Faith, Doubt and Hope

Hey all, so I just finished up this week working with the team from Colorado and I thought I'd give you a quick update on how things went. We went on Friday to a small little town that felt in many ways straight out of the 19th century or something. The team had donated a computer to the little school building that they had also painted and we arrived on friday the next day to be received by a group of probably 50 parents and students as well as local politicians to officially thank us. I felt like they were such typical politicians straight out of a movie called Herod's Law about old school politics in Mexico. We played soccer with some kids for a while with some soccer balls we donated before heading back to the town center to do a program for kids. We were driving back expecting to have to go out and invite kids, but when we arrived the local politician had already gathered together probably 80-100 kids just waiting for us as if we were some kind of celebrities. We played some games for the kids before we brought them into the community center building to do a skit, sing some songs, make the wordless bracelets and do a little skit for them. It was an experience to translate all that in front of probably 125 or more people counting parents, especially not knowing there reaction as the little village is strongly Catholic and does not really have any evangelical church. The presentation went well and we left to go back outside to play some more soccer and invite people to come to see the Jesus film that night. Much to our surprise the mayor used the Catholic church's sound system to announce the movie and probably over 100 people came to the movie and heard the gospel. Living the town I felt like there is much happening there and pray that God will move there. One of the churches in Puebla will be doing follow up there and I hope to go with them to go back and visit. It's hard for me to believe that I only have 6 more weeks here in Puebla before I go to Mexico City for the summer. Part of me is ready to move on and part of me sad to say goodbye to so many good friends. I think I would love to find a job here in Puebla and stay here, but who knows. On Saturday we took the team around the center of the city in a tourist kind of day and I realized that I had gotten comfortable working with the team and realized how much I enjoyed being around Americans again and how easy it is just to slip back into that. I had my church youth group at 6 and they were going to visit one of the pyramids here in Puebla around then and I was so torn inside that I had to leave, the tug to be with people of my own culture and language was strong and I left with a heavy heart, as much mourning that I still longed for that American culture as anything. But, arriving at my youth group and hanging out with them for the evening made me realize what a blessing they are to me and how much I have learned and been blessed by them. I realized that I have experiences and friends that I would never have if I stayed in my little (or in this case pretty big) American bubble. I am so thankful for the friends I have made and the things I have experienced that are so unique. I have learned so many things that you can't learn in any schools and am grateful for it. I pray that God would give me strength and i would have faith to continue on with His work here in Puebla and not start looking forward to moving on. Much love to all of you and God bless. Sorry I don't have any pics from the week because I kept forgetting to bring my camera, but maybe I can get some later from someone on the team.

Working with mission team from Colorado

This week I've been working with a missions team from Colorado that is working in and around Puebla with orphanages and VBS style kids programs in small towns in the morning and afternoon and showing the Jesus film in small towns around Puebla in the evening. Its been fun getting to know the team and also a few more Christian leaders here in Puebla. I have been serving the teamy testimonies to various groups of people. It has been cool to have the opportunity to translate and reach out to people in small towns some of which still don't have a Christian church. Last night while we showed the Jesus film in the center of one of the little towns me and some of the guys from the team went and played soccer with 20 or so young people and then one guy shared his testimony and I translated and we invited them to pray with us and to come to a house church that is the first of its kind in that small town. We went this morning to a government run orphanage with over a hundred kids and shared the gospel message. I think I am discovering that I really enjoy working as a bridge between the two cultures and languages and hope that I can figure out a job some day that would let me do that. I hope all is well, just a note on the coolness of the 21st century that I am now in the habit of every night around 9 my time downloading that nights NBC nightly news podcast and watch the same news that is on tv in the US which is kinda cool and allows me to keep up with politics and the latest news. Much love to everyone and God bless.

Guate..buena

Just got back from Guatemala yesterday, I had a great time and was sad to leave. My luggage finally arrived on what I think was Wednesday and was relieved just to finally have it. I spent the week pretty relaxed, mainly just hanging out, visited a few places, went to Antigua for a day which was the old capital of Guatemala and also spent one day climbing a volcano. It was cool to get to know some of Ariel's family (roommate from college whose family is from there) and I was just blown away by their hospitality and generosity to a complete stranger. I think my time here in Mexico has really helped me to learn to be flexible and to be able to fit in families or situations. I just feel really blessed for the chance I had to go there for a few days and hope to go back again sometime. It was cool to catch up with Ariel and get to know his parents and one of his brothers better as well as get to know a bunch of cousins and aunts and uncles. It is definitely way better to travel somewhere when you have personal connections and can stay with people and not in hotels. Ariel's parents had gone down to Guatemala not just to visit family but also for a church retreat that I went to as well one day and there were a lot of people there well into the thousands. During the week I slowly learned to speak with vos instead of tú, tried to stop saying no manches and other mexican phrases, celebrated my "birthday" at McDonalds where they all came and sang to me and gave me a little cake (thanks to Ariel and company who said it was my birthday and I was surprised to be serenaded by McDonald's workers) and generally just enjoyed myself. I got up at about 4 am on Sunday morning and Ariel's Aunt and Uncle (whom we had been staying with) took me to the airport where I flew to Mexico City where I didn't count on the fact it would be hard to switch my Quetzales into pesos seeing as they are neighbors, I ended up being stuck with like $35 worth of Quetzales bc the exchange rate at the only back that switched them was highway robbery. In this I realized the power of the passport I carry and the country I was born in, I didn't need a visa to go to either country and never have to worry about things like switching money or language, even on the flight from Guatemala to Mexico on a mexican airline they said everything in both english and spanish. I just continue to realize the spread of the US empire throughout the world and wrestle with what that means for me. From the Mexico City airport I decided to go for the cheaper and more adventurous return home as the bus direct from the airport to Puebla is twice the price as the one from the bus depot I walked about a half mile to the metro station took the metro to the bus station, then took the bus to Puebla before going home on another bus to my house. I felt like I had grown up being able to use so many forms of transportation and being able to get home. Also a cool thing was that on my flight home was Rigoberta Menchu (Nobel peace prize winner from Guatemala), I got a chance to talk to her for a few seconds and even got a picture.

to see all my pics you can click on these two links
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2248281&l=25a99&id=5706269
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2247536&l=30558&id=5706269

Ariel and I at Antigua
Ariel's Aunt and cousins (we stayed there for over half the time)
Nobel Peace prize winner Rigoberta Menchu and I
after climbing the volcano made it all the way to the lava

Lost Luggage

Well, Guatemala has been a blast so far except i still don´t have my stuff. Even though i didn´t have any connections my luggage was somehow lost and i have called a million times to the airport and they keep telling me it will come on the next flight. Here´s to hoping it does. Hope all is well.

Guatemala and Missing Puebla

Live from Puebla, Mexico at 11:30 local time but thanks to the US having an odd daylight savings change 1:30 US time. I just wanted to update you that things continue moving forward here, this was a tough week at the university because of lots of exams, but I was encouraged that three people came to the Bible study anyways this week. I am really excited because on Friday I leave for Guatemala for 10 days with Ariel (fraternity brother and former roommate). I'm excited, the university I work at has two weeks of vacation and so I had the opportunity to leave. The funny thing is I think for the first time I feel at home in Puebla and am gonna miss it and the people even in just the 10 days I will be gone. I have really built some awesome friendships with the people in my youth group and they are genuinely good friends that I will miss a lot when I leave in may. I definitely feel like I could live here in Puebla for good, I'm not sure that I was cut out to be a missionary or an English teacher, but think I could like living and working here in Puebla. I know that God just leads me one step at a time and am trying to be patient. Thanks for all your love, prayers and support.

a great day

Just wanted to leave another quick update, today was a great day, went to church at 10 as usual and then spent the rest of the day with a few people from my youth group just getting back at like 9:00pm. I had some great conversations with people and just felt like I fit in and could also make an impact. I pray that God would continue to find ways to use me and encourage me. Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Spoke tonight at youth group

Hey all, wanted to write an update before I spoke, but yesterday my internet wasn't working when I wanted to and this afternoon the blog website wasn't working. I spoke tonight at my youth group (to the younger group which would be like middle and high school), there were about 30 of them and I spoke for a little over an hour, sharing my testimony and then sharing from John 11 about Lazarus and challenging them to grow in their faith as they grow older. I really enjoyed sharing with them more than I imagined and hope to get more involved with the younger group. Got a bad headache and so am going to bed, but just wanted to give you the update, oh and one other thing that I'm sure none of you care about, but one of the richest and best clubs in the world lost to a team in the second division today of England's club championship, this little team named Barnsely first beat Liverpool and then today beat Chelsea. That would be about the equivalent of the Frederick Keys beating the Red Sox and then a few days later taking it to the Yankees, truly amazing, anyways that was just my shout out to a David and Goliath story that made me happy, i actually managed to watch the second half of the game (where Barnsely scored the games only goal) in Chinese being broadcast on some website. That is all, have a great night. Oh and at the bottom is a picture from the LAM retreat, we went to a mud bath that is in a water park in the city we went to, its actually a really nice and pretty famous park.

LAM retreat, Madero and Guatemala

Hey all, hope all is well, sorry I haven't written in a week but I have been busy with the LAM retreat, working at Madero and I've been a bit sick too. The LAM retreat was a very encouraging time and it was just great to see and get to know other missionaries that have been in Mexico for a long time, some of them as long as 50 years and to see the heart they have for the country and the work they have done over the years is amazing. I can only hope to have the faith they have one day. It was an encouraging time to get away for a bit and relax and to hear a few messages in English. It was also nice to spend a bit of time with my team who I don't get a chance to see very often. The group of people that work with the Latin American Mission are all very special and I realized spending time with them that I was in a room of amazing and incredible people, each with their own story, but each as amazing as the next. I have been busy at the university I work at (Madero) teaching classes, meeting with students and still trying to start a fellowship. I am now meeting with groups of students on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, varying from 2-7 students each day and hope to continue forward and would ask for prayer for that. Lately I've been feeling kinda sick and would ask for you to life that up in prayer, nothing to make me feel like I can't do what I need to do, but just kinda a nagging stomach bug or something. As a final note, I am leaving next Friday to go to Guatemala for 10 days with my good friend and former roommate Ariel and his family. I am looking forward to getting to know a new country. I am going there because I need to leave the country every 6 months because of the kind of visa I have and won't get another opportunity to leave until August. My college has two weeks off for Easter, the week before and the week after, so I will spend one of those weeks in Guatemala and the other week working with a missions team coming for the states. I hope all is good, much love and God bless.