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HOME » ABOUT PASTOR VON » STORIES FROM MY JOURNALS » BOOK 06 THANKS: 8/'05 Last Thursday, Hortensia came up to me followed by a young boy and his mother. "Von," she said, "Arturo and his mother would like to talk to you." I looked down and there was little Arturo handing me three small pieces of paper, little thank you drawings he had made. "They would like to thank us for Arturo's operation," she continued. Arturo's mother expressed her thanks then started to cry. She was so happy we had discovered his condition and helped pay for his hernia operation. TWO KIDS AND A DOG: 10/'05 Often I get to see things that make my day. Saturday was one of our big busy work days in a new neighborhood, Lazaro. Dirt roads. No electricity. No water. There our American kids worked all day in the hot Lazaro sun. A girl and boy team were making sno-cones for the scores of Mexican children. At the end of the day, I like to go around and thank our visitors for their help but I couldn't find our sno-cone team. I asked where they might be and someone said they were over by an old car some distance away. I walked over and found them both in the shade near the rear of the car feeding a little mangy mutt some watermelon. The dog was very hungry and thirsty and I guess watermelon was better than nothing. I recognized the little dog, too. She was a poor, thin, rather ugly mutt. that had been kicked around and shooed off wherever she had wandered in search of food. An outcast in every sense of the word. I asked Greg (the boy) to follow me over to my car, and I gave him some dog food to give the pooch. Yes, I must admit we also carry some dog food to feed our share of hurting little dogs; It falls under the label of compassion. As I have said before, this may not be a solution but it sure made that little dog's day! I was glad to see this compassion played out in the different world in which these young "rich" kids found themselves. They saw a need and were busy doing their best to meet it. I admire that! It was a lesson in kindness that could be taught nowhere else. Once or twice a week, we take American kids with us into a quite different world than theirs. Where they see and get involved with true poverty, where they can learn lifetime lessons and where they can feel and demonstrate compassion ... even on a little mangy homeless dog. These two little "rich kids" caring about this pup brought a smile to my face. They were caring and that's a good start ... in fact that's what our ministry is all about ... caring. Caring for the thousands of "worthless people" who have been kicked around and shooed off by society. SNAPSHOTS OF OUR MINISTRY: 11/'05 Aaron and I were talking in front of the children's jail when Roy pulled up. Parking his rusty car, out he jumped in full uniform. He was now a police officer in full gear. Looked like he belonged in Iraq with all the stuff he had on...and of course his pistol. He smiled proudly as he shook our hands. I think he just wanted to let us know he made it and now he is on the right side of the law. Knowing Roy ... from his messed up childhood through his teenage fighting years ... seeing him as a police officer was a surprise. And then again maybe it wasn't so surprising. The police here are proud of being tough. It's nice to be appreciated and he appreciated the help we were to him through his rough years. Today we were again allowed inside the big jail dorm, a big cage packed with young boys. Thanks for your prayers. You would be so encouraged to see the kid's respect for us and to listen in to the talk. When the whole group of kids voluntarily come to the end of the big building to listen it's impressive. And they did, more than a hundred young boys crowded around us literally sitting at our feet and all over the beds. My subject was the cross and torture of Jesus being crucified. After I had pretty well finished, one kid sitting on a bed asked why He was crucified, was it for religion or for us? What a set-up! Of course I was happy to take it from there. Several other boys also asked good questions, while others offered little untold parts of the story. When we left, kids were shaking our hands and saying thank you for coming. All of this played out in a big cage of unruly young tigers! Preaching the Gospel and sowing seeds to hungry hearts sitting on a cold concrete floor. What a great feeling! Thank you for your prayers! In Pana last Thursday Hortensia brought me to a cute little brown haired girl. "This is Jasmin," she said. "She has something in her mouth, what do you think it is?" Little Jasmin opened her mouth. I saw a large swelling under her tongue. I didn't like what I saw, it looked too much like a tumor. Her mother looked worried and anxious. That questioning look of "What is it?" and "Can you help us?" I have seen that look so often before. The counsel I gave was the counsel anyone would give. "Get her to a doctor fast and get a biopsy." Hortensia will see to it that it is done. Then this whole thing comes around to face us with cold hard questions. How far do we go with this? All the way? What is our part? It's always hard making these kind of decisions. Thanks again for your prayers. Just three small parts of the real-life mosaic that is our ministry. JUANITO MY SON: 12/'05 Last night was to be pizza night for the forty boys at Emmanuel orphanage, a once a month event. This is a night in which we give pizza and a Bible lesson to each of three age groups. We were expecting a typical Saturday night. We were wrong. When we arrived at the orphanage a church group had just given out great Christmas presents to all of the boys! All order and discipline was demolished in one happy explosion of activity. Everyone was playing with his toys. Kids, toys, balls, scooters and flying wrapping paper created a continuing blur of excitement. The little Christmas tree serenely stood it's ground in the corner. The staff took refuge in the kitchen and watched. It was great to see the kids having the time of their lives. This was Christmas in action! Little ten year old Juanito, as usual, was here there and everywhere at once. The downside of this happy occasion was that Juanito was to get a penicillin shot. When the time came, Ana, the director, and another lady with an impressive syringe in hand went looking for Juanito. They finally cornered him and talked him into getting his shot but just at the strategic moment he squirmed free, pulled up his pants and disappeared in the merry crowd. Again they went hunting. Well, this time we got him. I held him tightly and whispered in his ear that he should be a man and not a little girl about this. I added that I wanted to be proud of him. He held me tight until the deed was done and then he was off again in orbit, this time with a slight limp. (I might add that I did promise him an extra piece of pizza if he would take his shot like a man.) Later in the evening, he came to me, pulled me down so he could look straight into my eyes and said "I'm your son, aren't I?" I smiled and replied, "Si, Juanicito; you're my son." On two other occasions we repeated the dialogue in front of his friends. It seems that I now have two sons there at Emmanuel. Later in the evening, while I was standing in a dark corner of the orphanage yard watching the kids play and staying clear of the flying balls, here comes little Juanicito. Looking up, he smiled then gave me a big long hug. He then pulled me down and kissed me on the cheek. Merry Christmas indeed! CHUY'S TESTICLE: 1/5/'06 We were in our Thursday workday location when our Doctora came to me. "Von, I need another doctor's advise." She said. A boy's mother told her that her son was having trouble with his testicle. It was twisted or something. The boy refused to see a doctor, especially our doctor because she was a woman. "Von, will you take a look? He's the boy over there in the white shirt." I looked over and there sat Chuy an early macho teen. I knew the boy as a kid but now he was a sixteen year old sitting against a fence with three of his cool friends. I went over pulled him aside and sat down to talk. I convinced him that his condition may be serious and I would be willing to take a look if he wants me to, otherwise he should see a doctor. Even though he knew me and trusted me It took a while for his decision. He got up and walked slowly over to the car and when the doors were closed he showed me his testicle. It was as large as a plum and hard. It was definitely hurting him. I could tell he was scared. I convinced him it was serious and that he had to see a doctor as soon as possible. I tried to convince him that it was nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about and that doctors had no interest in him except for medical reasons. I also informed him that if his mother could not pay, we would be willing to help him financially. His mother was crying as he walked over to his friends. Hortensia will help see to it that he sees a doctor tomorrow morning. (Antibiotics did the trick.) TEACHING AMONG THE TOILETS: 2/5/'06 A sudden and quite unexpected blessing happened Sunday afternoon. In the Bible we read that there is a time for everything and indeed there is. We see Jesus taking time to teach wherever He was and whenever He had opportunity. I have often pictured Him teaching the people in the evening with the beautiful sea of Galilee as His backdrop. Those paintings are so clean and beautiful. Today, Juan and I found ourselves teaching also but to a quite different people in a very different environment. In the Tijuana children's jail, we often do medical work on the inmates and this was one of our long three-hour afternoons. In one of the buildings we do our medical work in the large bathroom. It would take a paragraph to try to describe this room, and there would be no way to describe the odor. Indeed it takes a strong disciplined stomach. Broken toilets and dirty tile and a whole lot more. Today the room was relatively clean but it didn't smell like a breeze off the Sea of Galilee. When we finished working on the kids that had athletes foot, sores, scabies and whatever, there were about twenty-five teen age boys just standing around watching us. They were quiet and respectful. Some no doubt wondering why we would care about them and their dirty feet. I thought, why not take this opportunity to teach, so we started talking to them and then slowly switched to Bible teaching. To my amazement, no one left the smelly room. These kids were hungry to learn and they listened well. I have to laugh when I think about it, an old man teaching through an interpreter to teenage inmates among the toilets in a most unlikely classroom. But it worked! Indeed seeds planted in the most unlikely places! When Juan and I finished teaching, I was startled by the unexpected applause. JULIO'S DEAD TURTLE: 3/1/'06 There's always something going on at Casa de Emmanuel orphanage! Well, with the possibly exception of when they are bedding down or watching TV. Mondays I'm there in the morning and the buzzword is school! Is everybody ready? After lunch, the kids get their final prep for school. Things appear quite normal when Robin, one of the orphanage staff, pulled me aside and said mocking a very serious tone, "Von we have a problem and I need your counsel" of course I stopped and listened intently. I don't like problems but they do come up and if I could be of any help well.. "Von, Julio's turtle has been under water for some time and it hasn't moved. I think it's dead but some of the other staff say it is alive and just resting. Of course, Julio thinks it's alive too, but it looks dead to me. What do you think?" I went with Robin and Julio to a very small aquarium and noted two very live turtles huddled in a corner above the dirty water. Draped over a stone in the middle of the aquarium was a very deceased turtle. It seems that someone had kindly pulled him from the deep after two days and draped him over the stone. It was so sad as Julio stared at his pet turtle that was "taking a break" on the rock. I studied the turtle. His head was hanging down one side of the rock, while his tail hung over the other side, his legs were hanging down as far as they would go. There was no movement. There would be no movement. He wasn't taking a break. Julio's turtle was dead. Very dead! I took Julio by the shoulder and we had a heart to heart on the death of turtles. . "Where do they go?" "I don't know Julio, I'm not a turtle!" "I'm sure God has a special place for much loved dead turtles." Kids like Julio have lost more then their share of family and friends. Even losing a pet turtle makes it's mark. It's neat to be loved and part of the Casa Emmanuel family even when it means sharing the death of a little friend. I thought you might like this cute human interest story. JOSE'S CHANGED LIFE: 4/1/'06 For years, Jose has been a leader and teacher in his church in Tijuana: I met him the other day and he told me the story of how he got interested in the Gospel. He said he saw our Monday night Bible studies with the teen-age boys in barrio Obrera where he and his family lived. One night he went to the window after the meeting had started and listened again. Jose said he had never heard these exciting things about the Bible. Then he returned again the following week and this time he listened by the open door way. From then on he came inside and sat with the teens each Monday. I remember seeing him sitting on one of the chairs in the back, rather out of place but very interested. It was encouraging to hear how these studies affected a curious bystander that turned out to be a leader. This was the start of a change in his life.

HOME » ABOUT PASTOR VON » STORIES FROM MY JOURNALS » BOOK 06

THANKS: 8/'05 Last Thursday, Hortensia came up to me followed by a young boy and his mother. "Von," she said, "Arturo and his mother would like to talk to you."

I looked down and there was little Arturo handing me three small pieces of paper, little thank you drawings he had made. "They would like to thank us for Arturo's operation," she continued. Arturo's mother expressed her thanks then started to cry. She was so happy we had discovered his condition and helped pay for his hernia operation.

TWO KIDS AND A DOG: 10/'05 Often I get to see things that make my day. Saturday was one of our big busy work days in a new neighborhood, Lazaro. Dirt roads. No electricity. No water. There our American kids worked all day in the hot Lazaro sun. A girl and boy team were making sno-cones for the scores of Mexican children.

At the end of the day, I like to go around and thank our visitors for their help but I couldn't find our sno-cone team. I asked where they might be and someone said they were over by an old car some distance away.

I walked over and found them both in the shade near the rear of the car feeding a little mangy mutt some watermelon. The dog was very hungry and thirsty and I guess watermelon was better than nothing. I recognized the little dog, too. She was a poor, thin, rather ugly mutt. that had been kicked around and shooed off wherever she had wandered in search of food. An outcast in every sense of the word.

I asked Greg (the boy) to follow me over to my car, and I gave him some dog food to give the pooch. Yes, I must admit we also carry some dog food to feed our share of hurting little dogs; It falls under the label of compassion. As I have said before, this may not be a solution but it sure made that little dog's day!

I was glad to see this compassion played out in the different world in which these young "rich" kids found themselves. They saw a need and were busy doing their best to meet it. I admire that! It was a lesson in kindness that could be taught nowhere else.

Once or twice a week, we take American kids with us into a quite different world than theirs. Where they see and get involved with true poverty, where they can learn lifetime lessons and where they can feel and demonstrate compassion ... even on a little mangy homeless dog.

These two little "rich kids" caring about this pup brought a smile to my face. They were caring and that's a good start ... in fact that's what our ministry is all about ... caring. Caring for the thousands of "worthless people" who have been kicked around and shooed off by society.

SNAPSHOTS OF OUR MINISTRY: 11/'05 Aaron and I were talking in front of the children's jail when Roy pulled up. Parking his rusty car, out he jumped in full uniform. He was now a police officer in full gear. Looked like he belonged in Iraq with all the stuff he had on...and of course his pistol. He smiled proudly as he shook our hands. I think he just wanted to let us know he made it and now he is on the right side of the law. Knowing Roy ... from his messed up childhood through his teenage fighting years ... seeing him as a police officer was a surprise. And then again maybe it wasn't so surprising. The police here are proud of being tough. It's nice to be appreciated and he appreciated the help we were to him through his rough years.

Today we were again allowed inside the big jail dorm, a big cage packed with young boys. Thanks for your prayers. You would be so encouraged to see the kid's respect for us and to listen in to the talk. When the whole group of kids voluntarily come to the end of the big building to listen it's impressive. And they did, more than a hundred young boys crowded around us literally sitting at our feet and all over the beds. My subject was the cross and torture of Jesus being crucified. After I had pretty well finished, one kid sitting on a bed asked why He was crucified, was it for religion or for us? What a set-up! Of course I was happy to take it from there. Several other boys also asked good questions, while others offered little untold parts of the story. When we left, kids were shaking our hands and saying thank you for coming.

All of this played out in a big cage of unruly young tigers! Preaching the Gospel and sowing seeds to hungry hearts sitting on a cold concrete floor. What a great feeling! Thank you for your prayers!

In Pana last Thursday Hortensia brought me to a cute little brown haired girl. "This is Jasmin," she said. "She has something in her mouth, what do you think it is?" Little Jasmin opened her mouth. I saw a large swelling under her tongue. I didn't like what I saw, it looked too much like a tumor. Her mother looked worried and anxious. That questioning look of "What is it?" and "Can you help us?" I have seen that look so often before. The counsel I gave was the counsel anyone would give. "Get her to a doctor fast and get a biopsy." Hortensia will see to it that it is done. Then this whole thing comes around to face us with cold hard questions. How far do we go with this? All the way? What is our part? It's always hard making these kind of decisions. Thanks again for your prayers.

Just three small parts of the real-life mosaic that is our ministry.

JUANITO MY SON: 12/'05 Last night was to be pizza night for the forty boys at Emmanuel orphanage, a once a month event. This is a night in which we give pizza and a Bible lesson to each of three age groups.

We were expecting a typical Saturday night. We were wrong.

When we arrived at the orphanage a church group had just given out great Christmas presents to all of the boys! All order and discipline was demolished in one happy explosion of activity. Everyone was playing with his toys. Kids, toys, balls, scooters and flying wrapping paper created a continuing blur of excitement. The little Christmas tree serenely stood it's ground in the corner. The staff took refuge in the kitchen and watched. It was great to see the kids having the time of their lives. This was Christmas in action!

Little ten year old Juanito, as usual, was here there and everywhere at once. The downside of this happy occasion was that Juanito was to get a penicillin shot. When the time came, Ana, the director, and another lady with an impressive syringe in hand went looking for Juanito. They finally cornered him and talked him into getting his shot but just at the strategic moment he squirmed free, pulled up his pants and disappeared in the merry crowd. Again they went hunting. Well, this time we got him. I held him tightly and whispered in his ear that he should be a man and not a little girl about this. I added that I wanted to be proud of him. He held me tight until the deed was done and then he was off again in orbit, this time with a slight limp. (I might add that I did promise him an extra piece of pizza if he would take his shot like a man.)

Later in the evening, he came to me, pulled me down so he could look straight into my eyes and said "I'm your son, aren't I?" I smiled and replied, "Si, Juanicito; you're my son." On two other occasions we repeated the dialogue in front of his friends. It seems that I now have two sons there at Emmanuel.

Later in the evening, while I was standing in a dark corner of the orphanage yard watching the kids play and staying clear of the flying balls, here comes little Juanicito. Looking up, he smiled then gave me a big long hug. He then pulled me down and kissed me on the cheek.

Merry Christmas indeed!

CHUY'S TESTICLE: 1/5/'06 We were in our Thursday workday location when our Doctora came to me. "Von, I need another doctor's advise." She said. A boy's mother told her that her son was having trouble with his testicle. It was twisted or something. The boy refused to see a doctor, especially our doctor because she was a woman. "Von, will you take a look? He's the boy over there in the white shirt."

I looked over and there sat Chuy an early macho teen. I knew the boy as a kid but now he was a sixteen year old sitting against a fence with three of his cool friends. I went over pulled him aside and sat down to talk. I convinced him that his condition may be serious and I would be willing to take a look if he wants me to, otherwise he should see a doctor. Even though he knew me and trusted me It took a while for his decision. He got up and walked slowly over to the car and when the doors were closed he showed me his testicle. It was as large as a plum and hard. It was definitely hurting him. I could tell he was scared.

I convinced him it was serious and that he had to see a doctor as soon as possible. I tried to convince him that it was nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about and that doctors had no interest in him except for medical reasons. I also informed him that if his mother could not pay, we would be willing to help him financially.

His mother was crying as he walked over to his friends.

Hortensia will help see to it that he sees a doctor tomorrow morning. (Antibiotics did the trick.)

TEACHING AMONG THE TOILETS: 2/5/'06 A sudden and quite unexpected blessing happened Sunday afternoon. In the Bible we read that there is a time for everything and indeed there is. We see Jesus taking time to teach wherever He was and whenever He had opportunity. I have often pictured Him teaching the people in the evening with the beautiful sea of Galilee as His backdrop. Those paintings are so clean and beautiful.

Today, Juan and I found ourselves teaching also but to a quite different people in a very different environment. In the Tijuana children's jail, we often do medical work on the inmates and this was one of our long three-hour afternoons. In one of the buildings we do our medical work in the large bathroom. It would take a paragraph to try to describe this room, and there would be no way to describe the odor. Indeed it takes a strong disciplined stomach. Broken toilets and dirty tile and a whole lot more. Today the room was relatively clean but it didn't smell like a breeze off the Sea of Galilee.

When we finished working on the kids that had athletes foot, sores, scabies and whatever, there were about twenty-five teen age boys just standing around watching us. They were quiet and respectful. Some no doubt wondering why we would care about them and their dirty feet.

I thought, why not take this opportunity to teach, so we started talking to them and then slowly switched to Bible teaching. To my amazement, no one left the smelly room.

These kids were hungry to learn and they listened well. I have to laugh when I think about it, an old man teaching through an interpreter to teenage inmates among the toilets in a most unlikely classroom. But it worked! Indeed seeds planted in the most unlikely places!

When Juan and I finished teaching, I was startled by the unexpected applause.

JULIO'S DEAD TURTLE: 3/1/'06 There's always something going on at Casa de Emmanuel orphanage! Well, with the possibly exception of when they are bedding down or watching TV. Mondays I'm there in the morning and the buzzword is school! Is everybody ready? After lunch, the kids get their final prep for school. Things appear quite normal when Robin, one of the orphanage staff, pulled me aside and said mocking a very serious tone, "Von we have a problem and I need your counsel" of course I stopped and listened intently. I don't like problems but they do come up and if I could be of any help well..

"Von, Julio's turtle has been under water for some time and it hasn't moved. I think it's dead but some of the other staff say it is alive and just resting. Of course, Julio thinks it's alive too, but it looks dead to me. What do you think?"

I went with Robin and Julio to a very small aquarium and noted two very live turtles huddled in a corner above the dirty water. Draped over a stone in the middle of the aquarium was a very deceased turtle. It seems that someone had kindly pulled him from the deep after two days and draped him over the stone. It was so sad as Julio stared at his pet turtle that was "taking a break" on the rock.

I studied the turtle. His head was hanging down one side of the rock, while his tail hung over the other side, his legs were hanging down as far as they would go. There was no movement. There would be no movement. He wasn't taking a break. Julio's turtle was dead. Very dead!

I took Julio by the shoulder and we had a heart to heart on the death of turtles. . "Where do they go?" "I don't know Julio, I'm not a turtle!" "I'm sure God has a special place for much loved dead turtles."

Kids like Julio have lost more then their share of family and friends. Even losing a pet turtle makes it's mark. It's neat to be loved and part of the Casa Emmanuel family even when it means sharing the death of a little friend. I thought you might like this cute human interest story.

JOSE'S CHANGED LIFE: 4/1/'06 For years, Jose has been a leader and teacher in his church in Tijuana: I met him the other day and he told me the story of how he got interested in the Gospel. He said he saw our Monday night Bible studies with the teen-age boys in barrio Obrera where he and his family lived. One night he went to the window after the meeting had started and listened again. Jose said he had never heard these exciting things about the Bible. Then he returned again the following week and this time he listened by the open door way. From then on he came inside and sat with the teens each Monday. I remember seeing him sitting on one of the chairs in the back, rather out of place but very interested. It was encouraging to hear how these studies affected a curious bystander that turned out to be a leader. This was the start of a change in his life.