June 21, 2009

This morning Maddai’s parents had trouble with their car so Miley, Danielle and I walked to church. I’m getting some good workouts here!

When we got there we went to Sunday School. I haven’t been to Sunday School since I was in high school, well and in Latin America. We learned how to show the evangecube. It was about the 5^th time I’ve been in a place where we have learned how to show it but always educational.

Then we went to Maddai’s grandparent’s house and had Sunday lunch with them while Maddai and her family went to buy bus tickets for our vacation later in the week. We just read a lot and slept and went to Maddai’s to prep for the service. I forgot how much I absolutely love prepping and planning services. It’s so fun! So I wrote and planned the service and the verses. Maddai’s dad, Samuel, did worship along with one of his buddies. You could tell they were having so much fun jamming together.

At 6 pm we went to the neighborhood and set up for the service and went and reminded the people that there was a service. And it turned out since it was Father’s Day that no one we originally invited could come. Many were having parties and were just not able to make it. We did have a good group of people anyways, we had: Mario (the DS) and his wife Judith, Samuel (Maddai’s dad), Samuel’s friend, Momita, Miley, Maddai, Miguel, Danielle and Lupitha (a woman from the community that just happened to be able to come). It ended up being a really beautiful service. I haven’t been a little frustrated lately with some things here and it reminded me of the beautiful wonderful hearts and people that I’m with and how beautifully amazing God’s love is. It was an intimate service and Lupitha became a new sister in Christ tonight. Mmmmm, I love it!

After, we went home and went to slept, much needed for the days ahead!

My Team:

I just realized that I haven’t introduced you all to my teammates yet.

This is Danielle:

She is 19 (turning 20 in less than a month!) and is so incredibly sweet, great and very willing to have God envelope her this summer as He has called her to this summer in Mexico. She is going to be a Junior at Olivet in the fall. Yep, she is a smartie and is graduating early. She speaks a lot of Spanish, but is still learning just like me.

This is Mayuli also known as Miley:

 

I gave her the nickname Miley. She is 24 and in the fall going to nursing school. She has a developing passion for God’s people and missions. She desires to have it be a strong part of her life and is just learning what that means by being involved in Youth in Mission this summer. She is so sweet and doesn’t speak much English, but is so willing to learn. We are getting close, she has a beautiful heart.

This is Maddai, our leader:

She is 21 and the evangelism coordinator for her district in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. She has an amazing passion for broken and lost people and desires like no one else I’ve seen for them to find their way home again. She is learning, making mistakes and learning how to be a great leader in Christ. She is young and it is usual here as well, for her to have the job she does but she gives a fresh new face to missions and a new outlook on the things she is doing and accomplishing. We could use more people like her in the U.S. She has a beautiful soul and we have been friends for over a year now. We are so similar in so many ways, mostly because we have very similar passions, helping people.

She has almost become fluent in English in less than year, which is an inspiration to me.

Then there is me:

My Spanish is definitely improving in the 2 weeks since I’ve been here. God is stretching me as a person more than I would have expected and my desires and passions as a person are changing and being transformed into something that I hope is more of Him and less of me. I’m learning a lot. And learning how to be more like the servant in Philippians 2:

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”

June 20, 2009

Today we went to the market a little later in the morning. 

Danielle and I went to Oxxo to get breakfast and buy batteries. It ends up being a good time in the morning that we can talk about things that are going on and kind of debrief in culture shocks and what not. We are making a list of all the culture differences and funny things that are happening. I’ll make sure to post sometime soon.

After Maddai’s mom dropped us off at the neighborhood and Maddai went to visit her sick grandpa. I’m glad she is finally spending some time with her family away from the team. She is ALWAYS working and putting things together for the times ahead. She has a wonderful and beautiful passion and heart for the broken and lost people. Just sometimes she needs to take a break. I swear she is going to get sick.

Miley, Danielle and I went to the neighborhood and rallied up all the people that could make it to the service and the times that would work for them and then set an exact time and told everyone that could go. There weren’t many at all!

After we went back to Maddai’s house and waited for a total of 5 minutes for Maddai, who wasn’t suppose to be back for another half hour (FYI: Maddai isn’t always the most tactful person and is almost always at LEAST a half an hour late) and then went on an adventure. We took a taxi to Walmart and an electronics store. It was a successful excursion. We all got something useful. Miley: bathing suit for vacation. Danielle: card reader for her pictures. Me: batteries for my camera.

When we got back an hour later than expected Maddai still wasn’t there. She was 2 hours late! We are going to try to teach her to be tactful and prompt this summer. TRY.

Elizabeth (Maddai’s mother, or like we like to call her Momita) made us lunch and by just about the time we were done Maddai came back.

Oh also! A few days ago Miley, Danielle and I got to make corn tortillas, it was so much!

Then we waited for Maddai to get ready, because they were going to a service at their church that night. Maddai dropped us off at the DS’ house and we dropped our laundry at the laundry mat as she went to the service at her church. We had to drop it off because the water at the DS’ house was dirty because of the rain. That’s different! They even said that our shower water might be dirty. Then we came back and dropped off our stuff and went on another adventure, mostly to get dinner. Over all it was a really fun day, full of lots of adventures!

June 19, 2009

DAY OFF! 

We slept in! We slept in until 11! I didn’t get out of bed until 11:45 because the book I’m reading, My Sister’s Keeper is so good!

We went to the store with Maddai and found her mom there and bought sushi. Then we went to Sarah’s (wonderfully sweet sister in the church, we ALL LOVE her!) and are almost an entire platter full of sushi, whoever said that its sketchy eating it here is wrong, this was my 2^nd time and it was delicious.

 After some good hang out time, we went to the “handy craft market”.Did I mention its been pouring rain lately?! All day rain. After we went to the plaza well the mall. Its where Samuel –Maddai’s brother- works. We ate American food today too! Then we just went home and went to sleep. 

June 18, 2009

This morning, Danielle and I, like usual, went to Oxxo in the morning while Maddai and Miley did discipleship lessons in the market. We ate breakfast in Oxxo. We went to the neighborhood to find one of the puppies we oogle over ever day- DEAD! It was SO SAD! They don’t take very good care of their animals here, its so sad. Maddai and Danielle called the Health Service Department to get the body taken away and they went and bought dog good for the remaining puppies and momma dog. RIP: 

While the rest of us (Samuel, Miley, and myself) made paint and painted trees until started it raining. Then we walked back to Maddai’s house and ate lunch.

After we walked back to the neighborhood to do discipleship lessons but most either weren’t home or didn’t have the time. So we used the time to talk about/plan the days to come with the church. We are mostly on lessons 3 with all the new believers, which talks about being the church – how to be the church. So on Sunday, we want to have a service and talk about what that means with everyone together and how we can help.

After said conversation and planning we went and did a discipleship lesson, then off to Office Depot. Which may actually be Danielle and Maddai’s favorite store, so funny. I think we all got something too. I got new headphones- they have a 24k gold plated plug hahaha so ridiculous!

Then we went back and listened to music and watched funny videos and ate dominoes pizza! Tomorrow is our day off! So excited! 

June 17, 2009

Was sick and creating self-entertainment most of the day. I watched the fashion channel in English, very enlightening- HA! Funny that that’s the channel in English here.
The team came back at 5 and we went to Maddai’s grandma’s house and ate cake. I swear cake is nothing special to this culture. I’ve had it twice, maybe more, since I’ve been here, less than one week.
Then we went to the neighborhood and cleaned up the paint and moved it to shelter from the rain, then subway. And then had a beautiful night downtown at the park and went to Miley’s favorite, The Italian Coffee Company.

Heres our group: From top left- Samuel, Miguel; Bottom left: Maddai, Miley, me, and Danielle:
When we went home Danielle and I read the best of CL (craigslist, its one of our new favorite nightly activities) and all went to bed.

June 16

I am sick, sick, sick! 

I stayed home from ministry today :-(

At one point during my day of rest and sickness the District Superintendent's wife (Judith) came in and woke me up and asked if herself and her husband could pray for me. It didn't quite register that they would be entering my room and not just praying for me alone. Mario (the DS) had me open to the book of James and read chapter 5:13-15, which says:

"¹³Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven."

After they anointed my forehead with oil and prayed over my body. It was different! At first thought, OH MY GOODNESS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Then I thought ya know they really do this here and they are so kind and wonderful people. 

Anyways, not much else happened on my end during the day. I had a great conversation with my dad today, finished a book (Black by Ted Dekker), watched part of a movie, slept, got a really encouraging and clearing of the thoughts email from my missionary friend Scott Armstrong, and was sick all day. I'm not much better now unfortunately. I'm hoping it will change by the morning, though I've obtained a fever recently.

Some things to keep in your thoughts and prayers for the team are:

*Good communication within the team

*Healing of the body and mind and spirit

*Joy and passion in everything we do and with everyone we serve

Love you all! Blessings!