Our First Night In Durango . . .

Luke 18:16 - But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

That's my beautiful wife Maribel sitting with two of our newest friends at the El Faro (Lighthouse) center in the small tight-knit community of Durango. 

What was suppose to be a bible study for Jr. high students only, turned into something we were not expecting, but very blessed by - an hour long discussion getting to know two of the elementary kids we will also be working with in the weeks to come, the brothers Jesus and Joaquin, our next door neighbors at the center. It was awesome speaking to them, sharing the love of Christ with them, and getting to know them on a more personal basis. As we sat there talking, the Lord gently reminded me of a similar situation that had occurred years before back in my gospel hip-hop days on the radio and promoting concerts.

Two of my best friends had come up from Los Angeles to the Santa Barbara area to minister, share the gospel, and perform some of their hip-hop music which I played frequently out at KCSB-FM back in the day.

We had promoted their concert for three weeks, along with a fellow hiphop deejay at a christian radio station, only to be horribly disappointed when only three - that's right, just THREE people showed up! We were expecting hundreds in this small venue. I can recall the look on the faces of my friends when they saw the three, a mom with her two kids, sitting there patiently for the concert to begin. 

Their look was one of joy! Instead of performing on stage, they walked down and sat next to the three and began talking about the Lord, the love of Christ, and the amazing things God had done, was doing in their lives . . . they even got the chance to do some of their music, up close and personal, right there in the booth where the three were sitting. That night those two kids felt very special indeed.

I can also recall the look on my fellow deejay who had organized the event - he had spent a bundle putting the concert together. His was one of disappointment, until . . .

Then my hip-hop friends shared something with him that made a lasting impression on me - whether God calls us to minister to a multitude, or to just a few, there is no greater joy than sharing the gospel and the love of Jesus with the youth that God brings us. To Him be the glory!

Tonight, as those two kids walked thru that door, their was a huge smile on my wife's face as well as mine. We were overjoyed to have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ with two amazing kids. They are special indeed.

Thank you Lord, You never cease to amaze me . . . to God be the glory.
C.L. & Maribel

The Kids At Zorrillo . . .

 . . . Wed nite was our second night meeting with the youth of Zorrillo in a family home, the grandmother of one of our students, who was so happy to see her grandchildren being led to follow Jesus! We are so grateful to Genesis Diez for aiding and allowing us to continue in this beautiful ministry which falls in line with their mission statement, "We are a ministry that loves, cares for, and guides children to follow Jesus." The twelve that met with us this evening had been part of the bible study group since its inception back in August, and like any proud mom and dad, my wife and I feel so blessed to be a part of their lives as we all continue to grow in the love of  Christ together. Tonight's teaching was based on Matt16:24 - Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." After a lengthy discussion on the depth and meaning of the verse, these amazing kids had a better understanding of the seriousness in choosing to follow Jesus. As we ended the study just before prayer, everyone's hand went up as they all agreed, we want to follow Jesus Christ. Please continue to pray for all of our kids in this group, God's protection and favor in their precious lives. To God be the glory!
All of our love.
C.L. & Maribel

"He Who Finds A Wife Finds A Good Thing . . .

. . . and obtains favor from the Lord!" On May 10th, 2014, the Good Lord finally provided the 'favor' to get married in the government offices in Ensenada to my precious wife, Maribel Sosa Chavez. It was a very small ceremony, with only my parents and her family there. At the time we were exhausted, emotionally drained, but both very thankful that God had intervened on our behalf. We actually began the marriage process (paperwork needed to wed in Mexico) over a year ago, only to be told there was one more document needed, or another that had to be corrected. Our wedding date had to be changed several times because of this, and finally on December 2nd, one hour before our wedding on a Monday morning, after driving my parents and her family several hundred miles to Ensenada and spending hours on the highway along with a multitude of expenses, we were told some very devastating news. We could not get married because of one more document issue. Yet another oversight on behalf of the marriage office. Needless to say we were deeply saddened, along with all of our family members who had traveled so far. We had no one to look to except the Lord, and by the grace of God and many nights spent in prayer, five months of waiting for one more document to clear, God blessed us with the most amazing gift any couple could ask for, the gift of Holy matrimony. To say we are happily married would be the biggest understatement of the century! Please continue to pray for me and my precious Maribel, that God would continue to bless our marriage, and watch over and protect us - we were pretty excited about celebrating our two-month anniversary just a few days ago. Truly, God is good, all the time . . . Shalom
Me & Maribel
P.S. the name Maribel literally means, "abundance of love." I am a blessed man!

Then She Made Me Cry . . .

John11:35 - "Then Jesus wept." It is so hard not to become emotionally involved in any ministry, but I think as a missionary, it's just that much harder. Jesus Christ should and always be our example. On the same day I was asking the older kids about their college plans, as soon as lunch time rolled around I had already decided I was going to wash my hands and head over to the 'Snack Shack' (some english I taught all the kids!) to get some grub. As I reached down to wash my hands, some tiny girl, I'm not even sure who it was, just reached up and grabbed me and gave me a huge hug. I really didn't think much of it until the volunteer moms in the kitchen said out loud, "Ay que lindo!", or in english, "Oh how lovely!". At that moment the Lord tweaked my heart - here was this tiny girl giving me a hug as if to say, "Thank you for all you do for us." How could I not respond to this kid's beautiful gesture of thanks? I think I said something like, "Gracias mija", which is my slang for, "Thank you sweetheart." Then I walked over to the snack shack with tears in my eyes thinking, "Lord, you always do this to me. You always make me weep for the helpless, for the fatherless, for the defenseless." God always has a way of reaching us with His love and His passion for those in need, and sometimes He does it in the most simple and beautiful way. To God be the glory. His will be done in Zorrillo.
C.L.

The Ministry of H.E.L.P. . . .

A few weeks back while driving through Ensenada, the Lord gave me an acronym (H.E.L.P.) and it's meaning, "Hope Endures through Loving People." I can recall all of the encouragement that came thru the hands of the Lord as He used ordinary people like us to do extraordinary things for Him. I often (over the last 5 years) found myself involved in helping other ministries through out Ensenada with food, clothing, and whatever else God wanted me to do, with everything being donated graciously by my Reality family and friends. That afternoon the Lord reminded me of every ministry He had blessed - every family and child He had blessed - I was just the messenger. I love blessing people. Please continue to support me in prayer as well as financially, that God would continue to give me these divine appointments. The amazing young lady in this photo, my fiancee Maribel (helping a friend with her newborn), has the same heart too. Please continue to pray for both of us - that God's will be done in this new endeavor the Lord has laid on our hearts. To God be the glory.
Shalom
C.L.
P.S. Today I also had the blessing of being at my first service at Reality Santa Barbara, and my good friend Berta blessed me with a ton of clothes for the kids of Zorrillo. God is faithful. Please pray that everything I bring down makes it across the border.

Sweet Memories . . .

The other day while driving in town I saw this sign going up for yet another pharmacy in Ensenada (there's a pharmacy on every corner, literally) and my immediate thought was, "Cool! A pharmacy named after my uncle, or as I use to call him, "Mi tio Roma." It's been a couple of years since he passed away, but driving downtown, especially when I pass by the Hotel Bahia or the Casa del Sol, brings back all the memories I had as a kid visiting cousins here with my parents and my uncle and his family. Then just today, while sitting in a restaurant with a friend, looking out the window to see the Bahia Hotel, it occurred to me that God had been preparing my heart since I was a kid to fall in love with this town. I really do love Ensenada, and the people who live here. I go into culture shock whenever I return to California to run errands. To all my friends and family and Reality family too, please come visit me! I would love to be your tour guide, and in terms of how safe it is to stay here - I feel safer here than I do in Santa Barbara, I just can't vouch for Tijuana.
Shalom!
C.L.

Why I Live Here . . . Ensenada . . .

I can remember coming down to Ensenada as a kid and staying in hotels which are located on calle Primera, back in the day when the beach was just a block away. Almost 28 years later after my last visit, I ventured down to Ensenada with a group of kids from an orphanage from Tijuana in the year 2000, my very first missions adventure which impacted my life greatly. The following years I kept coming back to visit other orphanages through other ministries and churches, until the Lord finally directed me to move down here as a missionary from Reality in 2007.
God continues to give me direction, and I am here for good reason, and also a season. Please continue to pray for me as the Lord directs my steps - Ensenada is my home now. This coming from a missionary who had NO desire to come to Mexico, but when God changes your heart, He "causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." To God be the glory.
Shalom
C.L.

The Kidz At Zorrillo . . .

This morning while contemplating whether I should get out of bed (after a night of no sleep) and head out to the new ministry planted in Zorillo by Lantern Hill ministries, the Lord in His infinite wisdom gave me the same scripture He has given me now on three different occasions before heading out there - Luke 8:16,17 "No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all." Then just a few minutes ago, another friend asked me, what is this place? My immediate reply - that place is known as the LightHouse. God is doing something absolutely amazing on this small piece of property that He has so graciously given us to minister to the 'lost' kids of Zorillo. Please pray for healing and salvation to come to every single kid that steps on this property, and all glory be to the Most High King. Praise Him . . .

The Ministry of Love . . .

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails . . . and now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
During my transition between ministries, all the Lord has called me to do is love Maribel with the love He has poured into me thru His Holy Spirit. Please pray for me and Maribel, the most amazing woman of God I have ever met, and all those years of waiting on the Lord for that special lady, now only seem like a few days . . . to God be the glory.

Original Heart Made Joy, Fit

This photo was taken over a year ago on a visit to Okinawa, Japan, while on a four-month sabbatical from the Casa de Esperanza shelter.
I had gone to visit my daughter in October, and I remember the day I took this photo - it was the day that I DIDN'T want to get out of bed and visit a nearby town known for its amazing street shopping opportunities, but I went anyway, doing some fasting and praying along the way in hopes of hearing clearly from the Lord what my next step was in ministry.
The Lord definitely spoke to me that day - I was to return to the shelter, and He would restore the original joy I had while serving there in the beginning, which He has done.
Really wasn't sure what the 'fit' part meant - I would have a healthy heart again? Not that I have any heart problems, but the 'fit' part kind of fell away and was forgotten, until last month.
Most of my friends know that I have been praying for that perfect 'helpmate' (over 15 years), and each time I tried to 'seek' one, the Lord would just say 'no, be patient and wait, and I will do it.'
After almost 16 years of waiting, my patience had worn thin, until just last month, something really amazing and exciting happened - the Lord blessed me with this amazing friendship, this amazing young lady, and to say that this feels like the perfect 'fit', would be an understatement.
Please pray for us, that God would work out every single detail, and as the Lord has said, "He causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose for them."
Shalom and Love
Walt aka C.L.

"I Need Cover Fire . . . "

"For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer."
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
Last year while crossing the border into Tijuana (see photo), I was harassed, pulled over, ridiculed, fined, held in custody for hours, threatened, sent back to the U.S. a number of times, and almost had my car impounded once. All this happened when I tried to do things legitimately so I WOULDN'T get hassled. All I was trying to do was bring blessings (supplies, clothes, food) to the people of Ensenada. The enemy is a liar, a thug, and a thief!
The truth is, I was ready to give up - I didn't want to bring anything across ever again and hassle with those border people.
When I got back from a four month sabbatical in January, I made it a point to have a U.S. cell phone with me at all times so I could text message everyone back home just minutes before hitting the border, asking everyone to pray for God's favor and traveling mercies as I attempted to bring more 'blessings' to Mexico.
In the last six months, I have probably crossed that border into Tijuana as many times as I did the previous year, and only by the grace of God and your prayers, I have NEVER been stopped!!! Praise Him!!!
I will admit I get this sick feeling in my stomach just as I'm entering the border wondering, "Lord, is this the one time I'm gonna get stopped and detained?"
Then when I finally reach the other side of that entrance gate (Mexico in red letters) and get the 'green' light to pass on thru, I just start praising the Lord and rejoicing because I KNOW that my homies back home have prayed for me, and I get to drive on thru to Ensenada with a huge smile on my face!
I have sent that text to pray so many times, it has become automatic for me -- ALWAYS send the text before reaching the border, "I need cover fire!" aka, please pray for me.
And for whatever reason, the Lord has seen fit to honor your prayers every single time!
Today for the first time just after crossing, it occurred to me that the Lord could 'allow' me to get hassled, harassed, and test my faith and patience like it was tested to the maximum last year.
But I praise the Lord that not once have I had do deal with any border agents, and that truly has been a huge blessing for me. I can't even begin to explain to all who receive my text via my cell phone, just how much I appreciate your prayers as I cross that border one more time. I am indebted to you.
Truly the prayers of my righteous friends availeth much!
Much love, from south of that border crossing I use to hate.
Shalom.
C.L.

A Word From The Lord . . .

I'm always praying, asking, seeking, knocking, petitioning, wrestling, listening . . . "Lord, am I in the right spot? Am I suppose to go home yet?"
This is the Word the Lord gave me this morning, with some very clear direction where I'm suppose to be, after everything I've experienced since I first arrived in Mexico way back in 2007.
Psalms 37:3-11

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgement as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
But the humble will inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant prosperity."

The above photo was taken from the hills just behind the small community of Cantu, overlooking the inlet from Punta Banda, with Ensenada hidden in the fog in the distance.
The Lord is faithful.
C.L.

New Kid On The Block . . .

My newest grandson - Samuel-Noah Walter Requejo, born three weeks ago, chillin' with his sister Victoria. Got to see him for the first time this last weekend. God is sooooo good!
Shalom
C.L.

Piedras Negras - Black Rocks

This is a funny story that can only be told thru the Lord's amazing sense of humor and timing. Back in November (see related story and photo below dated Dec 28th) I remember the Lord had told me that He would restore the original joy I once had when I first started working at Casa Esperanza way back in late 2007 & 2008. Those were the days when I spent most of the time with my kids - just hanging out with them like a dad.
This last year as co-director was a challenge to say the least, and the enemy had robbed me of a lot of that joy I once had in those early years - but in just these last three weeks after my return from sabbatical, this is exactly what the Lord is doing! Restoring the joy of just ministering to my kids, hanging out with my kids, and having the opportunity to love and treat them like my very own. I praise God for that.
So last Saturday after meeting three missionaries from Cali at the toll booth in Ensenada, the Lord again reminded me of what He was going to do this year - restore my joy of serving here, because truthfully part of it had been stolen.
As we were driving back into town the Lord brought to mind the time when I was a kid and how excited I use to get driving down with my parents to visit family in Ensenada. I would always ask, "are we near the black rocks yet? Have we reached the black rocks!?" I knew that once we reached that location (see photo), Ensenada was just around the corner, and that 10-hour drive was about to end! Do you remember 55mph speed limits?
God has this amazing way of knitting our lives together and showing us His purpose - I was reminded of that joy as a kid entering Ensenada, and then recalled where the Lord had first taken me when I came back as an adult in 2007 - a friend and I would go out to Las Piedras Negras Saturday mornings with food and gospel tracts to witness to the homeless and the drug addicts. That was exciting. We saw some radical stuff there, and we also saw God do radical stuff.
So last Sunday when I took out the Casa family for a boat ride in the harbor, the Lord again tweaked my heart and just very quietly spoke to me as those Black Rocks came into view again - He was going to restore EVERYTHING the enemy had stolen from me. The joy and excitement that comes from serving the Lord.
We serve an awesome God.
Shalom
C.L.

Das Boot - Get Ready

Last week on my way to the Casa I saw this amazing boat out in the harbor - one of the largest cruise ships I have ever seen in the bay of Ensenada. So I grabbed my camera and went to take a 'shot' near the big Mexican flag downtown. The cool thing was as I was snapping away a loudspeaker came on and I heard someone (the captain?) giving his passengers directions - couldn't really make out the words, but immediately the Lord put on my heart the story of Noah, and how God had given him direction to build the ark because the flood was coming - to board the boat with his family so that they would be saved.
Then again the Lord reminded me that we are currently living as in the 'days of Noah', and that the captain of the ship, Jesus Christ, is coming again to save His family, and God is giving us direction in these last days to be ready. For some of you you may not want to hear this, but this is exactly how the Lord speaks to me. The Lord is coming very soon, and I'm always praying that my entire family will 'board' with me. Let that be our prayer for all of our families.
Shalom
C.L.

Father of the Bride . . .

A couple months back I got an email from my daughter Allison mentioning some guy wanted to 'talk' to me . . . ha! ha! Jim finally had the guts to ask for my daughter's hand in marriage just this last month -- to which I replied yes!
I am so excited to take a trip back to Okinawa, Japan, for the wedding ceremony. The island is absolutely beautiful, and the weather is warm during November. Please pray for a safe trip, that all goes well there, and that the Lord's hand be upon this wedding, my daughter, Jim, and all that the Lord has planned for them. Praise Him.
C.L.