Last day of our cell group "beta"

Last Tuesday was the last day of our cell group or weekly Bible Study where we meet in different people houses from our group each week and have a time of alabanza (praise and worship), a platica (talk), and oracion (prayer). The two pillars of our group are to evangelize and edify. There are 3 other groups like ours from our church that meet weekly. Many of the people that come to our cell groups do not go to church and are not Christians. It is a first step for many Mexicans to learn more about a relationship with Jesus and many of the members of our church first started coming to cell groups years ago.

The picture above is of our last meeting at Christy and Doug's house (our pastor and his wife). Almost the entire cell group is one family--Roberto and his 6 brothers and sisters and their families. I always looked forward to Tuesdays, excited to spend time with one of my second families here in Mexico. These Mexicans can talk. We start group at 8 pm and finish around 10:30 pm.

I am so thankful for this Mexican family and look forward to seeing many of them in heaven.

La cabeza de un cerdo

Today my roommate Becca and I went over to the Maestra Sandra's house for lunch. I asked what I could help with and started to "picar" or cut an onion for lunch. After chatting and cutting for about 15 minutes I realized what was right in front of me and that the pozole that we were going to eat for lunch was going to be cooked with the meat of a pig head. I soon became very curious as to how one cooks a pig head and what parts of the pig head one eats--that we were going to be eating.

Do you eat the tongue? Oh yeah---after it is cooked it is nice and tender
What about the eye balls? Did you buy the pig head with the eye ball? Yes, they're right here (as she cut them off with a knife) because you eat those too
And the brain? You just have to cut through this part right here...
So you eat all the parts of the head? Yep--we put them all in the soup... you can make tacos with them too

So, I definitely needed to get a picture of this pig head before it was torn to pieces. I learned that pozole tastes best when it is cooked with "la cabeza" of a pig. After taking all of the answers to my questions in and realizing that soon I would be eating each of these parts of the pig head in my pozole or "soup" I was doing okay. Okay, until I noticed the hair that they had cut off of the head before they cooked the pig. I seriously thought that a dead rat was on the counter, but no, it was just the skin/hair of the pig head....that's all. Yeah, that grossed me out.

I have to say that I have eaten pozole many times, but not seen it prepared, and always wondered what kind of meat it was....knowing that it was pork. I just didn't have a clue that it was the head. In the end, we had a great lunch and I finished my whole bowl of pozole, wondering with each bite what part of the pig head I was eating. I think I figured out which part was the tongue and couldn't get myself to eat those chunks, but ate the rest and have to say that it all tasted pretty much like meat.

I am thankful I got the chance to be truly Mexican before leaving in the next couple weeks and to be able to reflect on this experience.

Feliz Dia de Las Madres!!!

Happy Mother's Day!! Today is officially mother's day here in Mexico and it is quite a day. The Mexican's really go out of their way to celebrate their mom's. Yesterday, school was cancelled so that the kids could put on a show for their moms. The show included dancing, poetry, singing, and some fun games for the moms.

A couple of my girls from Plan de Ayala invited me to come to the show because they wanted me to see them dance. At first I felt a little nervous about going by myself, but am so glad I didn't listen to my feelings because the moment I walked in to the school's fenced in area (the school's show is outside...the classrooms are separate buildings) I had about 8 kids around me that come to club and a couple of the kid's moms were inviting me to sit down with them. Sweet!

It was fun to see the kid's all dressed up and so excited to be dancing for their moms. In addition to the kid's dancing, many mexicans sing "las mananitas" to their moms or have little bands serenade them during the night or in the morning. All in all, I would say that Mother's day is a pretty celebrated day here in Mexico and that with all the kids that Mexican families have there is a lot of celebrating that goes on for moms.

Psalm 121

Psalm 121

I lift my eyes to the hills--
Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of Heaven and Earth.

He will not let your foot slip--
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel,
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you--
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will no harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from ALL harm--
he will watch over your life.

The Lord will watch over your coming and going,
both now and forevermore.


vs. 2 The Maker of heaven and earth is the ONE TRUE God, the King of all creation.
vs. 3 Not even when the way is treacherous
vs. 4 The Lord of all creation and the guardian over Israel--the One in whom the faithful may put unfaltering trust.
vs. 5-6 Assurance concerning unfailing protection
vs. 7-8 Assurance concerning all of life.

Pescadores

Since the beginning of this year I have became one of the leaders of our church's youthgroup which is called "Pescadores." Pescadores means fishermem as we are fishing and making disciples of Jesus.

The past couple months we have been teaching and talking about abuse and temptations. We took a survey from the youth and the top temptation on each of their responeses (22 responses) was sexual immorality--sex before and outside of marraige. These kids are surrounded by this temptation and it is the example of their moms and dads. Please be praying that these kids would fight against giving into the temptation around them. That they would choose to trust in the plans that the Lord has for them and that they would be obedient.

Last Saturday we asked another question from the youth as we are going to start a new series about families. We asked them:

What are the biggest problems your friends have in their families? (many times this is also another way of asking them what goes on in their lives indirectly)

Answers:
-Parents beating kids
-Lack of support from parents, parents do not listen or care about what they do
-Parents abuse each other, parents fighting
-Drug abuse, alcoholism
-Do not feel loved
-Parents do not understand--want to commit suicide
-Parents sexually abusive

Please pray that as we begin to talk about these things that the Lord would heal souls and families. Pray for wisdom as we prepare each week and meet with these kids individually that the kids hearts would be open and receive exactly what they need from their heavenly Father.

Gloria's Birthday and a question

Today is my friend Gloria's birthday. She is the one in the picture from a previous post. Today she turned 29 years old! She has three children, Claudia who is 12, Rocio and Boo-ga. Gloria is a light in the darkness for her family and for everyone in the colonia where we work. Their family has little, but Gloria always seems to have joy regardless of circumstances.

I was hoping to bring her a cake to today so she could celebrate with her family because she is always thinking of others. I didn't have much time, but just felt that I was supposed to bring her a cake even if I couldn't stay and visit for very long because of the way that she has welcomed me here in Fresnillo and makes me feel like family. I didn't have much time. So I went to the store, drove as far as I could on pavement and then began walking super fast on the dirt road, looking really weird, carrying a cake in the middle of the colonia. Let me add that cumulus clouds were filling the sky and I was praying so hard that God would hold off the rain until I arrived at her house and that Gloria would be home. I almost decided not to go, but continued on accepting the possibility of ruining the cake and getting covered in mud.

I made it to Gloria's house just fine, the rain holding off, and she welcomed me with a huge smile. Now, here comes my question.....

What would you do or what would your thoughts and attitude be if your husband had been unable to find a job for two months now and a couple days ago the gas for the stove went out and you had gone back to the days of cooking over a fire and weren't sure what you were going to eat from one day to the next? Would you praise the Lord? Would you believe in a God that loves you?

Continue reading after you have an answer to that question and put yourself in the family of Gloria with three children.

Gloria started telling me how she this IS her situation Her next words were..."But we have never gone a day without food. We have a roof over our head. I imagine that Christ suffered more than I will in this life. In fact, I believe He did. He died unjustly because of us. My suffering and worrying is nothing compared to Christ." And these words that she spoke to me are the attitude of her heart. She was starting to get frustrated, getting worried about how they were going to eat this week, but she instead she chose to dwell on Christ and in his sacrifice and hope that he gives us. To dwell on the sacrifice of His death that he suffered because of our sin. And if you could only see the house that Gloria lives in...imagine the worst house you have ever seen in the states and then think less of a house than that. Really puts things into perspective.

God used my conversation with Gloria today to speak to my heart. We can claim Matthew 6:25-33 as a promise. God's word is truth and hope for those who believe. I cannot describe in words the way that God works, but I believe in His Sovereignty and that He walks along with us daily, empowering us to walk through whatever storm may come our way.


Matthew 6:25-33
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Hole in his pants...

Today a kid that I think is super cute got a hole in his pants...right down the crack on our field trip and had to take off his shirt to cover it up. It was hilarious...I was like...why do you have your shirt off....response....my pants got ripped....do you want to see? As he began to turn around with a big smile...i said no thanks.


After playing in the park for the first part of our field trip we went to the Coca factory. Awhile ago I stopped by the company to see if they gave tours of the factory or did anything for classes and they do! We have taken all three of our classes for a tour now.

Back to the story of Luis David without a shirt. So, we are heading to the Coca factory and Luis David needs a shirt, so we ask if anybody is wearing two shirts. One boy raised his hand and had a wife beater underneath his shirt. One of our teachers told this little kid to give his shirt to Luis David so he would not go shirtless into this business environment. It was pretty funny....maybe you had to be there :)

I will post a picture of one of this class soon so you can look forward to it!!

picture

More Pictures

Gloria and I at the quincinera of Christina (right)
Camping with the youth (left)

Alejandra and me

Picture on the left is of Alejandra (one of my girls), one of her sisters and I


Picture on the right is at the market with Daniel and another guy when my parents were visiting. My aunt's son's school recently donated a large amount of money to our kids' club program and we were taking picture with the "flat stanleys" to show the school what it is like here in Mexico.

Peques

Please be praying with me for Peques who has lived in 3 different houses over the past month. Her mother and father are separated and I believe are getting a divorce. Peques' father has been angry that her mom leaves Peques and her brothers and sisters alone during the day. Peques has decided to live with her dad while the rest of her brothers and sisters decided to stay with her mom who already has another boyfriend and has had one for some time. I don't know the details of what her dad is like. Peques has not been able to come to club because I didn't know where she moved and has been missing school a lot too. She is a sweet sweet girl, accepted Jesus into her heart and has been coming to club for many years. I asked her if she had been crying a lot over the past couple weeks and if it has been hard and her response was unemotional and simply no. I cannot imagine all the emotional hurt that she is going through right now and know that what she is experiencing now is just a glimpse into the life of many. Please be praying for her joy and innocence to be would be protected by the Lord. Pray that the Lord would continue to show her his love for her daily. Pray for her protection and that God would be healing her heart.

42 people in a fifteen passenger van

So while I haven't updated you all on the things that I was planning on yet, I thought I would stick with the present right now and let you know what has been going on with some of our kids in Fresnillo.

On a normal Wednesday Kids' Club day we take two 15 passenger vans and a normal size van to pick up all the kids in the neighborhood "Plan de Ayala." Our normal attendance for this Wednesday afternoon club is about 60 or so children. Today my roommate Becca was sick and not able to drive one of the vans. When we are short one person we have an "emergency route" in which we combine all the kids into two vans. Last week this plan worked just fine. However, today I had 39 children and 3 adults in the 15 passenger van I was driving!!! Our attendance was about 80 kids. Seriously, it was craziness. On the way home we took the limit of kids which is supposed to be 30 and it just took a bit longer to do another vuelta (trip) home.

Praise the Lord for all the kids that came to club, but at the same time I was so stressed out by running late and going to kids houses that I don't know all over the neighborhood that I quickly got frustrated on the way home with the 30 kids and me being the only adult in the vehicle. To give you a better idea of not knowing where kids live let me give you this example....

Question: Chuy, where do you live? (Chuy, donde vives? o ?donde esta tu casa?
Answer: In a grey house (una casa gris)
Detail: All the houses in our colonia are made with large, grey bricks some are painted but many are not:)

Thanks Chuy!! :)
This didn't actually happen today but it happened many times my first couple months here.


It was kind of like a little flash back to teaching in the Bronx with TFA which lasted the whole day instead of just 30 minutes. I stopped the van three times as kids were fighting and crying and standing up and waited for obedience before continuing our journey home. Let's just say that it was a long 30 minutes. But I also was thankful for some of the disciplinary skills that I learned from the teaching and going through hard times.


It is kind of crazy how easily I forget that the Lord is in control of all thing and that I am not. After the stressed filled ride home I stopped for a second to breathe and stop worrying that a kid was going to fall out of the van while I was driving and hoped that the next time I am in a situation like that (which is soon to happen again) that I stop luego luego (right away) and pray in mind and ask the Lord for guidance, authority and patience. How often I am like one of those kids wanting my own way, thinking that I know what is best for me, when in reality my heavenly Father is watching out for me, wanting to protect me and keep me from falling. He indeed knows what is best for me.

La Velada

A couple people from our church organized a "velada" or time of worship and prayer last night. I cannot remember the last time that I have seen the Holy Spirit work so powerfully--changing lives as we prayed and prayed-- laying hands on all those who are in bondage, suffering, and hungry for the presence and healing power of the Lord. We began the velada at 9 pm and finished at 1pm, but could have stayed all night long.

After singing a couple songs at the beginning of the velada, we were getting ready to change gears and spend some time in silence praying and receiving from the Lord and a man, Miguel, walked into our church. He walked right up to the front of the congregation. At first many of us were kind of nervous, wondering what this man was going to do and say to all of us. However, God had plans for this man last night. He had plans to speak truth to his heart, to show this man the way to Jesus, to give hope to this man's life... who is living day to day on the street, without a job, without a family nearby, wandering through life. It is not by coincidence that this man walked into the church last night. The first thing he said to us all was that he was drawn in by the music, by the words that we were singing to the Lord. This man prayed with one of the men in our church and stayed the rest of the night praising the Lord with us. We prayed in faith that the Lord would provide a job for this man so that he can eat tomorrow. We prayed in faith that this man's life would change and that He would begin to live with joy and hope in Jesus. Amen.

Next, a teenager who has been through our Kids' Club ministry, youth group and comes faithfully to our church, who I believe is 18 years old and knows the Lord, recently has made some bad decisions. His girlfriend and he got pregnant began living together and their baby is due in June of this year. This is the cycle that almost 99% of the people in our colonia go through. Many of these kids become pregnant even earlier around the age of 15. This man was a leader in our church. He has a heart and the gift of worship. He was asked to step down from all leadership positions that he had in the church until he begins to walk in obedience again. This is the first step that began to break his heart. However, praise the Lord that he and his girlfriend have continued to come to church. Last night, this man asked all who were right with the Lord, not living in sin, to come and pray for him as he did is struggling. He does not feel the desire to live for the Lord, yet he knows that Jesus is alone is his hope. His heart was crying out to all who were there to cry out for him and intercede for him as he alone cannot push forward. I cannot describe the prayers of his mother last night to you...this mother was crying out for her son with her whole heart for mercy. Please pray for Luis and Evelyn and their soon to be new baby. That the Lord would provide financially for them and that they would love the Lord above anything else in their lives. That they would make the changes necessary to be walking in obedience.

God did many more miracles last night, but the last prayer that spoke to my heart was from a woman and friend names Gloria. Gloria was crying out for mercy for her husband who she believes is a stumbling block for her in her relationship with the Lord. She was crying out as she has prayed for years that her husband would come to know the Lord, but continues to stumble and walk in his own ways. She cried out that she doesn't want to lose either of the things that she loves most in her life, the Lord and her husband, yet could not continue anymore by herself. I believe that it was not the prayers of the people around her crying out for Gloria, but it was the Lord himself who spoke to her heart through the Holy Spirit telling her that he delights in her, that nothing is impossible for the Him, nothing, to continue forward in faith. Please cry out for the salvation of Gloria's husband Ernesto and that Gloria would not grow tired of doing good and serving the Lord.

As I reflect on the people that were at the velada last night, the people that have become my friends and family, I don’t understand a thing about suffering... each one of them has suffered more than I can imagine and will ever experience. Their lives are a battle zone, sometimes fighting to eat each day, fighting to keep their families together, fighting to live with joy and hope when their lives don't seem like they will ever change. My heart hurts just thinking how unfair life seems, why wasn't I born in the colonia with these people? Grace. I am encouraged to think that we serve a mighty and powerful God who has victory over death and that the suffering that is experienced does not compare to the joy that is to come. Hebrews 12:2-3

A start!

So I am really far behind on blogging and keeping you all updated with some of the things that are going on here in Fresnillo. I plan on getting it together next week after I get some sleep. I got back from going to Nuevo Vallarta with my family this morning at 4:30 AM after a nice long 14 hour bus ride :) Gotta love it!

While I get my act together, I found some thoughts that I had put together from a couple years ago about what the Lord was teaching me and after reading them saw that they still apply now and continue to encourage me.

-It makes me wonder if we don’t wish God was a genie who could deliver a few wishes here and there. And that makes me wonder if what we really want from the formulas are wishes, not God. It makes me wonder if what we really want is control, not a relationship.

-It makes me wonder if God created us in His image or if we created Him in ours.

-God has placed me here for a purpose and He will equip me to finish it.

You and I were created to need each other. Certainly God does not need people in the way you and I do, but He feels a joy at being loved and He feels a joy at delivering love. It is a striking thought to realize that in paradise, a human is incomplete without a host of other people. We are relational indeed. God made me, He knows me, He understands me and He wants community.

-God’s word pierces, but does not discourage.

-God opens doors that no man can shut.

-Shut the door of unbelief in obedience to God.

-Give God back time.

-Sometimes we need to fast those things that keep us from the presence of God.

Time did tell...about being sick

So time did tell and after five days of things not really getting any better I finally decided to go to the doctor. Thank you for all of you who have sent me messages and been praying for me. After another rough night it was time to go to the stomach doctor, which I have found to be interesting here in Fresnillo for a couple reasons.

The doctor begins by asking me a couple questions about my experience thus far, including more detailed questions related to what I will say "the works." I can't say that I would ever want to be a "gastroenterologo" and know so many of the these details. After questions he took my blood pressure like most doctors and listened to my heart. However, I just don't understand how he gets to a final conclusion after the next step of the examination. You lay down on a table and he listens and feels your stomach--pushing on it in different places and asking questions. After this part is done he sits you up, you go to his desk and he types up the results including what medications if necessary. I would like to add that while he has a computer and a printer on his desk, he also has a typewriter, which he used to give me my prescription. There has to be a reason for using the typewriter instead of the computer/printer that I just am missing.

So, I left the doctor's office with three prescriptions today which I am really happy about because hopefully I will begin to see some changes. If you ask me what the problem is I can't really tell you. He didn't really tell me what it is. But that is okay, he is a doctor, right, and he gave me medication that is going to hopefully work wonders on whatever it is that is going on. He was a really nice doctor and I am sure that while this is my interpretation of the experience it really doesn't help that I can say very many medical terms in spanish.

Thank you again and again for your thoughtfulness and prayers!! My spirits are up already:)

Feeling Sick

Okay, so I'm pretty sure that I am still sick today from a very unpleasant experience that started on Sunday. I pretty much felt like I wanted to die on Sunday on into Monday, was praying that resting Monday would get it out of my system, but woke up again at 3 am last night not feeling too great. So now I am trying to decide if I should go to the doctor so that I don't get dehydrated as I can officially not keep anything in my system. I don't really want to go to the doctor at all because I'm not really sure what they are going to do and I feel way better than I did two days ago. My spirits are up, but my health is not quite there yet. My face is also officially peeling from getting burnt by the sun, so I am not looking the greatest.

And I am writing this post because I am now officially bored and don't know what to do anymore. I'm not really one to just lay around and after one day already of laying around, while it was nice and sunny out and I stayed inside, I am not really feeling like doing it again today. But alas here I am until whatever is inside my system decides to leave. That is about all that is new with me as of now. I am praying that I will be well enough to go to club tomorrow as I wasn't there the week before because I went on a little Mexican vacation with a friend to the beach. So, if you read this please pray that I start feeling better soon or for wisdom if I should go to the doctor. Time will tell!! Thank you!!

Luis David

Today I was encouraged by a little boy named Luis David. Every Sunday before church we pray as a group. Today Luis David joined us. I looked over at this 7 year old, morenito (little dark-skinned boy)with his hands folded, eye closed tightly and my heart just smiled. Luis David began to pray with a big group of us. His little voice becoming larger than he could ever imagine in the hearts of each person in that room and his little words more powerful that you would believe. God is working in this little boy's life. This little boy's life who does not know what he is going to eat when he wakes up in the morning. This litte boy's life whose mom may be a prostitute. This little boy's life who has been beaten. This little boy's life whose is praying for God to take care of other people, when in our eyes it seems as those he is the one who needs to be taken care of. This little boy's life who God wants to use to change his mom and sisters and most of all that God has called by name and wants to use for His glory.

Update on Ana Maria

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for Ana Maria and her family (from a previous post). About two weeks ago Ana Maria's Aunt's baby died in the hospital. Her aunt is doing fine. I learned that this is her aunt's second child who has died.

Also, her dad's leg is pretty bad from the dog bite, but is beginning to heal. They learned (thankfully) that the dog did not have rabies and finally had the fire department (which I didn't know existed here) take the dog away. Our church has provided food and medicine for them. Please pray that the Lord will use the church's care and generousity to bring them to a Sunday service.

Mocos

On my Thursday morning walking route to pick up kids for our morning club there is a kid named Luis. Luis is a chunker--let me tell you! He is four years old and I think some of my ten year old girls weigh less than him, but he is a cutey, too. He has spikey hair and doesn't stop smiling. He is a big chunk of energy. This kid does not sit still.

As we brought the kids into the church to start club I decided to strategically place myself right next to Luis to prevent him from hanging out in the front instead of in his spot on the bench. I decided to have Luis sit on my lap so that I could really control him.

As we sat together listening to Becca talk up front, I noticed that Luis was playing with something sticky in his hands. Making two fingers stick together. I would say he did this for about a minute until I got a good look at what he was playing with. Luis stopped playing for a second and began to dig in his nose... and I mean go to town digging in his nose. I sneaked a peek around his rather large, but precious head and saw that he had 3 separate boogers stuck to one finger and was playing with them to make them into one big booger. Seriously, I wanted to throw up. I quickly made sure that his hands were not going to touch my pants and caught him just in time. I decided the best way to keep the boogers off of me was to take his wrists and rub his hands on the front of the vest that he was wearing. Task completed. The boogers (or rather mocos)were no longer to be played with in Luis' hands!!

But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases. Job 23:13


Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever please him. Psalm 115:3

God is sovereign.

Ana Maria

I visited with Ana Maria, above, this past Wednesday after kids club. While all the girls are precious, Ana Maria is one of my favorites. I have written about her before--she has 8 other brothers and sisters. The picture above is taken after the Christmas Drama with four of her brothers.

The reason I am writing this post is to please be praying for Ana Maria. During our visit I learned that her dad was biten by one of their dogs last week Saturday. This dog is HUGE-- seriously. It's head is probably bigger than yours. The dog bit her dad in the leg all the way to the bone and is not able to work right now being hurt. Please pray for healing for her dad and provision for all her family needs during this time.

I also learned that one of her aunts lived with her family in their house and was seven months pregnant. Last week, her aunt was having a hard time breathing and the baby was having problems also. Her aunt had to deliver two months earlier and will be in the hospital for a couple weeks as will the baby be in the hospital for two months until it is more fully developed and weighs more.

Please be praying for Ana Maria as she takes on a big responsibity to care for her younger brothers and sisters. Please pray for peace as she worries about her family and for provision. Pray that Ana Maria grows in her relationship with the Lord and is set apart in her family to lead a different life than what is around her. That her family would notice something different about her and that they would come to our church this year. Please pray that she would know and experience joy in her life.

Some of my girls

Yahaira

Conchita. Third Grade,

Please take from me my life,

when I don't have the strength,

to give it away to you.

Please take from me my life,

when I don't have the strength,

to give it away to you, Jesus.

A song by Third Day and a prayer of my heart.

Fire Extinguishers

I remember learning about fire extinguishers in elementary school. They were always behind a glass case. I remember learning never to touch one until there was a serious fire or big trouble was to come if you touched one. I went on living my life, seeing multiple fire extinguishers every day I went to school for at least twelves years, never once even touching one. I then went on to college. Same experience. Never once using a fire extinguisher. Until Mexico.

Since we don't have smoke alarms here in Mexico, we have fire extinguishers, which was a surprise to me because I didn't even know where they were kept. Definitely not in a glass case. I learned last Sunday that fire extinguishers expire after a year and have to be emptied and refilled. Thanks to George, who is in charge of refilling our fire extinguishers, I had my first experience of not only putting out a fire with an extinguisher, but having a fire extinguisher fight.

Last Sunday, was our monthly FUN Day SUNday:) George took us out to the country, where we divided into teams of two, build fires and then each with our own fire extinguishers got to spray each other and put out our fires. Fun times if I do say so myself. I am now experienced in fire safety. Pull, Aim, Press, Sweep Side to Side:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVN0JSwrZKI&feature=related

Link to a little action movie shot above

Solamente Dios

My senior year in college, I lived in an apartment building called Argyle. Fall semester of my senior year, I met a Mexican girl named Rocio while I was during laundry. I saw Rocio often as she cleaned our apartment building and quickly figured out that she was new to the states and only spoke Spanish. For some reason, I thought about her often everytime I saw her and thought how much it would suck (probably not the best choice of words but that is what I thought:) if I couldn't talk to anyone during the day and didn't understand anyone. So, whenever I saw her I began to speak what little spanish I did know with her. Many times just smiling and asking her how her day was. However, one day while I was talking to her she told me her birthday was coming up soon later in the week. I had been praying for her and decided to take her out to eat for her birthday. After that we had more of a friendship and I talked to her more often. That semester she invited me to one of her aunt's weddings. That was the first Mexican wedding I had ever been to--with full out mariachis, cowboy hats, matching leather boots and belts and ranchero shirts. Also, the only English speaking, white girl in attendence. Rocio met my family when I graduated in May 2005 and then I moved to New York City.

While I was in NYC I would get e-mails here and there from Rocio in we kept in contact a couple times a year. I then found out that I would be moving to Fresnillo, Mexico for a year after being in NYC for two years. Within the same month of October 2007 I received an email from Rocio, who I hadn't talked to for months. I asked her at the time if she new were Fresnillo was and it turns out that it is five hours away from her home town of Durango, Mexico where the rest of her family lives. However, she continued to live in Minneapolis, MN. I had planned on visiting her family at some point while I was in Mexico; until, Saturday, January 5th I received a message from her on my computer via MSN messenger from Rocio asking me if I was still living in Mexico. I told her yes and she told me that she had returned to Durango, Mexico her home town for the next five months!!! Craziness!! We haven't seen each other for three years, I met her in Minneapolis during college and now we are five others away from each other in the same state of Mexico!! Solamente Dios se puede planear algo asi.

I saw Rocio the next day, January 6th 2008, in her home town of Durango spending the night at her aunt's house and meeting part of her family the next day. What a blessing it was to see her and to meet her family in her langauge in her home town. It still makes me smile and is hard for me to believe!! Only the Lord can plan things like this!

I am currently reading a book called, A Voice in the Wind, by Francine Rivers. She is also the other of, Redeeming Love, which is one of my favorite books. A Voice in the Wind is a fiction book. Last night as I was reading the following words jumped out at me. They are spoken in a meeting of Christian believers to encourage the characater Hadassah, who many think is a Jewish Roman slave.

"Ours is a struggle to live a godly life in a fleshly world. We must remember we are not called upon by God to make society a better place to live. We are not called upon to gain political influence, nor to preserve the Roman way of life. God has called us to a higher mission, that of bringing to mankind the Good News that our Redeemer has come..."

I am in the middle of reading the book of Job, who was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil. The following words declared by him in the midst of suffering, losing all things, and trying to process and defend why he was suffering came to my mind while reading the above passage, yet as he believed in his Redeemer without knowing all the details (speaking this many years before Jesus came), waited for him-- we have the opportunity to know his Redeemer and to have Him change our lives...

"I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth." Job 19:25

Increible

I just got home from going over to a friend's house, Olga's, to celebrate her daughter Nancy's 21st birthday and Karla's 11th birthday, a girl who Olga has adopted into her home. I am still trying to process all that I learned tonight while sitting around the table at their house and pray Olga's example in what follows below makes each of you pray and touches you as it has me.

As we were sitting around the table talking, Olga began to tell us about her week. On January 2nd Olga was watching the news with her family and a story came on of a couple came on the T.V. about Paola, who is 17 years old and her boyfriend, Luis, who is 16 years old. This couple was approximately 6 months pregnant and just gave birth to twins. This couple had been sleeping in the hospital in Fresnillo as they waited for their newborn daughter who was born prematurely to gain wait. This baby was born weighing 2 pounds, 3 weeks early around December 16th when this couple was out in the country. Paola gave birth to this little girl along with another baby in the toilet when she was going to the bathroom. She did not know that she was having twins, and the first baby died when born from hitting her head in the toilet. The second baby was alive and they brought her to the nearest hospital, which happened to be in Fresnillo. However, this is their 3rd child. They have two other daughters. This would have been their fourth child had the first baby not died. They are seventeen and sixteen years old.

Olga is married and has four children of her own: Lalo, Liz, Nancy, and Sarai. She also has Karla who she has taken in and her son Lalo is married and has two children. Lalo, his wife and two children also live with Olga and her husband. This family has eleven people living under their three bedroom roof. Olga is a christian along with a couple others in her family. Upon hearing the news of this couple, Olga began to pray for them asking the Lord what she could do to help. The next day Olga decided to go to the hospital to ask them what they need. She ends up taking this couple from the television, Paola and Luis, into her home. To take care of them-- to feed them, to clothe them, to provide all that she can for them. Olga and her family struggle at times, yet she continues to say how they have never gone without food. Though they may have little at times, they have never gone hungry. Olga has the gift of generousity and hospitality. I was silenced, left without words upon hearing what she has done for this couple.

As Olga finished telling the story she calls for Luis and Paola, who are sitting in the other room to come into the kitchen and share their story with us. Luis enters the room, looks like a child of about 13 years old. He has the face of a little boy, yet begins to tell their story, looking at me straight in the eyes. His girlfriend,Paolo, sitting next to him also begins to speak. As I was listening to them tell their story again about their babies--giving birth in a toilet, having nothing, no money my heart continued to hurt for them, unable to believe all that they were saying. They leave to go to bed and she tells Olga that she will be walking to the hospital tomorrow to check on their little girl in the hospital. Walking about 8 miles that is, having given birth about three weeks ago, because she has no money, yet she doesn't ask for anything. Olga hands her 20 pesos for the bus saying though we don't have much, we have more then they do.

God used Olga's heart--who did not judge, but had compassion, who has little, but gives what she has to bless this couple. Olga continues to tell us, "I had to be obedient to what the Lord was telling me to do. When you hear the Lord tell you something, it doesn't go away. You must obey."

I am left without words of my own to add anything more to this story. It is my prayer that the Lord uses Olga's testimony and example to change each one of us. I know that God has a plan for this couple and a reason for bringing them into Olga's home. Please pray with me for miracles in their lives. That they may come to know Christ through Olga and her family's love. That they would leave changed people for Christ. That Olga and her family would be blessed abundantly.