A Very Interesting Week

This has been a pretty interesting week. Last Sunday seems like months ago, yet I feel like the week flew by. Besides the mundane routine tasks like laundry, cleaning and taking showers thrice a day, we kept very busy. Donna entered the week a little sick with body aches, no energy and all of the symptoms of intestinal issues which keep you close to the facilities. That means I got to fly solo for most of our classes. I missed having my partner by my side. On Tuesday, she was able to make it to the Red Cross with me. After class, the doctor, one of our students, did a free exam, including a blood test for Dengue Fever (also called Bone Crusher Disease). Praise God, the result was negative. The doctor gave her some antibiotics. She is better now, but still not up to par.

We acquired a new student for Wednesday afternoons. He is eleven. We meet at his mother’s tiny restaurant. The initial task will be teaching him Spanish grammar. You don’t realize the importance of the patterns in a language until you try to learn a new one. The first class went really well. He is a bright boy even though his attention span was only about 30 minutes. I guess that’s good for a boy his age.

On Thursday, we were invited to a birthday party for two young men. I was hesitant about going because I had begun to develop some of the less convenient symptoms of Donna’s troubles. I had promised to take photos, so I decided to risk it. We arrived at the appointed time only to find that we were the first guests. The party started about an hour later. This is very normal for Mexican culture. We’ve gotten used to it and we usually enjoy the results. We could adopt the custom, but I fear we’ll always be the punctual westerners. The food was well worth the wait. It was some of the best eats we’ve experienced since being here. In spite of eating too much, I had no stomach issues. We were blessed by being able to experience a beautiful part (family) of the Mexican culture.

Bernardo

Friday is our designated Sabbath. This is our day to relax, have fun, or just lay around. This week we chose to spend the day at the beach with our good friends Arturo y Beatriz (Art & Betty). It was our first trip to the beach in over a month. The water was unusually calm making the snorkeling extra good. We arrived early before the crowds and saw several Manta Rays. I was thrilled with the site of several large ones swimming within a few yards of me. I did think of Steve Irwin as two of them headed right for me. They must have decided I was too big to eat because they turned aside about 10 feet ahead of me. The most exciting part of the day was the cab ride to the beach. The driver, our student, and friend became our brother. Betty obediently shared the Gospel with him and he accepted God’s gift of salvation.

Donna & Jessica

Saturday night, we attended a birthday celebration at Art and Betty’s house for their friends whose birthdays are in August. Jessica celebrated her 11^th birthday. Donna celebrated a few more than that. It was a great time of fellowship.

We should be able to begin moving to the new apartment this week. Most of the work is complete. A few things are being redone for the third time. We looked at washing machines today. Used ones are hard impossible to find. They don’t have Craig’s List here. We aren’t sure how much help moving we’ll have. Anyone want to come down to give us a hand??? We’ll feed you, put you up and show you the sights.

What Good Am I?

Sometimes I struggle with why we are in Mexico. What good purpose is being served that makes it so necessary for us to be here? Why are we living in unfamiliar surroundings thousands of miles from the people we love and the comforts and conveniences of home? God most assuredly doesn’t need us here. His whole plan (or even a small part of it) wouldn’t have fallen apart had we failed to come. Yet in spite of the overwhelming logic against it, I know that God called us here. I ask God daily to reveal to me the unique element we are contributing to the accomplishment of His purposes in this remote (to home) location.

I must confess that as the experience affords a deeper glimpse into my own heart, I see that part of my motivation for coming here lies in my quest to find personal significance in life. This is not a valid or commendable reason for coming here. It certainly doesn’t justify asking people to support us financially. Nevertheless, I see God at work using even our shortcomings and questionable motives to accomplish His will. One good example is the fact that I get invited to preach in churches. It is not because the leaders see some super-spiritual quality in me. It is mostly because we are Americans. As such, we are somewhat of a novelty. But it opens the door for the message of God’s amazing grace to be proclaimed.

We move forward daily with our eyes open for opportunities to share love and to make connections with people. We are often surprised. Last week in our English class at the union hall, a question was asked which threw the door wide open for me to share my testimony. The next day we were there as invited guests for another part of their training. Things were said that showed that they heard the message.  A cab driver pauses and calls us back to the taxi in response to ‘God bless you’ so he can ask questions about God. We may never see the result of many of our activities, but we pray that God is using them. It the meantime, we are very blessed by the relationships we have made here.

In about two weeks, we will be moving to our new apartment. It is less than one block from where we are now. We have the second floor, two-bedroom unit in a brand new building. The new landlord has been overwhelmingly accommodating. Although the lease doesn’t officially start until the 29^th of this month, he has given us the keys with permission to do what we need to do to make it home. He referred to the Bible when he saw a stencil Donna had put on the wall. He knows we are Christians. I wonder if he knows that he built the building for us.

I have been hanging shelves in the kitchen since they don’t do cabinets here. We now know why. The house we are currently in has American-type cabinets. When we first moved in, we were pleased. We now know that cabinets become habitations and hiding places (and bathrooms!!) for creatures. There is nothing like finding lizard poop in your cereal bowl.

Possibly the best part about the new place is that it is less than half the monthly rent. We are within sight of the end of our savings. I will be making an appeal soon for supporters. We still need to raise about $600 per month consistently for living expenses. I confess to being shy about asking, especially in these tough economic times. I’m also torn between the George Mueller approach and ‘Ye have not because ye ask not.’ However it comes, we are trusting God to supply.

I leave you this week with encouragement to move purposefully into your calling whatever it might be and don't worry about making a mistake. He already knows about it, has it covered and He is using it.

The Benefits of Stress

Sometimes life can be very uncomfortable here. Yes, it is a beautiful place. I love the food (although the variety is somewhat limited), the scenery and the beaches. Most of all, the people here are amazingly wonderful. Las Bahias de Huatulco could truly be described as paradise. In spite of all of those wonderful aspects, being here can be quite uncomfortable at times. And I am not talking about the heat and humidity.

Back in Rockford, we were quite comfortable. We lived in a nice house in a nice neighborhood with nice neighbors. We knew our way around and where to find whatever we might need. We were very comfortable being a part of our church, Rockford First. I was more than comfortable with my job at the Rescue Mission. All in all, we knew where we were, where we fit and, more or less, what to expect next. In other words, we felt a strong sense of comfort and security.

This is quite a different world. The culture here is very different. There are different customs, different taboos and in many ways, a different way of thinking. Add the different language,  the lack of familiarity with the physical surroundings and other issues and you have the makings of a very stressful life. We have a whole lot to learn.

Please don't get the idea that I am complaining or trying to get anyone to feel sorry for us.  I am actually very thankful for these circumstances. As I contrast the comfort back in Rockford with the stresses of living here, I have begun to realize that too much comfort is not always a good thing. In this setting, we always have to be paying attention. There is precious little room to allow our minds to wander. Living in this kind of environment tends to keep us alert and focused. We cannot afford to put life on cruise control and coast through our days.

What I am seeing clearly is that too much comfort can lead to complacency, laziness and a lack of appreciation for the blessings we enjoy. When we pretty much know what to expect next, we can navigate life on autopilot without having to really pay much attention. The worst result of this is that we can start to lose focus on how blessed we are and how much we need God's presence in our life.

In Illinois, I almost always knew where I was. I could get where I wanted to be without having to think too much about it. The problem with that kind of comfort is that it leads to drift. It happens little by little as we stop paying attention and get distracted. Before you know it, you've made a wrong turn or two and wind up where you didn't want to be. I don't think the Israelites turned away from God all at once. It happened one small deviation at a time. Imagine if a current TV show were to air back in 1960!

We thank God for the different challenges we face in life here and pray that we never become too comfortable. We are thankful because it keeps our focus and dependance on God.

In addition to the individuals we teach, we are now doing English classes at the Red Cross and at the hotel workers union hall. At the end of the class time at the union hall last Thursday, the students asked us to keep going. They didn't want to stop.

I was invited to preach at another local church this Sunday. God is opening doors to the message of grace. I pray that I am capable and obedient in delivering it. I have a great translator helping with both the delivery and the structure of the messages. I'm a little way yet from being able to speak adequate Spanish.