Making Memories on our Last Noche Buena in Mexico

Last night was likely our last Christmas Eve—Noche Buena—in Mexico…at least for a while.  We spent the evening with the Zendejas clan.  The Zendejas sisters have been following Jesus for many years.  They live across the street from us—we’ve been doing a lot of our life with them lately.  

It was a fun night—and una experiencia muy Mexicana. 

We arrived at the sisters’ house about 9:30 pm—the only non-family guests.  The night was chilly—probably in the low 50’s.  As people arrived, we were served snacks and ponche—a hot, fruity drink.   By about 10:00 a group of 35 or so family members had arrived each bringing food and gifts.  Amparo welcomed us all and after a couple of prayers, we ate supper about 10:30 pm—two or three types of tamales, a spicy meat dish called Birria, a corn based stew called Pozole, beans, rice, tortillas, and lots of desserts.  They asked Nancy to bring Lasagna—also delicious but not so Mexicana.  Lots of food!

After the meal, the kids had put together a skit re-enacting the story of Jesus’ birth and they performed it for all the adults.  Then the family did the traditional Posada—which is a re-enactment of Joseph and Mary looking for a place to stay in Bethlehem.  Several songs were sung.  At midnight, everyone began giving the Christmas abrazo (a hug and “feliz navidad”) to every other person in the house.  So theoretically, everyone was hugged about 35 or 40 times from 12:00 to 12:05! 

There were Christmas gifts for everyone and lots of candy for the kids.  The sisters had made sure that our family had gifts under the tree—something we had not expected.  Everyone had lots of fun. 

We made it home about 1:00 am or so…feeling tired but very blessed to have experienced this special night. 

Something tells me that we’ll be drawing on these good memories for years to come! 

¡Feliz Navidad!

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Blessed to be with Good Friends Yesterday

Yesterday several of us from 4 or 5 of the house churches met together at a park in the north of Guadalajara for a shared time of food, fellowship and fun.  After spending some time greeting one another and catching up in conversation, we began a time of singing and worship.  The children had worked up a rendition of the story of Jesus’ birth—cool to see them telling the story together.  We shared the Lord’s Supper and Gerardo gave an exhortation to the group on the importance of a life focused on Christ and our desire to grow together in 2010.  We spent the rest of the day eating and playing together.  A blessed day! 

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MAWLing at the Monthly Leaders' Gathering Last Night

I was encouraged last night as I sat with a group of house church leaders.  We try to all get together at least once each month.  Yesterday was fairly typical of these gatherings.  Everyone was with their particular church community in the 1^st part of the day.  Several of the leaders then, gathered about 5pm at our house.  The main idea with these gatherings is to provide mutual encouragement and support for the leaders as each is involved in parenting spiritually a group of Christians—and usually also involved in helping several not-yet Christians in the journey towards Jesus.  The group tries to provide a safe environment for each to be honest about struggles and victories—and to encourage one another from Scripture—and discern God’s will as a group regarding different challenges—and spend lots of time praying together.  

I’ve been thinking a lot lately of the MAWL approach to leadership development.  Model.  Assist.  Watch.  Leave.  At this point in our ministry here and with our departure date coming up in a few months, we are trying to live squarely in the “Watch” stage.  We want to watch our Mexican brothers and sisters as they go about their life and ministry—and we want to be available to provide feedback and conversation along the way.  

Last night, I was encouraged to watch my Mexican brothers and sisters minister to one another.  It is cool to see so much evidence of growth and maturity.  I wonder what will happen in the years to come.  I continue to be hopeful!

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Renewing our Missionary Visas in Mexico City

This past weekend we drove the six hours over to Mexico City to renew our FM3 missionary visas.  In addition to getting the legal stuff done and coming away with Nancy’s and my little green booklets (our girls were all born in Mexico and have dual citizenship), we also got to spend a little time with fellow missionary families in Mexico City—Benjy and Carolyn Brednich, James and Erin Henderson, Ryan and Amanda Gray and Nelly Javier de Molino.  Besides working in church planting with her husband Israel, Nelly is also a lawyer.  She does a great job helping people like us get our legal status sorted out.  

Oh yes—we may or may not have eaten some tacos and ice cream while we were there!  

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In Mexican News Today

I try to pay attention to the daily newspaper and radio.  A few of the headlines and stories that caught my attention from the Mexican news today: 

• Money From Remittances Has Fallen 36% Since This Time Last Year.   Money sent by Mexicans living in the U.S. to their families in Mexico (remittances) is the 2^nd largest source of income for Mexico—petroleum sales is first and tourism is third.  The Bank of Mexico says this is the largest decrease in history.  Experts here say that the pullback in the construction industry in the U.S. has hit Mexican workers in the U.S. 20.9% were employed in 2008.  Estimates say that 13 of every 100 Mexican migrants living in the U.S. are presently unemployed.  

• For the 2^nd time in 12 days, a key witness in a huge case against massive police corruption was assassinated yesterday in a Starbucks in Colonia del Valle in Mexico City.  (This is very near to the Sunset House).  He was supposedly in a witness protection plan. 

• President Felipe Calderon is finishing the first half of his 6-year presidential term this week.  There is lots of talk about his accomplishments, failures and challenges as President of Mexico.  A few of the lists that caught my attention:

• Key Priorities of President Calderon’s 1^st three years in office:

1. The war on drug cartels
2. Energy reform
3. Trying to offset declining oil revenues with a tax reform
4. A national infrastructure plan

• Great Problems Faced by President Calderon in his 1^st three years in Office: 

1. The world economic crisis
2. The H1N1 influenza outbreak with its effect on Mexico
3. The drop in revenue for Mexico as a result of health concerns—tourism has been hard hit
4. The 2009 drought in Mexico

• Main Accomplishments of President Calderon in his 1^st three years in Office

1. The criminal law reform in Mexico
2. The pension reform for public servants
3. Elimination of a corrupt public utility company in central Mexico
4. His decision to combat organized crime head on is considered courageous by most everyone
5. Educational equality reform
6. The tax and energy reforms (though limited) are being considered accomplishments

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Thanksgiving with Friends

What a feast!  About 35 of us—half Mexican and half from the U.S.—gathered at our house this past Thursday for a shared Mexican/American Thanksgiving meal.  Besides the traditional turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie—we also had Mexican Mole to go with the turkey, Frijoles Puercos and Flan.  Several card games were going on.  We cranked up the old Nintendo 64.  Good food.  Good fun.  Good friends.  And I got to watch the Cowboys win with several of my friends who were rooting against them.  Can it get any better?

For many things we are thankful!

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A Good Week with the Pruett Family

This past week we got to spend time with Joe and Elaine Pruett and their three boys: Seth, Parker and Cooper.  We go way back.  Joe was an AIM (Adventures in Missions) student back in 1992.  After he spent his AIM time with us in Mexico City, he went back to the U.S., did some more ministry and missions training and married Elaine—who Nancy and I knew even before we married.  Then, along with 3 other families, we all formed a mission team to Guadalajara and moved here in 1998.  We’ve been through a lot together!

This past summer, after almost 12 years in Guadalajara, they moved to San Antonio, Texas to begin a new chapter in their life and ministry.  We miss them.  But its cool to watch them with people and to imagine how God will use them for Kingdom purposes in the days to come.  They are educators.  Joe is working in the San Antonio school system—teaching 5^th graders.  I can’t imagine a better influence on a 10 year-olds formation than Joe!  Or on anyone’s formation for that matter. 

It was fun to be with the Pruett family this past week.  They had been given a vacation package at the beach and invited us to join them for three days.  Then we spent the rest of the week in Guadalajara.  It was fun watching our three girls and their three boys together!  

A good week!

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Looking Forward to Camping Again

I’m thinking about camping with my friends again next year.  

This past weekend 34 of us went camping together about 2 hours from Guadalajara at Santa Maria del Oro—on the banks of a lake that is in the crater of an old volcano.  Most all of the adults in this group have been following Jesus for some time now and are actively involved in leading and caring for (mothering and fathering) others—and in incarnating Christ among those who don’t know him well in their corners of the world.

During the weeks before our camping trip, we envisioned the weekend being mainly about spending time together with God—allowing God to draw us to and prepare us for this retreat—and to guide our time together.  For the weeks before many of us prayed with expectation to that end—that we would encounter God together.  We tried to structure our time for a balance of encounters with God over the weekend:  solitude, small groups of 2 or 3, large group conversations, and just having fun together.  We encouraged all of the participants to prepare for the time by being attentive to God and to come to the weekend prepared with what each believed God had given them—to be prepared to both give and to receive.

It was great fun—and a great blessing from God for all of us I think.  Lots of things happened: prayer, mutual encouragement, reading of scripture, singing, playing, confession, eating, discovery, crying, and laughing—lots of laughing.  It was a blessing to be with some of my fellow missionary coworkers—Cory & Toni Burns and James & Erin Henderson.  It was a blessing to be served by some of our AIM apprentices as they played with our little ones.  It was fun watching the interaction between older and younger leaders, between those with different experiences, gifts and styles.  It was cool to see the discoveries that were being made.  It was super cool to see the unity and the love and respect for one another that was shown.

We believe that this kind of regular retreating together and attentiveness to God together is an important practice for those who are intent on caring for others—for those who are in the trenches of kingdom leadership.  The desire of this group of friends is to continue this practice a time or two each year. 

I’m thinking that wherever they are camping this time next year is not going to be that far from Texas!  

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Polly the Parrot Dances to the Lord!

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We are having fun living across the street from the Zendejas sisters. Their parrot, Polly has been raised listening to the house church that meets there sing praises. She gets excited and even dances when she hears the songs! We caught her a couple of weeks ago on video.

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Baby Shower For Liliana Yesterday

This Saturday, the ladies in the churches gave a baby shower for Lilian who is expecting a little girl around Christmas time.  What I liked about our time together was the laughter that filled the house.  The ladies truly enjoyed each other as they played games and prayed for the family’s new addition.  

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Video: Family celebrates Dia de los Muertos in the cemetery

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This past Monday, November 2 many Mexicans celebrated Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Because it is a national holiday and the girls were out of school, we decided to drive outside the city. We were impressed that the cemeteries were full of people.

I ran across this short video of a Mexican family explaining some of their beliefs and practices for Dia de Los Muertos.

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Worried about my Dad

I got news yesterday that my Dad was put in the Heart Hospital in Lubbock.  After having a heart stress test over a week ago, he had a follow-up appointment with a cardiologist yesterday.  He was told that he was in immediate danger and they admitted him to work to lower his blood pressure and do further tests.  

They are doing more tests today and will determine if he needs an angiogram. 

It feels tough not being able to be there.  

Please pray with us for he and my mom.  

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Three Years Ago Today...

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One of the things that regularly brightens Nancy's and my life is the fun of parenthood--getting to live with and raise good girls. Our 16 year-olds have been trying to love God and follow Jesus all their lives. But on November 5, 2006, they along with some others in our community of house churches, decided to jump fully into God's Story--to be baptized into Christ. It was a great day!

My friend Tim Rush made this video of this special day. We've shown it to friends in the past but have only recently put it online.

Today, I'm remembering this day and the joy of sharing life with Morgan and Natali. Thought I'd share the memory...

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Robbed Again This Morning!

Its not what I wanted to be thinking about today—but this morning after dropping my girls off at school I stopped at a park for an early run.  While I was getting in my run, and for the second time in the last 7 months, thieves broke the locks on several cars in the parking lot—mine included.  My smart phone, ipod and wallet with cash, license and credit card were all taken from the console where I had them hidden.  Loss of money, loss of time and serious frustration are three things I hadn’t planned on receiving this morning!  

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Blessed by Time With The Krogsgaard Family

A couple of weeks back, we got to spend time with the Krogsgaard family.  Bernard and Logan stayed at our house with the girls and me while Nancy and Alicia participated in a retreat for missionary women.  It was a good week of reconnecting and remembering together.  

We had not seen the Krogsgaard family in almost 18 years.  Bernard and Alicia were young missionaries and part of the church planting team we joined in Mexico City back in 1991.  However, just as we were getting settled in Mexico City, they transitioned to life and ministry in Canada.  During these years since, they have been involved in local ministry with churches in Canada, teaching at Western Christian in Saskatchewan and leading numerous “Let’s Start Talking” campaigns to mission fields all over the world.  Last year, they joined a church planting team working in Lazaro Cardenas on the Pacific Coast of Mexico—about 6 hours or so from Guadalajara.  

One of the things that impressed me while spending time with Bernard again is the value of investing one’s life in others—of modeling simple discipleship and encouraging others.  Bernard did that for me over 18 years ago—and continued doing that as we reconnected.  I wonder what God is doing with all the kingdom seeds that have been planted through Bernard’s and Alicia’s life.  

We were blessed. 

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Most Mexicans Focused on Survival

Mexico is a mess these days.  I know most places on the planet are.  But it seems to me that now, perhaps more than ever during our years living here, Mexico is in crisis: economic, political, moral, social, family, health, security, etc.  The newspapers and television programs are full of story after story of crime, sickness and corruption. 

 

This morning, as I read the newspaper, I saw a summary from anthropologist and sociologist Roger Bartra.  Bartra is an award winning researcher and author who teaches at the UNAM (National Autonoumous University in Mexico City).  He will be speaking here this weekend on how he sees Mexico’s unfolding future.  The title of his keynote is:  “La Sombra del Futuro” –“The Shadow of the Future.” 

 

But what caught my attention was the way he describes the state of mind of most Mexicans these days:

 

“…(Bartra) perceives that the Mexican society is depoliticized and apathetic; that common Mexicans are tied up in survival.  Their lives are preoccupied with family, security and the problem of finding a job” (my translation).

 

Bartra puts into words what I sense as I live among and talk with common Mexicans.  For the most part, they seem to me apathetic—disinterested in discussions of politics, religion, world issues.  They’ve heard and reheard all the proposals.  They’ve gotten their hopes up too many times.  Just not interested anymore.  

 

Or maybe it is not that they aren’t interested—but that most just don’t have the time and luxury to think of these things right now.  They are focused on survival: family, security, trying to make a dignified living. 

 

Often I wonder what God is really doing here…  I think I see evidence of hope—yet still so much darkness.   

 

This morning I’m thinking about the incarnation—about God’s presence among Mexicans. 

 

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14a).  

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Last Sunday--My Kind of Day

This last Sunday was my kind of day.  

I was encouraged to be with the church this past weekend.  We almost always spend time with one of the younger and less mature groups, but this past Sunday we decided to spend time with the house church that lives and gathers in the Jardines del Valle Colonia on the northwest side of Guadalajara.  This particular group goes way back relationally, but specifically began forming as a house church about 5 years ago.  The core of the group are 3 families that all moved onto the same street—over time God became the center of their relationship and formed them into a family who together are now trying to flesh out the life of Christ to the people around them.  As much as any group I know, they really live as a family of God.  

About 20 of us gathered at Gerardo’s and Carola’s place and for the next couple of hours centered ourselves on Jesus—praise, prayer, mutual encouragement, reading of scripture, discussion, etc.  After remembering Jesus specifically in a simple taking of the Lord’s Supper, everyone chipped in to buy chickens, tacos and trimmings and we spent another couple of hours laughing, playing and eating together.  My kind of day! 

One of the things I really liked about that day was the way God’s Word came to us.  While the group was reading Acts 13, the conversation kept coming back to these verses:

“While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’  So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13:2-3).  

The group noticed that in a similar way as they gathered as a small church, among them were many “missionaries” who the Holy Spirit is sending out each week.  It was cool to hear the group put into words what they think this looks like.  Adriana is a single mom who is a “missionary” to children in a park near her home.  Arturo is a single man who has been following Jesus for nearly 10 years—he is working for a microfinance business that makes small business loans available to the poor—he sees himself as a “missionary” to the poor—and to those who work among them.  The Garcia family talked about the Foundation for Kid’s with Diabetes and their “missionary” work among so many families who are now lost in the same trauma they themselves were in a few years back.  Hector talked about his work as a psychiatrist and his desire to be a “missionary” to those who are marginalized and abused.  Martín, who began a new church a few years back among friends who worked at a factory with him, described his “missionary” desire to see this happen again soon.  It was cool to hear them articulating the way they see themselves as together a family of Jesus—but each one as missionaries sent from the community to incarnate Jesus to others.  

I noticed that a lot of the kids were listening to and participating in the conversation—including my three daughters.  I wondered what will come of all of this. 

Yep, it was my kind of day!  

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Saturdays and a Group of Young Disciples

Every other Saturday several of the youth have begun meeting for Bible study, prayer and fellowship.  This past Saturday night, they gathered at our house.  These kids (mostly high school and college aged young people) live in different parts of the city and each is part of one of the house churches.  The Saturday youth gatherings provide a sense of unity among the youth—one of several practices that emphasize that the house churches and their members also belong to a larger fellowship of Jesus’ people in this city—that they are not expected to walk alone as disciples.

One of my good friends Cory is working among these young Christians—he has a heart to help them and other young people grow into leaders who will join God in making a difference in God’s world.  Two things specifically encouraged me about their time together last night.  One was that Cory is helping them to consider “obedience-based discipleship.”  Last night they were working through the story told in the Gospel of Luke (8:19-21) where Jesus says that his family—his true “mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”  I was encouraged to hear that they were each trying to name something that they wanted to put into practice from God’s word this week. 

The other thing that encouraged me was that some of the youth are bringing friends who don’t yet follow Jesus.  I wonder what God will do among this group in the days to come.  I can imagine!

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Diana and ministry in the park

I want to tell you about Adriana (Diana) and how she is ministering in the park near her house.  Many of you know Adriana.  She has been a part of us for 12 years.  Her ongoing transformation is encouraging.  She has been involved in teaching the children in the church for a long time.  Although she has shed tears of frustration she has continued to train herself.  A couple of years ago the little girls in the neighborhood started knocking on her door asking her if she would read them a story, a Bible story.  In between breaks of selling candy and raspados (snowcones) at her puesto outside of her house, she would sit with the neighbor kids and tell and read them stories of the Bible.  God has continued to bless the kids through Adriana and her faith.  On Saturdays, 8 young girls consistently knock on her door saying that they are waiting for her outside.  One of the girls is deaf and her mother sits and translates for her.  Last Saturday she told the story of the creation with resources she herself had made.  Four mothers sat at the table with her.  One older lady passed by and said, “Doña Diana wait right there…I’m bringing you another 10 kids.”  Diana told her it would have to be another day because she was limited on resources for that day.   I wonder what seeds God is planting in their hearts through Diana’s ministry in the park.  

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Unpacking

I spent the last week in Texas.  With school and responsibilities at home, Nancy and the girls stayed in Guadalajara.  But I was blessed to spend time with dear friends, family and new acquaintances in Lubbock, Abilene and Lamb County.  This weekend, I’m unpacking—literally of course—but also “unpacking” the experiences with people, thinking about the last week or so and what God has left on my heart.  A few of those things:

• I was encouraged as always by God’s people, their generous heart and the desire I see in so many to join God and make a difference in the world.  I’m specifically thinking of the Sunset Church of Christ and their generosity and desire to participate in world missions.  On October 4, they took up their annual mission contribution to fund their mission efforts for the next year.  Even in a year with so many financial struggles and worries, they surpassed their goal of $261,350.00 and ended up giving $276,555.29.  

• In a similar way I was encouraged by listening in on and participating in many conversations with folks in Lubbock, Abilene and Lamb County who are seriously considering how they can live and encourage others to live a more missional lifestyle in their own neighborhoods, fleshing out Christ among unreached people there, and seeing new churches spring up.  One of those conversations was at a Church Planting seminar at the Sunset Church of Christ on October 3—cool to hear them talking about the possibility of planting new churches in Lubbock.  

• I continue to notice that when we tell simple stories (especially ones that are recent and ongoing) of life on mission with Jesus, it is encouraging and even life-giving to the hearers.  Whether male or female, old or young, educated or not—there seems to be a general interest in what missional life looks like and a desire to participate in this life at deeper levels.  I think I understand more all the time the grace it has been to get to live the life of a missionary—and I am more convinced than ever that this life cannot end when we no longer live in Mexico.  I feel sure I will die if I can’t continue to live these stories of life and experience the blessing of sharing them with others.  

• Finally, I am impressed with the brevity and frailty of human life.  Last Monday, on a farm road in Lamb County a truck driven by a farm worker lost control and collided with a car driven by a mother and her high school aged daughter.  All three lost their life.  On Tuesday night, Jorge, an old friend and Christian brother died in his sleep in Mexico City.  Some think he may have had the flu.  He was in his 30’s and had a newborn child.  Then on Wednesday, I heard of another tragic accident involving a school bus.  My reading this week has had me “chewing” on James 4.  These words leap off the page at me:  “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:13-14).  I think a lot about the future.  I desire to live my life squarely in the present and centered on Jesus.  

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