January 2009 

Dear Faithful Friends of Ventana,

If the cows from California had their say, life would remain simple. Similar to the verdant fields of our neighbors north of the border, our Baja campus was transformed into a perfect pasture due to the winter rains. Despite being followed around campus by my two sons and being fed leftovers by some of our concerned students, the borrowed cow named Dulce (pronounced Dool-say) certainly hasn’t suffered much. She saunters from side to side, chewing her lush greens and depositing her nutrient-rich cow pies. Yet her life of tranquility and peaceful existence recently came crashing down.

 
With a crew of four men, a female student, and a small truck, we cornered Dulce (which means sweet) for her rite of passage as a calf becoming a cow. She seemed all too oblivious as she kept grazing and chewing her cud, while we planned our attack. With two flanking her, Carlos came straight in with the lasso (while I quietly took pictures from a safe distance), and they quickly brought her unsuspecting frame to the ground. They promptly harnessed her mouth and wrapped three legs into a submissive and helpless position and started the branding process. It was a sad picture watching the cow flail and bawl in pain, but the ordeal was quickly finished. Until her timely death (that is, making her into carne asada) all in town will know whom she belongs to.You might be wondering why I would choose to highlight a cow when so many other things are taking place in Ventana.  Yet, strangely, there are numerous parallels to the cow and our ministry (hold the jokes, please). As most of you know we’ve spent the past fall comfortably grazing in Washington and chewing our cud in Santa Cruz. Those months offer important aspects for this ministry, but the real adventure and challenges begin when the students and staff touch Mexico. All those months of climbing mountains, outreach to the homeless, and service to camps pale in comparison to what comes next.

Every January we step into the ‘branding’ corral where our students and staff live and serve in areas hotly contested between the government and drug lords (Tijuana and Culiacan). We are soberly reminded that the enemy has countless agents ready to impede our purpose with hidden lassos or strike with the blade of fear as we set our sights toward Culiacan, but I am confident just as God protected Paul (Acts 27-28) from shipwrecks and viper snakes, our God will allow no scheme of the enemy to thwart His plans for our time in Mexico. We have been branded by the blood of Christ and as heirs of His estate we move with confidence and boldness. Can a sparrow fall from the sky without our Lord’s permission?

Please remember to pray for our ministry as we prepare for Culiacan and boldly share the redemptive story of hope to the outcast and downtrodden of Mexico.

Moving forward with confidence,     
Doug