The Season of Praise

JameeNovember 16, 2015Uncategorized

As pastors of a bilingual Christian church in La Paz, Mexico, we’re honored to share our American Thanksgiving tradition with our Mexican friends. This year, the Destino Cristiano team will be preparing a holiday meal with turkey and all the fixings, and offering a sit-down service with waiters and waitresses.

Our goal is to serve the people who have welcomed us to their city… well, even to their country. Since moving to Mexico and starting our church in La Paz, we have been blessed to experience the tradition of hospitality that the Mexicans are so gracious to provide. This hospitality is not just offered on holidays, but comes from their hearts every day.

Our hearts are overflowing in this season of praise, as we enter our second year of pastoring a bilingual church in the El Centro area of La Paz. How can we not be emotional and thankful when we have received so much love and acceptance from so many people? And while we sometimes ask ourselves why Spanish-speaking people would attend church with gringo pastors, we already know the answer: God is at work. He is doing something new. He is at the center of it all.

It’s the season of praise! We rejoice in God and we give thanks to our brothers and sisters in Christ! Gracias por todo!

Power of the Church Team

JameeOctober 26, 2015Uncategorized

There’s one thing in establishing a group, and another in developing a team. The group can consist of many people, with lots of different ideas. The group can share, compare and either appreciate or reject the opinions and thoughts of others. But a team consists of like-minded people, with a single vision, working toward a specific mission in order to achieve specific results.

As pastors of a bilingual Christian church in La Paz, we know we can’t build a strong church without the power of God and the power of the team. Therefore, we consistently promote teamwork and abide by the Biblical principle of unity. We also enjoy the process of identifying and putting into practice the gifts and talents of the people.

It’s the transforming power of God that takes people from their worldliness into their calling. And it’s exciting when God reveals His original intent for someone’s life. Ultimately, the team at Destino Cristiano connects with the greater team, which is the Body of Christ. Together we’re spreading the Gospel around the world and fighting for the souls of the unsaved.

Harvest Time at Destino

JameeOctober 12, 2015Uncategorized

Christian Church in La Paz will Pass Out Sweets with Scriptures

On October 31st, a group from Destino Cristiano Christian church in La Paz, Mexico will be out and about, passing out bags of candy with invitations to the bilingual church and a Scripture in both English and Spanish.

We’re calling this event Harvest Time at Destino, and basing this effort on Matthew 9:37-38. “Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Our goal for this harvest time event is to provide a seasonal and spiritual aspect to what is otherwise known as Halloween. And because we love children at Destino, we’re looking forward to all the smiles!

Bilingual Church in La Paz

JameeOctober 5, 2015Uncategorized

Starting a Christian Church in La Paz, Mexico

If you would have asked us how to start a bilingual church in La Paz, Mexico, a few years ago, we would probably have answered, “We have no idea.” If you ask us today, we’ll answer with absolute sincerity, “By the grace of God.”

It’s true. God’s grace is sufficient for us. This has been proven over and over since arriving on the mission field in 2013 to start a nondenominational Christian church in La Paz. We didn’t speak Spanish, nor had we ever worked as senior pastors. And church planters? That’s not something we ever thought we might be called, nor was it something we thought we had the skills or talent to accomplish. But God is full of surprises for those who are willing to do what He wants.

So it’s God who got us started and God who will keep things going. But here are the top 5 things we did right that enabled God to use us in ways we never dreamed:

When we became believers, we told God we would do whatever He wanted us to do. And we meant it.
We served wherever there was a need. That means we cleaned many toilets. (According to our calculations, we cleaned 4,120 at our home church in the 17 years we were there.)
We agreed to taking on new challenges, even when we considered them ridiculously difficult.
We silenced the enemy who consistently came to question the plans of God.
We put our faith and obedience into action. When God said go, we got up and went.

Now that we’re pastors of a Christian church in La Paz, we’re still open to doing what God wants, to taking on new challenges, to fighting the good fight and moving forward with God’s plans. And, we’re still cleaning toilets.

How to be a Pastor

JameeSeptember 30, 2015Uncategorized

If someone were to ask me, “What’s the best advice you can give for becoming a pastor” I would first talk to them about all the basics. For example, read the Bible, attend Bible college, pray more, love others more than yourself, and be sure to serve your church. But then I would give the most important piece of advice about becoming a pastor: Be Yourself!

There is only one you. God made you unique. He made you for His purpose. And while you’re very well aware of your imperfections and shortcomings, you will always feel most comfortable in your own skin. You don’t have to be the smartest, the wisest, the funniest, or the greatest preacher. Just be you!

It’s important to sit under and learn from pastors, mentors and teachers, but you can’t get lost in the midst of your training. Just as David couldn’t wear someone else’s armor, you can’t wear another man’s crown.

You have your own crown. Wear it proudly.

Back to Christian Basics

JameeSeptember 28, 2015Uncategorized

Why Did Jesus Die?

Sometimes we just need to get back to the basics. To remember where we were before, and to see how far God has brought us. To remember that moment when we realized that the love of God has always been with us: that he loved us enough to send Jesus to die in our place. That memory should break our hearts, and at the same time, our hearts should be overwhelmed with gratitude and joy!

But we forget, don’t we? Over time, we just do church as if we have always done it. We begin to speak in Christian clichés and talk about Biblical principles as though we have always lived them. We learn so much that we become teachers, who no longer feel the need to know more and go deeper.

It’s time to remember why Jesus died. Forget all the niceties and the need for others to see how spiritual and smart we are. Jesus died because we were lost and in sin and in need of saving. Jesus died because we still sin, and still need a Savior. Jesus died so he could rule and reign in our hearts and we could be kingdom dwellers who feast at the table of our Lord. Jesus died for our resurrected life! He did it. We simply receive the benefits of this great love.

Contact Us for Mission Trips to Mexico

JameeSeptember 18, 2015Uncategorized

It’s so much fun connecting with people from the United States, Canada, Mexico and places all around the world. As a bilingual Christian Church in La Paz, Mexico, we are working to blend cultures, but also respect the traditions and cultural differences among people of different countries.

If your missions team is looking for a safe, productive and spiritually rewarding experience on the mission field, please contact us. We’ll send you details, answer your questions and customize a mission trip to Mexico just for you!

Mexico Info
520 Allende, entre Ramirez y Altamirano
El Centro, La Paz, Mexico, 23000
612-129-5205 (church)
612-147-7988 (Cell)

U.S. Info
1073 Cherry Street
Medford, Oregon 97501
541-778-8680 (Cell)

Email: ChurchInLaPaz@gmail.com

La Paz Church Website Goes Live

JameeSeptember 18, 2015Uncategorized

The Destino Cristiano website finally went live, after many months of pulling together information and photos. Our goal was to create a comprehensive resource where people can learn all about our bilingual Christian church in La Paz, Mexico. But as we created it, we began to see just how much has been accomplished since planting the bilingual church in La Paz in 2013, and also how much more there is to do to serve the city.

With this website, we hope to connect with people from all around the world who want to join our cause, join our team or just keep in touch. ChurchInLaPaz@gmail.com