Altotonga, Mexico -- Well, Saturday night we celebrated Mexican Night in the park with thousands of other Altotonguenses. It was so crowded! There was nothing particular spectacular, though I enjoyed being out and about with my cheeks painted in the colors of the Mexican flag (don't ask me what I did for American Indepence day... not one thing!). Well... I take that back (about the nothing spectacular)... the fireworks were kind of dangerous and added for a rather... alert composure.
Sunday morning we watched the parade from across the street from Chris and Vonda's house. It was really lonnnnnnnng. But, it was fun to see the kids I know marching and smiling when they recognised someone they knew.
It's getting cold here. The mornings are fresh here, and by the afternoon it starts to get cold and then a bit colder. I'm appreciated hot coffee and tea more and more. But this is only the beginning!
I am looking forward to a busy week! I am putting subtitles on the testimonial videos that are available on this website. I've already done my dad's. And then I will take care of Club duties on Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday morning I will go out to Orilla del Monte to visit a student who lives out there. She's a very hyper junior higher. She wants me to come meet her family and pick apples. A apple picking I go!
And of course, you know I'll take those opps to spread a little Jesus. :) Well, I am getting ready to plan the first college age even come the first part of October... I just have a few things to get in line with that before I can be official about the first event. I'm excited, please pray for me on that-- for wisdom and guidance and strength and God's anointing on everything.Bless you all! Hope to hear from you!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Janine's Ark
Altotonga, Mexico -- Hey all... Hey, I just realized it's Sept. 11. Wow.
Well, not to pass that on by, but I have short time today. It's been a busy... and rather.. interesting day. :) By the way, the thing about the Janine's ark is that it's been raining so much lately-- I was considering building myself an ark to get to church on Sunday.
Last week I had my weekly one-on-one discipleship meeting with my roommate and she was talking about how lately people had been asking her what she was-- if she was a Christian or not. And she said that she wasn't sure how to answer, because she thought that the name Christian was something that you needed to be worthy of... and she compared it to like a gold medal or something like that. So, I asked her a few questions aout what was most important, if she wanted to be like Christ and that.
I explained to her about Christian meaning little Christ and that if she was living it and He is her Lord, then she could call herself a Christian. You should have seen the smile on her face. And she was like, woo-hoo! (almost laughing) I'm a Christian!
On other notes, tomorrow I'm going to go visit a family that I've been working with out in a little rancho called Orilla del Monte. Last week when I went to visit, I got some questions about Christianity from the family of Rosita, who is now a Christian. This was a first, and an open door... so I'm excited and am waiting to see what God is going to do in their lives.
Thursday I'll run the Club as Chris has to go to Mexico City to see about his FM3 (residency visa).
And this Saturday we'll celebrate Mexican Independence Day and have a pizza party in the club (we make the pizza from scratch).
Well, I need to get... the day is still not over and there are a few more things to be taken care, and a prayer meeting.
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Well, not to pass that on by, but I have short time today. It's been a busy... and rather.. interesting day. :) By the way, the thing about the Janine's ark is that it's been raining so much lately-- I was considering building myself an ark to get to church on Sunday.
Last week I had my weekly one-on-one discipleship meeting with my roommate and she was talking about how lately people had been asking her what she was-- if she was a Christian or not. And she said that she wasn't sure how to answer, because she thought that the name Christian was something that you needed to be worthy of... and she compared it to like a gold medal or something like that. So, I asked her a few questions aout what was most important, if she wanted to be like Christ and that.
I explained to her about Christian meaning little Christ and that if she was living it and He is her Lord, then she could call herself a Christian. You should have seen the smile on her face. And she was like, woo-hoo! (almost laughing) I'm a Christian!
On other notes, tomorrow I'm going to go visit a family that I've been working with out in a little rancho called Orilla del Monte. Last week when I went to visit, I got some questions about Christianity from the family of Rosita, who is now a Christian. This was a first, and an open door... so I'm excited and am waiting to see what God is going to do in their lives.
Thursday I'll run the Club as Chris has to go to Mexico City to see about his FM3 (residency visa).
And this Saturday we'll celebrate Mexican Independence Day and have a pizza party in the club (we make the pizza from scratch).
Well, I need to get... the day is still not over and there are a few more things to be taken care, and a prayer meeting.
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
Sunday, September 9, 2007
God is Faithful
Altotonga, Mexico -- The sight of a 12 year old boy with a trembling chin under squinted eyebrows, trying to control himself "as a man" while he watched his older brother being lowered into the earth was a heart wrenching sight.
This morning, I attended a funeral for a friend of mine. It was tragically sad. Javier Alcantara Reyes, age 21, passed away on July 8, 2007, is what the wooden cross that would mark his gravesight said. At the sight of it, and the long awaited casket, I about choked in tears. Many teens had eyes brimming as they hugged one another and told stories of Javier.
On July 10, I received a text message that a friend had been killed in a car accident. To all of us here, it seemed as if someone had kicked us in the stomach. I scrambled to rearrange my schedule for the pending funeral, get ahold of the appropriate people and comfort friends in the following weeks. But, because he had been in the states and with the paperwork that had to be filed from every which person, he did not arrive in those weeks.
Yesterday, his body arrived to Altotonga, and we had the wake. Yesterday is when it became real for most. In support of friends and the family, I stayed for several hours. As Javier had been a part of the praise team, a leader for a good long time, we sang praise songs "Javier style"-- he also had put a rhythm and style to the songs that were sung. This morning, we walked through town behind the car carrying his casket to the Catholic mass (his family is Catholic) and then to the gravesight.
Sometimes I don't understand the choices God makes. But, He is sovereign and works things out for the best, right? It's like the psalm-- our nights will be turned into morning; it's like the song-- trading our sorrows for the joy of the Lord. I'm waiting to see what God has in store. Like I said, I don't know why God chose to call Javier home so soon. But I trust God and His promises... He has always proved faithful. More in a few days, my friends.
This morning, I attended a funeral for a friend of mine. It was tragically sad. Javier Alcantara Reyes, age 21, passed away on July 8, 2007, is what the wooden cross that would mark his gravesight said. At the sight of it, and the long awaited casket, I about choked in tears. Many teens had eyes brimming as they hugged one another and told stories of Javier.
On July 10, I received a text message that a friend had been killed in a car accident. To all of us here, it seemed as if someone had kicked us in the stomach. I scrambled to rearrange my schedule for the pending funeral, get ahold of the appropriate people and comfort friends in the following weeks. But, because he had been in the states and with the paperwork that had to be filed from every which person, he did not arrive in those weeks.
Yesterday, his body arrived to Altotonga, and we had the wake. Yesterday is when it became real for most. In support of friends and the family, I stayed for several hours. As Javier had been a part of the praise team, a leader for a good long time, we sang praise songs "Javier style"-- he also had put a rhythm and style to the songs that were sung. This morning, we walked through town behind the car carrying his casket to the Catholic mass (his family is Catholic) and then to the gravesight.
Sometimes I don't understand the choices God makes. But, He is sovereign and works things out for the best, right? It's like the psalm-- our nights will be turned into morning; it's like the song-- trading our sorrows for the joy of the Lord. I'm waiting to see what God has in store. Like I said, I don't know why God chose to call Javier home so soon. But I trust God and His promises... He has always proved faithful. More in a few days, my friends.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Swinging
September 4, 2007
Altotonga, Mexico -- Hey! Well, I am working on getting back into the swing of things having just arrived back in Altotonga a few days ago.The trip down here was just interesting... I had forgotten what travel is like on Labor Day Weekend, and even in the Mexico City bus station, there were just hundreds of people. Insanity.
So, I made it into Mex City about an hour and a half later than I thought I would, and arrived to pass through immigration with some 200-300 people in front of me. But, I lived.Cool story though-- I arrived to TAPO (the Mex City bus station) and my bus was going to leave at 11:40pm. I had about 40 minutes to check my luggage, and for 20 minutes I stood in the line to check it (I was a good 40 feet away) and no one had moved. I was like, Lord, what am I going to do? You´ve got to help!
I remembered a story about someone who had prayed in tongues while waiting in line, and I figured I must be remembering for a reason. So, I started to pray in tongues, and when I started people started to move. I just smiled when all this started happening. Within 15 minutes I had checked my luggage. Prayer is so powerful! And God is SO cool! I've never been SO happy in my life to get on a bus. Arrived to Altotonga at about 4:15am. By the time I got to bed, they had begun setting the market up outside of my apartment, with their clanking poles and energetic music. So, I'll working my schedule back together. I'm excited to be here, excited for plans for this coming year, excited to see what God has in store.In this week I'm also going to see about starting the application for my FM3 process.. which right now will just be phone calls. Other than that, no big events for the coming weeks-- just club schedule and the more logistical planning of college age stuff and dance class. I will keep you all updated on what's going on! Have a fabulous day!
Altotonga, Mexico -- Hey! Well, I am working on getting back into the swing of things having just arrived back in Altotonga a few days ago.The trip down here was just interesting... I had forgotten what travel is like on Labor Day Weekend, and even in the Mexico City bus station, there were just hundreds of people. Insanity.
So, I made it into Mex City about an hour and a half later than I thought I would, and arrived to pass through immigration with some 200-300 people in front of me. But, I lived.Cool story though-- I arrived to TAPO (the Mex City bus station) and my bus was going to leave at 11:40pm. I had about 40 minutes to check my luggage, and for 20 minutes I stood in the line to check it (I was a good 40 feet away) and no one had moved. I was like, Lord, what am I going to do? You´ve got to help!
I remembered a story about someone who had prayed in tongues while waiting in line, and I figured I must be remembering for a reason. So, I started to pray in tongues, and when I started people started to move. I just smiled when all this started happening. Within 15 minutes I had checked my luggage. Prayer is so powerful! And God is SO cool! I've never been SO happy in my life to get on a bus. Arrived to Altotonga at about 4:15am. By the time I got to bed, they had begun setting the market up outside of my apartment, with their clanking poles and energetic music. So, I'll working my schedule back together. I'm excited to be here, excited for plans for this coming year, excited to see what God has in store.In this week I'm also going to see about starting the application for my FM3 process.. which right now will just be phone calls. Other than that, no big events for the coming weeks-- just club schedule and the more logistical planning of college age stuff and dance class. I will keep you all updated on what's going on! Have a fabulous day!
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