The Alaniz'

Last week, and for a week, Terry and I, Noah and Evie and Snap, had the opportunity to offer hospitality to our newly homeless and newly missionary friends, Ernesto and Angie Alaniz.

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How do we know them? Ernesto was Terry's first roommate at Moody. Okay, I must back up here for you to understand. Terry's first year of college was in Missouri at Ozark Christian College 97-98. Thereafter he filled some general credits at Tech in Fall 98 b/c he wanted to transfer. Spring 99 Terry started at Moody. Ernesto was to be his roommate b/c his previous one had transferred out. When Terry arrived Ern was gone. So Terry got all settled in, took a lot of silly video (which we relived while the Alaniz' where here) and went to sleep. Ernesto came back in the middle of the night (not kidding, it was like 2am) and woke Terry up with his uproar. He was so excited to get back, he just flipped on the lights and started loving touching all his possessions ("my books! my computer!"). Then he got in Terry's face and said, "Are you for real? Are you for real? B/c if you're not for real you shouldn't be here!" First meeting, yeah. Needless to say, Terry was a little taken aback. What Ernesto meant was that b/c Moody paid your tuition, you had better be for real about your Christian life b/c if you weren't someone else would surely like to be there.

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Here are some photos of their history together.

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Ern and Terry on a plane being flown by their friend Dave Wail. Terry's stomach didn't hold up so well...neither did his back pack, literally.

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Terry took Ern as his date to the Junior Senior Banquet (JSB). Just kidding. Ern said he wished Terry had been his date.

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One Spring Break Ernesto came to Terry's Sturgis home and ranch and got to know the family and country life - he'd never seen a cow before and was almost killed by a bull. This shot was taken in Custer State Park where donkeys run free. HA!

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Terry was less alarmed than the city kid.

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Wedding Day, August 2003. They met when Ernesto, seeking his friend Adam in Michigan, knocked on the wrong door on Angie's parent's Christmas Tree farm and Angie answered it...again, in the middle of the night.

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Terry and Eva's wedding. This is Thursday, June 17th 2004, two days before the big day when we took the wedding party bowling where we always used to go. In the back is Chris Knuth, Adam Crumpton and Terry's dad, Jerry.

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So, back to the present. The reason Ernesto and Angie are homeless is b/c they sold everything they owned back in Michigan where he was a junior high youth pastor for the last five years. They sold everything they own b/c they feel God is calling them as missionaries to India with the Dalit people. Now they're on the road to get the word out in churches (mostly where they know people) about what they're doing.
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Ern and Angie got here last Tuesday night, the 7th, and left yesterday (Monday the 13th) morning. Ern went to work with Terry and spoke at junior and senior high youth group and at church for both services. We went to the homecoming game together and hung out with kids while playing the Wii. Actually, there was a lot of the Wii-playing going on - and it was being done by Terry and Ernesto, not Eva and Angie =). We celebrated Angie's birthday, stayed up really late, got a lot of rest (well, they did =) b/c they slept in really late after being up really late), ate a lot of good food cooked by yours truly and exchanged a lot of great conversation.

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Here is Ernesto gesturing at youth group. It was very difficult to get a still picture of him b/c he's always gesturing. Actually, we didn't ever get a still picture. =) He's very animated. He was talking about how he wished he had a music talent. I told him his talent was his personality. That's pretty accurate. Fun, passionate guy.

Junior high youth group.

Cool senior highers.

This is the Alaniz' prayer card, the front:

Back of the prayer card:

They gave out clay cups out as a reminder of the Dalits.

The card included with the cup explaining the significance of clay cups for the Dalits, which is derived from the unfair caste system of India. I hope you can read it. Otherwise, go to their website: http://www.claycups.net/

Here is a card from a network that already support the Dalits.

Our youth group was really moved by Ernesto's testimony and his story of their time among the Dalits. You know it was good if they were moved. ;)

Here is Ern at junior high youth group.

Ern speaking to senior highers.