Christmas Posadas in Juarez and El Paso

Las Posadas are a beloved Christmas tradition in the Hispanic community. “Posada” is literally an archaic Spanish word meaning “inn,” but today it is used to describe the ceremonial reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for lodging in Bethlehem, which can be found in Luke 2:1-7.  The custom is believed to have originated in Spain but is no longer common there.  Today Las Posadas is celebrated primarily in Mexico but may be found in many other Latin American countries as well.

A posada is essentially a procession through the streets stopping at various houses (or “inns”) while singing a song of responsive verses in which Mary and Joseph ask for lodging but are repeatedly turned away.  At the final “inn”  Mary and Joseph are finally welcomed in and a celebration ensues.  YLM mission churches are blessed to have musicians from Mariachi San Pablo to accompany the traditional Posada song and sing other Christmas carols as the group walks from “inn” to “inn” looking for lodging.  Often the traditional Posada song is sung acapella and prayers or other songs are said as the group travels from “inn” to “inn”.

The procession in search of lodging is led by children dressed as Mary and Joseph.  It is also common to have an angel carrying a star.  The rest of the crowd divides into 2 sections to sing the parts of the innkeeper and the expectant couple.  Finally at the last stop, the innkeepers welcome the weary travelers in and everyone is enters the “inn”.   After a brief message about how Jesus continues His posada daily for a place to stay in each of our hearts and lives, the party commences!

There is generally a piñata or 2, and ALWAYS a feast of traditional Christmas fare: bunuelos (fried pillows of dough seasoned with cinnamon and sugar), champurrado (a chocolaty beverage thickened with masa (corn flour)), and tamales (corn dough with either a sweet or savory filling steamed in a corn husk).

Here at YLM, there is a posada at each of the Mexico mission sites as well as one here in El Paso. Typically, posadas take place in the nine-day period from December 16th until Christmas Eve; ours started earlier with one on Monday the 14^th followed by a day off on Tuesday and then 2 each day for the rest of the week.

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you from all the staff and volunteers at Ysleta Lutheran Mission.

Mary and Joseph from Cristo Rey

Looking for a room at Cristo Rey

From the inside group at Cristo Rey

View from the outside at Cristo Rey

Cristo Rey actors

Cristo Rey actors with some of Mariachi San Pablo

San Pedro y San Pablo

Starting the posada at San Pedro y San Pablo

Walking at San Pedro y San Pablo

The procession at San Pedro y San Pablo

Dancing El Sapo at San Pedro y San Pablo

San Pablo posada at the Mission

San Pablo actors

San Pablo Posada

San Pablo at YLM

YES, you can stay here, open the doors

Mission San Francisco

Mission San Francisco

Mission San Francisco

Mission San Francisco

Santisima Trinidad

starting out at Sin Paredes

Watching the show at Sin Paredes

Good crown at Sin Paredes

Kids at the Sin Paredes posada

Walking up the hill towards Sin Paredes

Enjoying the Posada at Sin Paredes

Posada at Sin Paredes

Santa pinata at Sin Paredes

Pinata at Sin Paredes

Pinata at Sin Paredes

Multitudes of angels at San Lucas

Kids singing with the Mariachi at San Lucas

Leaving San Lucas

Preparing for Maximum Impact this Christmas

Elvira and volunteers are working every day to sort donations to give to the poor this Christmas.  YLM is preparing to provide 1,500 Christmas gifts to children  and to distribute 1,470 food baskets, 836 jackets, 600 hygiene kits and 1,200 blankets.  Also, our Mariachi group will be adding their joy filled music to community gatherings in 6  sites throughout Juarez and 7 in El Paso and Las Cruces.  Later this month a servant event team from Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, MN, will arrive to build three houses for families in Juarez, lead a basketball camp, and make repairs to a mission church.

“Who else is going to be God’s voice in Juarez?  Not the military, police, or government officials…  As they work to bring order, we work to bring mercy and grace to all,”  commented Stephen Heimer, COO of YLM and vicar at San Pablo Lutheran Church.  ”What we do in response to the suffering and sorrow that exists in our valley will make a lasting difference in the lives we touch this Christmas and throughout the year.”

If you would like to join us on the front lines of hope this Christmas, please consider sending items or making a financial gift today.

Fun, Successful Golf Tournament Raises $6,000

November 2nd marked the first annual YLM Human Care Golf Tournament organized by local supporters of YLM and the LHMI.  Over 70 men and women golfed in the tournament, many of whom were Ft. Bliss soldiers who received the opportunity to golf free-of-charge from corporate and individual sponsors.  In the end, over $6,000 was raised for the extensive work of YLM and the LHMI in reaching out to people in our El Paso/Juarez valley.  The amount raised includes $1,600 of matching funds provided by the El Paso Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.  We are very thankful to the many people who organized and ran the tournament and to all the sponsors and participants whose contributions  have enabled us to assist the needy this winter.

Registration, the morning of the tournament.

The golfers await the “shotgun start”

Give a Gift to Change a Life

The 2009 Christmas Giving Catalog is now available online and in printed form.  Those of you who wish to reach out with God’s love to the poor this Christmas will find 17 ways to do so here.  With your help, YLM will be blessing 1,500 children with Christmas presents this month.  Also we plan to build three homes in Juarez and distribute 1,470 food baskets, 836 jackets, 600 hygiene kits and 1,200 blankets.  Reach out to the people of El Paso and Mexico by giving a gift today:

Choose from 17 ways to

help others this Christmas

1,200 Meals Served on Thanksgiving Weekend

“Blessed to Serve”…and that is what they did. On Wednesday, November 25, a group of 25 from Our Father Lutheran church in Centennial, CO, made their 15^th annual pilgrimage to El Paso. They joined up with Servant Event Coordinator Erin’s parents, brother, and sister from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Des Peres, MO, to serve the Lord on the border. The theme for the week was “blessed to serve.” The group cooked, transported, and served over 1200 Thanksgiving meals of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, ranchero beans, salsa, rolls, and cake at San Pablo on Thurdsay, Cristo Rey and San Lucas on Friday, and Santisima Trinidad on Saturday. Each meal followed a brief worship service honoring the real reason everyone was gathered together to enjoy a fantastic meal. They also cooked for the over 100 volunteers who come toYLM every Saturday and left behind enough food for the attendees at this Wednesday’s King’s Table luncheon at Sin Paredes to have Thanksgiving too.

To many, that would be enough to keep everyone occupied for the three work days that were put in, but not for this group. Not only did they feed 1200 hungry people, but they also painted YLM building #1, formerly leased to the El Paso County General Assistance program and now home to Mariachi San Pablo and San Pablo’s Sunday school classrooms. The building really does look sharp, and our hope is to paint the rest of the campus buildings with the same colors eventually.

Just in case that still wasn’t enough, 6-7 people also helped “winterize” a trailer in Horizon City on Friday and Saturday mornings. The family, a mom, a dad,  their 2 young sons, and another one on the way, basically live in an 8 foot by 26 foot trailer that you would tow on the back of your truck when you went camping. Leaking roofs, a plywood floor, and broken windows were all tackled by the crew. A new roof was built over the trailer (and sealed to prevent water and cold air from getting in through the top), windows were sealed with black plastic, and new tile was laid on the floor. Please pray that we will be able to build this family a new home in the coming months.

The group also went to the market in Juarez on Thanksgiving Day, and spent each evening in a Bible study that tied the lives of 2 “minor” characters in with the “blessed to serve” theme. They departed early on Sunday morning, November 29.

Their dedication was truly inspiring; we praise God for this ongoing tradition at YLM and can’t wait to do it all over again next year!

Mid-West Churches Bring Sight to Juarez Poor

The fourth and final team that YLM hosted this year from MOST Ministries was here from October 24-31. The team was comprised of individuals from various churches in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Northern Illinois, along with their fearless leader Gayle Sommerfeld and her husband Don. This was Gayle and Don’s second trip to YLM, as they brought an October team last year as well, to do the same thing: a 2-day eyeglass clinic at San Lucas in Anapra, followed by a 2-day eyeglass clinic at Cristo Rey. As is tradition for MOST teams, Friday is reserved for sightseeing.

Eyeglass clinics require a significant amount of set-up, so the group arrived early to church at San Lucas on Sunday so they could arrange tables and unpack green army duffels of glasses. As was the case all week, they had to factor in the beginning of Daylight Savings Time in Mexico, a week earlier than in the U.S. They left at the time groups typically have to leave to arrive at the service on time only to arrive an hour early—AND they got to sleep in a little later than normal all week!

Monday and Tuesday the clinic was at San Lucas, and then Tuesday afternoon everything was packed up and shifted to Cristo Rey so it would be ready for Wednesday and Thursday. The pace was much slower than the team was equipped to handle due to a government assistance program for the poor, pouring rain, and a cold front, but the slow times made us all slow down and pray that God’s will be done, and it allowed the pastors and leaders from each church to spend more one on one time with each person at the final station—evangelism. All in all, 481 people were seen and 559 pairs of glasses were distributed.

It was a week spent giving people the gift of spiritual sight as well as physical sight, and a week filled with memorable moments, but I don’t think anyone will ever forget the kindness of José Ángel. He was an optician who saw a report about our clinic on the news and stopped by Tuesday afternoon to lend his services. The clinic was closing, but we told him where we’d be the next day and he came without fail for the next two days. He brought some of his personal tools of the trade and was an invaluable asset to Ron and Jane at the fitting station. When asked if he was a Christian, he said that he believes in God but isn’t very serious about it, he just likes to help people!

42,000 lbs of Potatoes in Two Weeks

blurry but very happy

When a truck of food arrives from donors, it is always a wonderful task to distribute the food to needy families in a timely manner.  On September 28th, when 42,000 pounds of potatoes arrived from Orphan Grain Train we immediately began to distribute them.  Because of the great need to assist hungry families in Juarez we determined to find every way possible to get the needed food accross the border.  Currently, ADUANA (Mexico’s customs office) is currently not approving many (if any) bulk shipments of donation food to cross the border; however they do allow people to take up to three bags across at a time.  Learning this, members of the Juarez missions and churches rose to the task of coming to El Paso, to the YLM campus, to pick up potatoes to take accross and deliver to the churches and neighbors.  One of these volunteers told us, “We are happy to help in this small way.  God has been good to provide help to us through the church and this is a way I can help others too.  I have a passport and can cross to El Paso, but there are many others who cannot.”  Elvira, Rosy, Karla, and Javier coordinated volunteers to get the food into the hands of families who need it.  In a little less than two weeks, the entire shipment of potatoes has been delivered in El Paso and Juarez.

2009 Fall Newsletter Available

The Fall Newsletter is now available online.  (You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open it)

2009 Fall Newsletter

Fall Servant Event from Barrington, IL

The first of the few and far between fall servant event groups was made up of 5 familiar male faces from St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Barrington, IL. Their trip started off with a party  in Juarez at Santísima Trinidad Lutheran Church on Sunday to celebrate Pastor Hernandez’s 20^th anniversary in the ministry. Following the festive service, the whole group was invited to sit at the head table for the dinner and party afterwards; Pastor Hernandez kept reminding everyone that they got to eat first because they still had a long bridge wait ahead to get back to the mission!

Monday was the end of the partying and the beginning of the roofing on the home of Olga Reyes and her husband Tony in Horizon City. They came to YLM several months ago with a slab and the plans for their dream home, and little by little we’ve been doing what we can; so has Tony, a plumber by trade. This week, the tasks consisted of finishing the tar paper on the roof and shingling it as well as running Romex inside. Energized by a circle prayer each morning, YLM Project Facilitator/Development Director Chris was the Romex runner extraordinaire, while the roofing crew, under the watchful eye of the group’s resident former roofer, finished in a whopping TWO DAYS!!! With the project they had committed to nearly finished…there was still almost a full day of wiring left that Chris took it upon himself to finish…the group decided to work with Pastor Hernandez for the rest of the week, purchasing their own materials out of pocket.

The decision came on the heels of a long talk with Pastor Hernandez on Sunday over dinner, in which they came to realize that while the need in Sparks and Horizon City is at times overwhelming, God is calling His servants to Juarez in the midst of the evil violence, and its citizens need to see and hear the Gospel being proclaimed now more than ever. The five guys set their hearts, their minds, and their wallets on building a porch at Pastor Hernandez’s San Pedro y San Pablo mission site, something he has dreamt of for a long time that will make the site ever more ready to host weekly worship and instruction there.  Pastor Hernandez plans to dedicate the porch on Reformation Day, Saturday, October 31, 2009, at 3:00 pm and begin weekly ministry there in January.

Pastor Hernandez Celebrating 20 Years of Service

Congratulations and thanksgiving is in order as we all celebrate Pastor Hernandez’ 20th anniversary as a Lutheran pastor!  Pastor Hernandez is one of YLM’s principle ministry staff serving in the city of Juarez during these troubling times of hunger and violence.

Born and raised in Juarez, Mexico, Pastor Hernandez studied for the ministry at Ysleta Lutheran Mission in El Paso which served as a satelite campus for the Hispanic Institute (now CHS of St. Louis Seminary).  He was called to serve as Pastor at Iglesia Redentor (Redeemer Lutheran Church) in Torreon where he pastored for nine and a half years.  In 1999, he accepting the call to serve as pastor at the newly built Santisima Trinidad Lutheran Church and the San Marcos house church in Juarez, Mexico.

When asked about the twenty years, Pastor Hernandez told us, “I am thankful to God for the life he has given me and the opportunity to serve Him.  I also have deep gratitude to my wife, Blanca, who is my right hand and for my children whom I love.  I thank Pastor Karl Heimer and all the many people near and far who have supported, built up, and encouraged me and our church.  Pastor Martinez, who is still serving as pastor here in Juarez was the one who taught me as a child and confirmed me and later married me and Blanca.”

Here are some pictures of Pastor Hernandez through the years.  If you have any you would like to share, please send them to sheimer@ylm.org.

Pastor Karl Heimer & Pastor Hernandez

Pastor Hernandez was ordained in Chihuahua City into the Lutheran Synod of Mexico

Ordination

Ordination

Preaching at the San Marcos house church

Praying with the children

wife Blanca and Pastor at Home

Procession at Santisima Trinidad 2003

Baptism in 2006

Confirmation

Baptism

Baptism

Dedication of new sanctuary for Santisima Trinidad

Posada at the Martin Lutero house church

Small Catechisms