Brasil Bound (and Colombia too and then maybe back to México)

hey all, thanks so much for your continued prayers and support as I make transitions in my life. I had a great time in Guatemala with my brother and saw so many beautiful things and met so many beautiful people. It was interesting to talk to various of Pete's friends and just get to know Guatemalan history. It was neat to talk to various students and former students about their view of Guatemala, the civil war, social injustice and suffering there. I really feel like it opened my eyes to some of the pains of Central América and most of Latin América with dictatorships, coups and civil wars. I think its just hard for me to fathom the concept of civil war and a blatantly oppressive government, its just so far from my experience. Its amazing how that could become or is for so many people the norm and just part of their story and experience. It really just helped me to understand better some of the pain, doubts, struggles and pessimism that often pains Latin American politics and attitudes. While in Guatemala we also had the chance to visit this beautiful lake called Atitlan which was nice to just relax for a bit. We took kayaks out into the lake and it was just so gorgeous. On my way home from Guatemala, I was stopped in Houston by homeland security and interrogated and searched for like 20 minutes which made me miss my flight, but i eventually got home at 2am and have been home for about a week now. It has been great catching up with friends and family. I have finalized plans with Brasil and almost Colombia as well and perhaps back to Mexico to end it all. I will be in Sao Paulo, Brasil for 6 months living in an intentional community in the slums and working with a church plant and the young people of my community. I will live in a house with 5 guys (Brasilians) and look forward to the challenges of a new place, culture and language. Due to visa restrictions I will only be able to stay there 6 months, my plan from there is to go to Colombia for 2 months to work with a LAM (latin america mission) missionary who does microenterprise development ministry. From there I may return to México for one last summer (my 5th last summer) before returning home next August to make decisions for what is next. I hope all is well with you all. Much love and God bless.



my bro and I
three countries that are near to my heart

a bad translation in Guatemala

Wow, I really can't believe it....

Wow, as I sit here in the airport in México waiting for my plane at 6am to fly to Houston to then get me to Guatemala I can't help but be overwhelmed by the thought of leaving here. I can't believe this year has gone by so fast. It has most certainly had its ups and downs, struggles and triumphs, but all full of blessings. Leaving here I feel like I'm being torn from my home and just am full of sorrow at having said goodbye to my family and friends. The verse in Mark 10:29,30 that says "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 feel truly blessed in the fulfillment of this promise and can say that I have a plethora of homes, brothers, sisters, mothers and the rest. I feel like I have been blessed beyond my wildest expectations. When I think back over the past year I can't help but smile. So many beautiful people have been a part of my life, so many smiles, small acts of hospitality and generosity; so many people accepted me as one of their own, forgot I was some foreigner and just called me friend, brother or son. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve God and the Mexican church over this past year. Tears are coming to my eyes as I write this thinking of being away from home (México), for so long, I know as I go home (Maryland) I will be received by more family and friends and feel blessed to be able to share my experiences, to be able to share of the mighty work and power of God here in México. I know that I say "hasta luego" and not "adios" but it is still hard to leave. I don't know if my place in life is back here, Brasil, the US or some other country, but I know that México will always have a big place in my heart, that I will also as Mexican singer Luis Miguel said carry Mexico in my skin, that it will always be a part of me, a part of who I am. I thank God and you all for allowing me to have this opportunity. I pray for guidance as I proceed forward, I received my Brasilian visa this week and things seem to be order for my trip to Sao Paulo. I pray that I would be able to nail down details when I arrive back home (Maryland) and hope to leave for Brasil in the middle of September. I pray to that I might be able to figure out what comes next after 6 months in Brasil, whether it be a trip to Colombia to learn about ministry and microenterprise, a trip back home (México), or going home (Maryland) and figuring things out there. I thank God for all the blessings he has poured upon me and pray the same for you all. It has been neat this week with my brother, Pete, here visiting México and meeting some of my most cherished friends and family here in México. Yesterday we went to one of my favorite churches and I actually translated the whole sermon as there was a pastor from the US there on a missions trip. It was neat to get to know him a bit and hear his passion for Jesus and reconciliation in the church. I was a bit nervous about translating the whole message in front of everyone (maybe like 250 people), but I thought it went pretty well. The missions team was the most remarkable one I have ever seen or worked with. There were 5 people on the trip, the first a white middle class middle aged pastor, then a female Mexican missionary to India who has been working at the church in Boston and learning english there, the next one was an African American middle aged man, 3 years sober and a former drug addict and alcoholic, the fourth one was from Guatemala and came to the US at 18 not speaking any English and despising the Christian church, he never responded to the gospel until a friend invited him to this church in Boston where he heard the gospel for the first time and gave his life to Christ, and finally the last guy was an African American guy with several disabilities and a giant heart for God. I was so thoroughly impressed by the pastor, the church and the group, I tend to be very much a skeptic these days when it comes to churches and am not easily impressed, but these guys impressed me and were really an awesome picture of what the reconciled diverse church should look like, that through the love of God, we might learn to love one another, not to judge and see that God's kingdom, that our church, has no boundaries and that we were called to go into all the world and to love all the world, not just the ones we choose to like. My flight is taking off, much love to everyone and God bless, see you in a week!

Summer in Review video

hey all, i made this video for our end of summer meetings and thought you might enjoy

Great end to the summer

hey all, hope all is well. The summer ended well, but very busy. I went on a youth retreat with one of the churches I was working with during the summer and gave a talk at their missions themed retreat. It was really fun, although wet as we were camping and it rained really hard and even hailed a bit. I can't believe how fast the summer went by. I was really proud of our team. I felt like they really learned so much during the summer about God, México, missions and life and was just really proud of them. On other news front I talked to the people in Brasil and it seems to be coming together and I got my visa yesterday from the embassy and also picked up my brother at the airport and we spent the day today together. We went to a bunch of different places in Mexico City and then finally went up to La Presa, my first home in México and had lunch with them. It was really cool to see Pete get to meet them and get to know some of my favorite people in México. Much love to everyone. I will be here in Mex with my bro till Monday, then we are off to Guatemala for a week before returning to the US on the 18th. I"m looking forward to seeing all of you.