Day Eleven

We're currently sitting in the airport in Mexico City waiting to board our flight.  It seems like such a long time has passed since we arrived here.  Most of us are pretty tired, and I'd say there is some excitement about coming home.  Still, we all agree that this was a great trip, and so many of these experiences will stick with us in the days to come.  Some of the highlights....

- Working together with the church and forming relationships with the people there.  We were very blessed by the way that the church welcomed us in and allowed us opportunities to minister.  They have an excitement and passion for God, and it comes through in their church services.  We were able to serve them this week, but we were also able to learn from them.  Even with the cultural differences, we really valued the experience of working with this church.

- Working with Josh and April and their family.  We were so blessed by the Amiots and their willingness to sacrifice on our behalf.  They truly did everything possible to make this a beneficial trip for each one of us.  Even though they were spread thin this week, they made us feel like part of their family.  Our prayers are with them in their continued ministry and for the rest of their summer with another team coming in next week.  

- Visiting the Esperanza Viva Orphanage.  All of our students have said that this day strongly impacted them.  I wish we had more time to spend with these children.  We were all impacted by what we have, and by what they do not.  Our perspective was strongly altered by seeing their lives and what they have gone through.  We feel so much more aware of how blessed and loved we are, and that the struggles we have undergone in life quickly pale in comparison to those of others in the world.  

- Keeping our focus.  One of the biggest challenges of the trip was keeping our "eye on the ball".  I can't recall a day where there was not some sort of distraction or opportunity to divert our attention from what we were there to do.  I'd love to say that we stayed on course 100% of the time, but there were times when we allowed ourselves to get distracted.  Still, I found this to be a great opportunity to learn about just how important it is that we remain focused on what our mission is.  When we take our eyes off of that and put them onto ourselves, we can easily become distracted, a lesson I hope we learned during the course of this trip.

- Being a team.  Every individual has the power to impact the entire team in a postive way, as well as in a negative way.  We saw both over the course of this trip.  Decisions are powerful, and they rarely just affect one person.  Our team saw the importance of making the decision that is right for the good of the team, not just for the good of an individual.  

I'm proud of our team for their continued desire to be servants and to be used by God this past week.  My prayer is that they continue to build upon the experiences we had, and allow God to continue to stretch and grow them.  My prayer is that they would continue to learn what it means to keep their focus on God and on His will in every situation, even what that means not getting our way or not being the center of attention.  My prayer is that God will seal the experiences and challenges of this trip inside the heart of every student, and that He would use those experiences to continue to grow and shape them in the days to come.  

Day Ten

Well...ready or not, today was our last full day here in Mexico City.  Today we spent most of our time taking in some of the sights of the city that we have been working in for the past week.  We first headed to the heart of downtown and went up in the Torre Latinoamericana (Latin American Tower).  It is one of the tallest buildings in the city, and has an observation deck on the top floor.  It was an incredible view, tainted only by the smoggy-ness of the city.  There are mountains all around, but you can barely make them out because of all the pollution.  Josh had told us that the air quality in Mexico City is comparable to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day!  Now that sounds healthy...  Josh's wife April gave us a short history of the city as we sat and admired the view.

Next we took a trip to "El Zocolo", the center city square.  It is actually the third largest square in the world, behind Tiananmen Square in Bejing and Red Square in Moscow.  It takes up a huge amount of space!  An extremely beautiful church sits adjacent to the square, and we got to go inside and see a mass being performed and admire the architecture of the building.  

We went to a street market for lunch and some time to shop.  It was fun to walk among the shops and see all the various things for sale.  So many things are hand-crafted and unique...we could have easily spent several hours there. Afterwards, we headed to another more open street market, but we got rained out before we could do a whole lot there.  

We spent our last evening at the Amiot's house for dinner.  Several of our new friends from the church were able to attend, including the pastor and his family.  After eating (grilled hamburgers...a nice, non-Mexican change), we spent some time sharing about what the trip had meant to each of us, as well as praying together for the church and for the Amiots.  It was a very special time.  It has been such a privilege working alongside these wonderful people for the last week and a half.  They are doing some amazing things here and it was an awesome opportunity to be a part of it.  Please be praying for Josh and his family.  He has been feeling pretty sick the last day or so, and he has another group coming in next week, which will be very demanding for him.  We prayed tonight that God would bring healing to him and keep his entire family well during this very busy time.  They have sacrificed so much to have us here and to make our trip the best it could be.  We owe them a debt of gratitude for their service.  

Tomorrow we are going to the airport and we'll be saying our goodbyes to Mexico.  It has been a wonderful trip, and we are excited to share more about our experiences with everyone.  We have a debrief meeting scheduled for this coming Wednesday night at 6:30pm.  (August 13).  We'd like to invite parents and anyone else who is interested in hearing more from the students and learning about their experiences to come and join us.  We will be sharing briefly in the Sunday service on the 10th, but we'd love to have everyone come on Wednesday night to hear more about what God has done through this great opportunity.  

Day Nine

Today marked our last day of ministry with the church.  We spent our time there cleaning and painting around the building.  We got to wear our old clothes, but some of us looked more stylish than others...

It's been quite a learning experience working with the people and the culture here.  We have loved being with the people in the church, and they have been absolutely wonderful and giving toward us, but the culture is such that there is a lot of "hurry up and wait" and confusion about exactly what the plan for a day is.  For example, today, we had planned to paint a good portion of the upstairs in the church, and had begun prepping it for painting.  It is in desperate need, all unpainted rough concrete walls and floors.  Yet, they were never able to coordinate getting the paint sprayer and the paint there, so we ended up just cleaning very thoroughly and painting more downstairs.  This week, we've also had a lot of "we're going to leave at 2:00" turn into 3, 3:30, even 4:00.  Again, it is just a cultural difference, and we've been able to be flexible and still get a lot accomplished.  So even with the difficulty, we were able to get a lot done at the church today, and we have both been blessed by working with them and have also able to be a blessing to them. 

 

Many of the students came to tell us goodbye, and there were quite a few tears.  It's been amazing to have shared a common bond in Christ with people who we can barely communicate with.  It's been a major part of our experience here.  

Tonight we had a special team dinner at Chili's, sitting atop the hill and overlooking the city.  As the trip draws to a close, you begin to think about all that we have been a part of this week, and the many opportunities that God has given us to participate in.  We have truly been blessed, and I am praying that the students take these experiences and allow them to find a place in their hearts and affect their lives back in Duluth.  After dinner, we had a special time of worship and communion together.  We've had several chances to worship with the church, but it was special to have a time with just our group and songs in English.  Everyone took an opportunity to share what God has been doing in them during the trip, and it was awesome to hear how God has been focusing individually on each of us.  He always knows just what it is that we need to experience and learn.  

One major achievement for many on this trip has been the amount of Spanish that they have either learned or improved on.  It is not the easiest language, though some are able to navigate it easier than others.  Nathan has been giving us some basic lessons...take a listen and see how everyone is doing so far.

 

Tomorrow we have our final day here and will be taking some time to sightsee and do a little shopping at the "Tianguis", an open-air street market.  Then we will share a final meal with the missionary and his family  It's hard to believe the trip is almost over.  It's been an amazing experience...

Day Eight

Today, we headed back over to the church and spent the morning working on some new dramas.  It's been great to see everyone get so involved, especially in areas that they might not normally volunteer for.  Every member of the team played a part in at least one drama, and several have stepped up to fill many different roles.  Before lunch, we took some time to walk around the neighborhood and pray for the church's impact in the area.  Taking a prayer walk is an awesome opportunity to see things a little differently.  The community that this church is in definitely has a lot of needs, and it is exciting to see the church striving to make a difference in this area.  After we got back, some of the ladies of the church cooked a marvelous meal of "sopes de pollo" for us, which are tortillas with beans and chicken.  Amazing...

After we ate, we headed back out into the city to do some street ministry.  We set up in a couple local parks and performed dramas and puppet songs, all the while inviting people to come and visit the church.  It's amazing how quickly a crowd can gather and how attentive the people were.  After three stops, we headed back to the church for an evening service. 

Tonight's service was excellent.  I'm loving the times of worship.  Often, we will know the songs in English, and it's fun to either try and sing along in Spanish or just simply sing the English words.  Even despite not always knowing, I have felt the presence of God strongly while we worship together.  Tonight our team performed two dramas (that we just learned today), as well as two songs.  Abby, Terri, and Meghan all shared testimonies and did very well.  Nathan preached tonight in Spanish and did an awesome job.  It has been so cool to have someone along who is familiar with the culture and language, not to mention that he's been able to translate for us the entire time.  The church really enjoyed having him speak.  

We were also treated to something extra-extra-special tonight.  Today was Alison's birthday.  But not just any birthday.  It was her 15th birthday.  Not such a biggie in America, but in Mexico, the 15th birthday is on par with a girl's wedding, if not more so. I don't think I can really convey how big a deal it is.  They call it her "quinceanera" and when the people in the church found out it was Allison's, they really wanted to show us how they celebrate.  Here in Mexico, the quinceanera marks a girl's entrance into womanhood.  It was a very interesting cultural experience to learn about their tradition and to see it actually happen.  They normally take a large part of the Sunday service to have a ceremony for the girl.  They found a fancy dress for her to wear and made her up.  They had two guys walk her in to music, and seated her in front of the congregation.  The pastor then speaks directly to her about her life and prays a blessing on her.  Then, the entire church spends time praying for her.  Then, they have a party with some cake.  It was a very special time, not just for Alison, but for all of us.  Another fun tradition they have here is called the "la mordida", in which they push the face of the birthday girl/boy into the cake.  Might not be as fun for the person getting cake in the fact, but it sure is fun to watch.  We were so grateful to the church for being willing to share such a rich cultual experience with us, as well as make the day special for Alison.  

Day Seven

This morning we all piled in the van and headed to Puebla to visit the Esperanza Viva Orphanage.  It was a tremendous experience, and I know that it really impacted many of our students.  It took us close to 3 hours to get there, as it was a good distance from Mexico City.  The drive was truly beautiful, as we headed through the mountains and admired the city in the distance.  We even got to see a snow-covered volcano in the distance.

 

 

Once we arrived at the orphanage, we first took a tour and then set up our stuff to put on an hour-long program for the kids.  It was amazing how much the ministry here does with what they have.  Their facility is large, but in pretty rough condition.  Yet, they do so much for the kids that live there.  The girl who directs the group visits is actually from Minnesota and spent some time in Duluth (small world!).  There are over 80 children, ranging from toddlers all the way to 18 year olds.  Most have either been removed from their families because of abuse or have no other family living.  I felt a lump in my throat for most of the day as I interacted with the children and saw how they lived.  We used about everything we could in our program for the students, several songs, puppet shows, 3-4 dramas, as well as testimonies by Corinn, Andrew, and Anna.  Even when we finished, the kids kept asking for more (otra, otra = another, another...)

One drama that the students learned and performed this week is called "Everything".  In it, we're given a picture of Jesus, as our creator and all that we need, yet, so often we allow other things to come into our lives and distract and empty us.  The drama is a powerful example of what it means to run back to Christ and just what he did for us to make that possible.



 We had the rest of the afternoon just to play with the children.  Every one of our students found themselves surrounded with kids as they played basketball, paper airplanes, or just simply sat and talked. We also handed out some small gift bags to the children before we left.  It's so hard to look at a child and comprehend the idea that he or she basically has no one in their life to care for them.  It makes you want to grab them, hug them tightly, and take them home with you.  I know they are loved at the orphanage, but it is still hard to see their lives and think of them in comparison to our own.  Very challenging.  

Day Six

Well, today was a big day at the church.  We arrived around 9:30 to begin preparing for the 11:30 service.  Each and every member of our team was involved in some way with the service today.  Mackenzie and Seth both gave testimonies and did an excellent job.  Our team sang two songs together (major props to Alison, Meghan, and Anna for taking on solo parts in Spanish!) and performed three puppet songs.  We also used two dramas during the service. 

 The service went from 11:30am to 3:15pm.  Try that in Duluth...  Yet, it went by quickly, and it was awesome to feel the presence of God moving during the worship, even though we didn't always know the songs.  They bring so much energy to their worship, it becomes contagious. 

 

Today marked the close of the week of VBS for the church, so they had a closing ceremony of sorts.  It was a really special time at the end as we were able to spend some time praying with the kids.  It has been an awesome experience meeting these children and working with them this week.  We were also able to present the church with the gift from our VBS so that they can buy a new video projector.  We have really been blessed working with them thus far.  We will continue to be involved there into next week, but we won't necessarily be working with the kids, so there were quite a few photos taken today before we left.  

Tonight we had dinner at a very authentic Mexican taco restaurant.  You could order tacos made with any part of a cow that you could ever want.  Brain, Stomach, Tongue, etc.  Most stuck with the basic taco, but there were a few brave souls who tried some of the varieties.  We will check with them again tomorrow to see if they still feel good about that decision. 

 

Afterwards, we spent an hour or so at a local mall, which was absolutely beautiful.  It was partially open-air, and built on top of one of the mountains, so you could see city sprawling out as you walked from store to store.  Mexico City really is beautiful, but the smog makes it hard to see very far.  (It is one of the most heavily polluted cities in the world) It also rains every night this time of year, as it is the rainy season. 

 

We're headed to the orphanage tomorrow, which is around two hours drive from here.  I'm really excited for this experience, and I know our students are as well.  

Day Five

We woke up this morning and headed off to see the Aztec Pyramids.  We stopped along the way and had an authentic Mexican breakfast at McDonald's.  It still humors me that every place we go to has piles of hot peppers just waiting to be piled on things such as breakfast sandwiches, ice cream, or cereal.  (so maybe I exaggerate a little...)  But seriously.  The pyramids were an incredible sight.  It's amazing to think about their construction so many years ago by an ancient civilization.  I tried to capture some of the student's responses below for you.  Watch at your own risk...

It took a little while to get back from the pyramids, as they about an hour outside of the city.  Have I mentioned that driving here in Mexico City is something like stock car racing crossed with Frogger?  It's amazing to me to see all the cars and how many people just fly and weave in and out of traffic, so often just barely missing a collision.  I say that not to worry those at home, but it is quite a different experience, and I am ETERNALLY grateful that Josh is the one driving and that he is very able and skilled.  The good news is that all of our students reclaimed their salvation during the first ride in the van.  Amen, Praise the Lord.  

Our leaders have been AMAZING.  I am so grateful to God for sending Terri and Nathan on this trip.  Now, I will say that Nathan has been a little difficult, but we worked things out today at the pyramids.  I think we have an "understanding" now.  

We spent the later part of the afternoon at the church preparing for our role in tomorrow's church service, which promises to be a very special day.  I'm so excited at the opportunities that we are being given, and it's been awesome to see our students step up and get excited about being a part of the ministry here.  Please pray for us tomorrow if you are able...the service starts at 11:30am and will go for several hours.  Pray that we are used by God and that he grants us the words to speak that the people need to hear.  I'm believing that great things will happen.  

We spent some time shopping today for the children at the orphanage we will visit on Monday. We made each of the a gift bag, and we are very excited to bring it to them on Monday. Afterwards, we headed out on the town for a dinner at a place called "Wings".  It was great food, and we have had fun trying new foods and laughing together.  

It just so happened that the restaurant had a karaoke lounge next door (which we had to listen to the entire time that we were eating), so some of the trip leaders (don't blame me...) decided it would be fun to go in and serenade the students with a traditional Mexican worship balled called "La Bamba" (I think I have its origins correct, it was first sung in church, right?)  Either way, what ensued can only be shown rather than described...so, I will probably regret putting this on here, but for now, enjoy...

Day Four

Today was our final day of classes for VBS, and it concluded very well.  Three days in, it's fun to see just how well our students have connected with these kids...I can't count the number of ninos that were hanging on to our students today.  We've been able to be a very active part of the program.  This morning Nathan, Meghan, Molly, and Andrew preformed a drama for the students, and Anna shared a short devotional.  Many of our students have also been involved with the puppet ministry.  Everyone is doing such a great job with the opportunities that we are being given.  Some VBS highlights are below...

After the conclusion of the VBS classes, the students played a big game of futbol in the street by the church.  After that, the local youth group here took some time to teach our students a drama that they had recently learned.  Adam and Nathan did a great job helping us navigate the translation, and it was tons of fun to see the groups sharing in ministry together.  This afternoon we also had a neat time of  spontaneous worship with a guitar in the stairwell.  We would take turns singing a song in English and then they would sing it in Spanish, and then we'd all sing together.  It was an awesome sound to hear.  

Tonight, the youth group had a pizza and movie night, and we combined together with them to take part in it.  As I've said already, it has been a lot of fun to watch how our groups have connected so easily.  We watched the movie, "The End of the Spear", which is the story of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, and other missionaries to South America who were martyred for their faith...very inspiring.  

Tomorrow will be a bit different.  We plan to head out for some sightseeing in the morning, and then we're off to the church to practice for the ministry on Sunday, which we will be VERY invovled in.  Exciting things are happening.