I knew it the man opened the bin above me and pulled out his suitcase.  And all I remember is being hit very hard in the head with the suitcase.  I woke up to someone that looked like a rugby player asking me, “Are you okay?”  I still don’t know why that man was asked to leave the plane.

But what happened after that reminded me of the parable in Luke about the Good Samaritan.  A complete stranger, very likely from Britain, reached over and took my hand and asked if I was okay and if I needed any help.  He gave me a Kleenex to wipe my tears as I cried over the pain caused by the impact of that 30 pound suitcase.  And throughout my whole flight he was there taking care of me.  At that moment I was living the last line from A Streetcar Named Desire, as I was depending on the kindness of that stranger.  On that day – a British man helped an American woman.  Two strangers who were brought together by an act of kindness.

Each June families descend on Mexico from all over the United States as part of the Amor Family Camp.  The six houses those families built this year came as a result of kindness by a group of strangers.

That is what happens each time you serve with us in one of our locations.  I believe, especially now when so many people are passing by our neighbors in Mexico and “moving to the other side of the road,” that those of you who continue to come are in the truest sense of this parable, Good Samaritans.

During the last weekend in July, a group of women from all over the U.S. came together for training as small group leaders for next year’s Women of Strength Mission Trip in South Africa.  That Saturday three vans of women traveled from Phoenix to Globe, Arizona where most of the group of 22 worked on building a pop stand for Apache women to sell their fry bread.  They worked in excruciating heat with a goal of completing a new place for Apache women to work and make a living for their families.  Those of us that served that weekend, in a variety of ways on the reservation, saw it as a privilege to give acts of kindness to our Apache neighbors.

In Luke 10, a discussion begins between Jesus and a man who is an expert in the law.  Jesus asks the man what is written in the law about receiving eternal life and the man’s answer in verse 27 is “love your neighbor as yourself.”  The man asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” – which leads into the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Christian author, Warren Wiersbe, says the question we must answer is not “Who is my neighbor – but to whom can I be a neighbor?”  And he goes on to say that our neighbor is anybody who needs us, anybody whom we can help.  Those who are desperately depending on the kindness of strangers.

May we always live the life of a Good Samaritan.

Amor has the privilege of partnering with the UK based organization Urban Saints – which has been reaching out to children and young people since 1906 with the good news of Jesus Christ.  I have personally had the opportunity to see this firsthand in my visits to the UK over the past few summers.  They have about 30,000 youth throughout the UK involved in their clubs and have a goal of reaching a million youth with the gospel over the next 10 years.

The greatest blessing to us is their Rebuild program that has already brought 300 youth to Mexico with a plan to take 250 more to Mexico and South Africa in 2012.  We are also working with them to promote their Energize program in the United States.  Energize is a website that provides resources designed to train, support and equip leaders to reach this generation of young people.

We have a close tie in not only serving together, but praying for each other on a regular basis.  So it was my desire last week to ask them how they were being affected by the recent riots in London as their offices are relatively close to the city.  Mark Arnold, COO of Urban Saints, responded to my request on how we could be praying for them in this way:

“What breaks my heart though is when I see people on the TV here referring to the kids that are doing this as ‘feral rats’ and ‘scum.’  If we call our children by these names, how do we expect them to respond?

If as a nation we marginalise and subjugate a sector of our society, why are we surprised when they lash out in response?  When our whole culture is based on shopping and ‘it’s all about me,’ why is it a shock when some just help themselves?

The answer isn’t water cannon, rubber bullets, or the army.  The answer is to recognise how broken our nation and our culture is and to start to rebuild what we’ve lost.

Please pray for our nation, that this may be a turning point for us.  Pray that as a nation we choose ‘us’ and not ‘me;’ that we value people for who they are, not what they have.  Pray that in our troubles we call out to God and seek him as a nation once again.”

Blessings,

Mark

Does this sound familiar?  Could this happen in our own nation?

Gayla Cooper Congdon
Founder and Chief Spiritual Officer

For more information on this incredible organization visit their website at www.urbansaints.org.  If you would like to know more about Energize go to www.amor.org/energize/about.

By Gayla Congdon

“I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray for joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, because he that began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:3-6

If I have learned anything over the past several years it is that we have a strong partnership with so many of you that is similar to the relationship Paul had with the church in Philippi.

We know that Paul and the church had a bond that ran deep and was reflected in the church’s financial support of his ministry.  And we know that his letter of utter and complete joy was written while Paul was in prison and that the church never wavered in its support of him.  No, they didn’t turn their back on a man that had been imprisoned.

Many of you that are reading this eNews have been the Philippian church to us.  You have felt our pain as we have faced the challenges of fears of going to Mexico, the economy and whatever plague might come our way.  What I know for sure is that just like Paul in prison knowing his friends in Philippi were praying for him, we know you have been praying for us.

And still, you continue to ask what you can do to support Amor!  So I’m taking this eNews to give you some ways that you can help Amor during this time as we seek to serve him together.  Because together we are better!

• Amor Store Online – The online Amor Store has had a facelift and we can’t wait for you to see it!  If every one of you reading this would purchase one item for yourself or as a gift, it would help us toward meeting our budget in 2011 during our financially challenging months.  Scott and I feel so passionate about the Amor Store because it helps support our Pastors in Mexico and the work they do.
• Project Hope – You can make a donation towards Project Hope to help support families in need.
• Come on an Amor Mission Trip – there is still time to sign up for a 2011 Group Mission Trip to San Carlos, Baja or Puerto Peñasco, Mexico.  You can also bring your friends or family on an X Project.
• Lion Chase 5K and Padres Baseball – Those of you in Southern California can join us in our first annual 5k on September 24th in Coronado, CA.  For a complete day of fun, we are also hosting a tailgate at the San Diego Padres vs. LA Dodgers game on the 24th as well.
• In 2012, we invite you to join us on the Amor Family Camp (June 16 – June 22) or the first ever Women of Strength Mission Trip (July 21 – July 28).

Scott and I would like to thank you in advance for supporting the ministry that God gave us the vision for over 31 years ago.  We need our partners to give significantly right now and would appreciate you doing that in whatever way God leads you.

Just like Paul and the church in Philippi, Amor is grateful for those that partner with us to move the gospel forward.  Together we are better!

Gayla Cooper Congdon
Founder and Chief Spiritual Officer

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

Throughout the years we have developed close relationships with so many of our supporters.  Each one has come to us in a wide variety of ways.  Some have been participants, others have been Board members, while many have served on our staff or been an intern.  So many people have passed through the doors of this Ministry one way or another and each time Amor Ministries has been changed for the better.

I met Bill Miles in 1977 when he came to Tijuana, Mexico for a board meeting of the Tijuana Christian Mission.  I was 23 years old.  At that time Bill was the pastor at First Christian Church in San Francisco and Director of Urban Ministries Fellowship.

My first trip to San Francisco was when Bill called me and asked if I would come and help him out with his summer program for inner city kids called “Summer Fun in the City.”  Ok, he begged me to come up as he was desperate for someone that could speak Spanish!

That particular summer the program was bursting at the seams with kids and over half the children spoke Spanish and no one on the summer staff did.  The reason for all of these Spanish speaking children was because of a revolution taking place in Nicaragua.  Many families had fled the country and landed in San Francisco – specifically in the community of the church.

Bill and his summer staff had to rely on a 10 year old named Alex from Nicaragua that spoke both and English and Spanish.  They were concerned that they really had no idea what Alex was telling the other kids and they were definitely seeing that some things were getting lost in the translation!

That summer I worked with the program, a deep and abiding friendship with Bill Miles began until he passed away on March 16, 2011.  For some time after that summer Scott and I would go to San Francisco and help train the summer interns.  It was a place where I always learned more than I ever taught, especially from Bill.

Growing up in the church I have had the privilege of hearing sermons from some of the best.  But I mean this genuinely when I say that none of them can hold a candle to Bill’s sermon on Matthew 25:31-46.

Over the 34 years that we were friends I got to hear that sermon several times.  But I can remember as if it was yesterday the first time I heard it.  It was at the church in San Francisco and his insights into this passage were profound and they became the cornerstone for Amor Ministries.  For those of you that can remember that far back, we even had verse 40 on one of our very first brochures.

Bill lived out this passage better than anyone I have ever encountered.  He taught all of us to care for “the least of these.”  And it was through his actions, more than his words that he did this.

He helped us understand human frailties because he showed us his.  If we are being honest, seeing his was hard at times, and yet it taught us that God can restore us no matter what we have done.

When it came to making a hospital call Bill mentored me into the understanding that anyone could visit a sick person and pray with them, but to live out this passage you have to be willing to clean their bed pan.

He opened the doors of the church every Christmas day so that the poor could be fed as well as the rich and lonely and those who had been told they weren’t welcome back home because they were gay.

Because of Bill’s influence Scott and I knew what we had to do when a dear friend went to prison for 4 years.  In this Matthew 25 passage we are told to visit those in prison and over that period Scott and another Amor Team Member visited this man in a prison all the way across the country.  When all other Christians had abandoned this friend we knew that wasn’t an option if we were going to live out Matthew 25.

I definitely got more out of our friendship than I ever gave.  Bill was one of the best friends I have ever had and I learned more about my faith from him than probably anyone else.  My life was changed by an encounter with the Reverend Bill Miles who made me want to follow Christ by committing to be someone that embraced “the least of these.”

William Henry Miles was a husband, father, grandfather and a dear friend to so many.  He was a Cal fan off the richter scale! But most importantly he was a lover of God and “the least of these.”

A fond farewell to my dear friend Bill.  Your presence in my daily life will be missed but I will take the lessons I have learned from you and live them out as a person committed to serving “the least of these.”