Starting work tomorrow!!

It feels strange to be back in Maryland or even in the US, it has been two years since I have actually considered it home. I start work tomorrow as the Latin America Member Development Intern at Goodwill's International Headquarters in Rockville, MD. I am a little nervous as its my first "real" job although I'm only an intern. Seems funny to be nervous about starting an office job when I have now on several occasions arrived in foreign countries where I knew no one and have not only survived, but have thrived. Nonetheless my heart is beating a little fast as I prepare for work tomorrow. I think at this point I might be less nervous about arriving in some random South American country than I am about starting a new office job. Anyways, I have had a good time hanging out with my sister and cuñado (brother in law)and my family since I've been back, but definitely miss México and Brasil and just generally living in Latin America. Much love and God bless, got a new cell phone too, my number is 443-929-2985.

Re-entry to the US

Well, it's hard to believe all that has happened to me in the last 2 years living in Latin America and now for the first time I will be back in the US for a significant period of time. I will be working as the Latin America member Development Intern for Goodwill at their International Headquarters in Rockville, MD. It's definitely always a difficult adjustment to get used to your home culture. I have gotten used to being a foreigner in a foreign country, but now I have to start getting used to being a foreigner in my own country as many of my cultural values have changed after two years abroad. Previously normal things seem strange, drinking water out of the faucet seems unusual, flushing toilet paper seems unnatural as I search for a trash can to put the toilet paper in, no longer do I have to hold the flusher down for 20 seconds to make it flush. It's going to be an interesting few months in my life as I continue to sort out what's next and where God is taking me in my life. Thank you all for your continued love and support.

Latino Hospitality and Families

As I enter my last week in Latin America for a while I can't help but reflect on my past 2+ years here. There are so many stories to tell and things that I have learned. There are so many people that have entered into my life and been such a blessing to me, have become as close as family to me and its hard to say goodbye. I have lived with 10 or more families in the last 5 years in Latin America for at least one month each family, not many people can say they have that much family. Each one of those families adopting me as one of their own, took me to birthday parties of random relatives and to funerals of lost loved ones, we chatted about futbol or futebol, talked politics, life, girls, God, the church, economic development and just shared life together. So many people that have forever shaped me, so much that I have learned that makes me who I am today. I think of Mark 10:29,30

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. "

I am on my way to 100 and have received so much from so many people. Just this weekend I went back to Puebla for a visit and just received so much love and hospitality from so many people. I wish I could write about every person and every event that has transformed me, but that would take years. Just to say that I have learned so much about what family is and how to open up your home to strangers and accept them as family. I would say I have over 30 houses across the Americas where I could show up at the door and spend a few months living there no questions asked. I'm learning to love people and to love God and have had many amazing teachers along the way.

Meu Irmãozinho André, my little brother André


My Brasilian Mexican Family

Another summer completed

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of so many things and I can't believe that the summer is already over. The summer program finished last week and all the summer team went home. I think Spearhead is a unique program because our goal is that people are missing their Mexican families and churches and not the other Americans on the trip. As we had our annual closing breakfast with families and pastors I was once again impressed with this aspect of spearhead the tearful goodbyes were with families and churches and not with fellow students. We will certainly miss each other, but the people that have most impacted us are the many Mexican people that have blessed our lives. I think one of the main flaws of short term cross cultural missions is that the close bonding from a new situation occurs generally with team members of the same culture and not with members of the entered culture. I think this is really what sets Spearhead apart.

As I said goodbye to spearheaders I prepared myself for many a goodbye with my friends and family here. I attended a plethora of birthday parties and goodbye parties and just enjoyed the company of friends and family. I have continually been challenged by the value placed on family here in Mexico and have learned so much about loving my own family and the kind of family I one day want to have from my Mexican families. Also, amidst the festivities the mother of a good friend passed away from cancer and I attended my first Mexican funeral. She passed away in the afternoon on a week day and that same day at 10pm about 70 people crowded into their small house and sang hymns, shared coffee, cookies and memories and spent much of the night grieving with the family. It made me think of the early church and ponder our own culture and how we deal with life and death. I was impressed at how quickly the community came together to mourn and grieve with the family. Two pastors of the church showed up as well as maybe 20 members, most of whom did not know the woman who had passed away very well but were fellow church members with the grieving son. It was an amazing picture for me of love and community.

Tomorrow I am hopefully going to Puebla for the weekend to say hi and goodbye to my Poblano friends, returning to Mexico City monday. I have a doctor's appt tuesday with my surgeon, lunch with a friend after that, dinner with another friend. Wednesday I will be having lunch with one of my families, then meeting a friend for an earlier lunch before the US soccer game. Thursday I will be visiting my Brasilian friends who came to Mexico in March about the same time I left Brasil and then going to Miami friday to spend a week with my brother there before returning up north to Maryland. Much love to everyone and God bless.

End of Summer Program

Hey all, all the summer students are now gone and I am now going to spend the next two weeks resting from a few busy weeks and also saying goodbyes to lots of friends in both Mexico City and Puebla as well as waiting for the Mexico vs. US soccer game. I write a longer blog later, but just wanted to post this video I made that was shown at our closing conference.

Spearhead Summer 2009 from Drew Bach on Vimeo.