here it is: one last post (until my next adventure to another world).
since i only had internet for about half my time in mexico, i wanted to share a small collection of the stories and photos that filled my time there. my goal is not to tell the places and people i saw but more importantly the ways in which i saw God glorified, the ways in which He more clearly revealed Himself to me, the ways in which He was able to use some gringa from fort wayne, indiana to advance his kingdom in ixtapaluca, mexico.
my "job" at the church wasn't really a job at all. unlike most missions trips where a team has to build a roof or do some predetermined, specific task, my job and the job of the other interns was to build relationships with the people in ixtapaluca. in other words: be a part of the church. live with the people, show them the love of christ. at first it was hard for me, because i'm a task-oriented person. i like direction. name the game; i'll do what i'm told. but oftentimes our work for the day was to have lunch at someone's house, be a gracious receiver of someone's hospitality, spend time with them, learn about their lives. other times, it was to go to a quinciñera or a fiesta (mexicans always have parties). at first i was a bit of a skeptic, but even in the short time i was there, i was able to see it pay off. the people we spent time with were the ones who began to come to church, ask important questions, give their lives to christ, and begin living for him. looking back, i'm glad we didn't have a more tangible, visible task-- it takes away all the glory of missions. the hero is Christ. i can honestly say anything that was done there was of God and not of my own hands, because all we did was live. all the work was done in the hearts of people, changed by the Holy Spirit.
this is my friend fernanda.
she is (i believe) six years old. i met her my very first night in mexico at a farewell party, where she sat down next to me and started playing with my hair and asking questions.
"what is your name?"
"where did you come from?"
"are you new?"
"did your mom braid your hair?"
"can you speak spanish?"
i was overwhelmed by being in mexico on the whole, but she was calming to be with. just a curious little kid. no expectations to meet or cultural rules to worry about breaking-- she didn't follow them half the time anyway in her childlike curiosity.
every time i saw her after that night at the despedida, fernanda came running up to me with hugs and kisses and excitement. one night, her mother brought her to bible study at the church. fernanda immediately claimed a bench next to mine, and opened up her bag to proudly show me:
"look what i brought! this is my bible." it was a thick little book, which she opened up to a page with some color and said "look here! my bible has maps in it. do you have a bible?" i handed her mine, and her eyes grew wide at the sight. "wow, your bible is big. do you have maps in your bible?" i opened my bible and pointed out some maps, and her eyes grew even bigger. "wow your bible has LOTS of maps." at this point, the bible study had begun and her talking became conspicuous in the silent room. i leaned over and told her "shhh. jim is teaching now." but like any kid, silence was short lived. she squirmed in her seat and flipped through her bible, looking at the pictures. she leaned over to my friend andrea and began talking again. andrea patiently answered a few questions and then told fernanda to listen. she sat still for a little bit and listened to jim teaching, then leaned over again and asked "who's jesus?"
who is jesus? the most innocent of questions. she really didn't know. somehow it was unbelievable to me. mexican culture is very catholic. and i mean very, very catholic. but it's not the catholicism of the united states-- mixed with superstition and magic, the message of jesus christ is lost completely. mary is absolutely everywhere. every neighborhood, every home, every business has a memorial, an altar, or a picture. people take their statues out for fresh air, walking them around the streets from time to time. fernanda knew of mary-- mary is ubiquitous, more noticeable when she's absent than present. but jesus hardly exists.
one of the biggest blessings for me was to be able to give fernanda a bible for kids that explains our failure and sin and God's plan for salvation throughout history, culminating in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. fernanda's mom, a new believer, thanked me profusely and promised to read it to her 4 kids. i am very thankful for the new church in ixtapaluca and for the fact that God is using it to reveal himself to people who are ready and willing to accept him in a society that doesn't.
this is my friend teo.
i met teo at the christian camp in amealco. he has a huge love for God, and a deep devotion to the word. he was born in mexico, but his family crossed the border illegally when he was about 9 years old, so he's spent more of his life in the united states. he grew up in a home without God. in fact he told me, "before, if someone would have asked me, i would have said 'umm catholic?' just because that's what mexicans are. but my family didn't believe in God." when he was 5 years old, his parents got him drunk for the first time, just because they thought it was funny, and taught him how to ride a bike, if that tells you anything about his life. in high school, he became a drug addict, into whatever he could get his hands on, whatever would keep him satisfied. his addiction ruled his life, and eventually it tore him apart. he didn't know what to do-- one day, broken and near the point of suicide, he cried out to God, saying "God, if you're really there and you really will come into my life, make it rain." within 20 minutes, the sky grew dark and it began to storm terribly. there was a tornado, but nothing could stop his elation... running around and shouting for joy, he became a christian that day. he gave up his drug addiction and sold his life to christ. i asked him if it was hard to give up the drugs, and he looked me in the eye and said "no. if i really believe God is who he says he is, then it's not impossible. i am free in Christ, no longer a slave to my sin, and the Spirit of God is inside of me." unfortunately, his family exiled him for becoming a christian. he was forced to live with uncles and friends, until he felt convicted to go back to mexico. he loved the united states, but felt as a believer he couldn't be here illegally. he went to puebla and entered the seminary there, but after living in the states for over half his life, encountered a lot of trouble. mexicans can be very judgmental against other mexicans, and his imperfect spanish made him a target and made him struggle to love his own people. but he continues to study, lacking only one year of school, and plans to minister in mexico, because he feels that's where God wants him to be, because he wants to be a part of the solution and not a critic of the problem.
teo was a huge encouragement to me, a clear example of the Spirit working to draw whom God chooses. there was nobody in his life to encourage teo to become a christian, and afterward he had to sacrifice everything for his faith-- his home, his family, his friends. he's a little like a huge, healthy tree in the middle of a desert... it almost makes no sense. but he helped me to realize God will use whoever he wants to use. he doesn't need our help (although he often allows us to help). if God calls you, absolutely nothing could keep you away from him, because he works even in the most adverse situations.
overall, i'm just in awe of who God is. being in another country helped open my eyes to how huge God is and how insignificant i am. he is working in all of creation, his ways are magnificent, and he is worthy of more praise than we could ever give him. until next time, i'm out.
salmos 8.1
"nuestro Dios y nuestro rey, ¡qué grande eres en toda la tierra! ¡tu grandeza está por encima de los cielos más altos!"
