Child Immigration Crisis: Dr. Chip Anderson Speaks Out

Few stories have pricked our sensibilities in recent months more than that of children who have illegally immigrated to the United States from Central America. While this has been happening for a few years, the reason it has finally come into the national spotlight is the sheer numbers of these immigrants—more than 57,000. Those numbers do not appear to be diminishing in the near future. Naturally, this has prompted spirited debate from both the right and the left; the conservative right wants to take care of interests at home and are worried about the entrance of great numbers of children that our system is unprepared to handle and our economy unprepared to support; the liberal right is concerned about the fate of these children, fearing to return them to devastating poverty and unsanitary conditions.

However, what is often lost amidst the endless criticism of various political ideologies and their proponents is the simple fact that the children’s arrival in the United States is not the root of the situation; it is only a symptom. With that in mind, CFCI president Dr. Duane “Chip” Anderson appeared on Omaha’s Christian talk radio station, 660 KCRO. Though his full interview is below, here are some key points to give some perspective on the national immigrant children crisis.

·         There are two things that are driving this immigration:

o   The rumor that amnesty for illegals is on the horizon in the United States

o   The looming threat of gang-related violence to these kids or their families, especially if the child does not want to join a gang

·         Eighty-four percent of these immigrant children are teens

·         These families are in such desperation over their current situation that they are willing to pay enormous sums of money for the possibility that their child would enter the United States

·         By building a better, safer, stronger community, you can prevent these families from having to make these terrible decisions

·         Christ For the City International is directly involved in these dangerous Central American communities to provide safe havens for these teenagers through tutoring, soccer programs, medical clinics, and vocational training

·         In El Salvador alone, we CFCI is positively influencing about 450 kids and their families, probably about 3,000 people total


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Check back tomorrow for our second post about this important and challenging issue.

An Open Letter to Future Short-Term Missionaries with CFCI

Greetings Future STI’s!

I have spent over 2 months here in Cordoba and they have been some of the most challenging, refreshing, spiritually-growing, joyful and enriching days I have experienced in my life. Challenging in adjusting to a new culture, ways of life and communicating in a language that is not your own. Refreshing in that this culture is laid back, relaxed, go-with the-flow and relationally focused. Spiritually-growing in the vibrant atmosphere of the church, passionate prayers of the Christians, radical styles of worship and time for personal pursuit in running after the Lord. Finally, this time has been so joyful in getting to know the host family, other friends in Christ for the City, serving those who have a great need, and getting to have an adventure in Cordoba. The overall experience has been a blessing to me and I truly feel as if I have been given more than I gave.


My prayer before coming Cordoba was to have an open heart and to be ready to serve. Both of those are essential to your experience here as you will be challenged, but will grow through those challenges. There will be things you won’t want to do, times you don’t want to serve, think of better ways to do something or even have a lack of hope at times with the situations in which we serve. All those thoughts are normal, but will humble you as you go through them. Break through your pride and rest in being humbled. No one here knows of your accomplishments, accolades, or talents from your life in the United States- this is such a positively humbling bonus. You can only show people who you are through serving with your heart and through your actions.

Two verses that have given me great encouragement are as follows:

“Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your hearts desires.” (Psalm 37:4) 

Remember to run after Him during your time here and He will satisfy you. I pray you have late nights, early mornings and days full of prayer, scripture reading, and meditating on the Lord. Use this time to allow Him to fill you up!

“Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthews 20:26-28)

As you prepare for your trip and raise support and get your packing list together, make sure your prepare your heart (as this is the most important part to prepare). Be open to what the Lord is going to show you through the host family, CFCI, the church and being a servant. Your mission here is to spread the Gospel, but the greatest avenue to do so is through service. One STI had a talented voice, so she served through singing. One had a talent for making videos, so he made a promotional video. Serve with your actions in whatever way the Lord leads you!

Lastly, in regards to the language barrier, this can be difficult to deal with at times. Regardless of your speaking ability, unless you are fully fluent, you will experience some sort of frustration. I am an intermediate speaker, but times I lack being able to fully express my thoughts on a topic; this can be frustrating. During deep conversations, brainstorming sessions, or reflections, I desire to say one thing, but have to say something less eloquently because of the language difference. This is humbling and has shown me that my actions will always speak louder than my words. I have also been shown that the Spirit can speak through me without words and has caused me to lean even more on Him.

I pray that your trip here will be a great blessing to your life and also that you will make an impact here!

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it’s own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:33-34) 

Be encouraged by these verses and seek the Lord above all else as you prepare to serve with Christ for the City!

God bless,

-Justin Cardenas

Ps. I still don’t know what “STI” stands for, but that is what we are called so embrace it!

Note: STI stands for "Short-Term Individual" and is the phraseology used by the Central Office to distinguish between an individual and a team.

Edited by: John Michael Den Hartog

The Potter and the Clay - A Camp Testimony

By Krislyn Erickson, Summer Team 2014

Have you ever watched a potter sit down on the potter’s wheel and mold the clay into a piece of art? Have you looked closely at pottery? Each piece of art is made a little bit different…. from the strokes of the hand to the different artists making them.

Today, helping teach the middle school camp, called Masterpieces, the girls learned how to make origami hearts. We had each of the five girls pick out different colored pieces of construction paper and follow along to the bible study teacher for directions on how to make the origami.

Watching the girls fold their construction paper to make these hearts was interesting to see. Each were trying to make it a perfect heart shape. While the girls were folding their papers, I noticed that one girl gave up completely after messing up on folding the paper the wrong way. The girl sitting next to her was struggling to keep up with the teacher’s verbal instructions. After expressing her frustration to the counselors, she was shown visually step-by-step directions to finish her heart. Once the hearts were completed, we had the girls write bible verses on them.

The purpose of the heart origami was to lead into our discussion of God. We asked, “Who decided to make each fold and crease?” “Do all of your hearts look the same?” Even though the girls were following the same instructions, their hearts were folded differently, made from different colored papers, and were different sizes.

The point was to have each origami different; all hearts were unique.

The same goes with us.

God created and molded us to be what He wanted us to be. He made each of us different, not one of us are perfectly alike.

God made us exactly how He wanted us to be made. Every freckle, mole, even every hair on our head, God created because He wanted it there.

Sometimes we compare ourselves with others. wanting to be more like them, or look more like them. We have to keep in mind that we are all unique and that God molded us to be the perfect person He created us to be.

To have the middle school girls remember this powerful message, we asked them to memorize the following verse:

Isaiah 64:8. “Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter, we are all the work of your hand.”

Reprinted from a recent post from our friends at The Bridge of Storm Lake, 'Front Porch, Inspired.'

Meet Marie Fitts

Please meet Marie Fitts.

Marie was recently approved to be a CFCI Missionary to Anchorage, AK. She has been ministering in Wyoming for the last number of years but then began to sense that God was leading her northward - Really northward! She was here at our office last week going through some training and strategic planning. We developed a new brochure and PowerPoint for her so she can be presenting the ministry as she heads north. She is planning to drive from Wyoming to the Seattle area, catch a ferryboat to Haines, and then drive the remaining 800 miles into Anchorage. Please keep her in your prayers as she makes this trek. Marie hopes to arrive in mid-August and then get settled so she can begin to pursue the ministry God has led her there to do. At this time, she is still in the research phase of community development. What is happening? Who is doing what? What are some of the apparent needs of the various communities in the state? Would you like to be kept apprised of her activities? Drop us a line and we'll put you on her mailing list.

News: Urban Plunge welcomes Heather Miller into a new position

Urban Plunge is growing! And to help that growth along, we have invited Heather Miller to be a part of the executive team. Heather has been one of the Urban Plunge family members for a long time now, working as a facilitator in the Omaha area for more than four years.

Her task will be to create buzz about Urban Plunge by contacting media outlets closely affiliated with churches or groups that have gone on the Plunge, and informing them about the amazing experiences that people have had on the Plunge. She also will be doing some coordinating and facilitating in the meantime.

“I love the ministry,” Heather said.”I get to see what God does. I can see them (the Urban Plunge participants) experience life change. For many, it’s really eye opening, getting to work with the homeless for the first time. “

For her, it’s all about seeing people transformed, even in the few hours in which they do a Plunge.

Heather is a recent college grad, earning her degree in Missions from West Coast Bible College. She also recently completed an intense discipleship program called Masters Commision at her church.

And yes, we as Christ For the City are thrilled to have her on board.

Written by: John Michael Den Hartog