Reflections from a Velada...

Recently one Saturday evening, our church had something called a "velada." It was simply a time of prayer and worship together. The velada reminded me of "Concerts of Prayer" that we used to have with our high school youth group or that we had at the beginning of each ministry week in New Orleans in the summer. I have always loved intentional times like these, where we spend time seeking the Lord and interceding for specific request together.

The velada was no exception--I loved it and desperately needed it. We had just finished our second week of Club, and it had also been a busy Saturday for me complete with Torta, a Club visit, and helping with the first youth group meeting of the fall. To be honest, I contemplated going home and just going to bed and not staying up at church for the velada. However, I was so glad I didn't because I was refreshed by God's presence as only He can do. As we were singing worship songs together in Spanish, I was just filled with joy over who God is and what He is doing through and in His church--all over the world. I also was powerfully struck by how all that really matters is the CENTRALITY OF CHRIST. All of our various ministry tasks and jobs are pointless if Christ is not central in them. My mind drifted to back home and teaching, and I thought about "why do I teach?" and "why I am here?" I realized that the answer is the same to both of those questions, just as it should be the same for even our reason for living...to glorify God and point to Christ. How that is fleshed out in our lives will look different at various seasons and according to what the Lord calls us to do in obedience, but the centrality of Jesus Christ must always be first and foremost in our lives. When my own soul is anchored in the centrality of Christ, then will He flow into others' lives, whether I am explaining long division or sharing the Gospel or preparing food for those who have none. May Jesus teach us how to abide in Him so that this will be true!

"For In him we live and move and have our being..." -Acts 17:28

Where Did August Go?

As I look at my calendar, I can scarcely believe that it is almost September. This past month seemed to fly by, probably because it was so busy with various things…

The first week of August we had the team from Chicago here (see blog entry below). After that, we spent a week preparing for VBS and also doing team-building. While some people do not always enjoy team-building games and such, I am actually usually a fan of them. (In fact, I was the only one of all my Samford friends that loved Connections/ Freshmen Orientation!) We had a digital camera scavenger hunt that was a lot of fun, and we did some other classics like not falling off a board while you arrange yourselves in a certain order and 2 truths and a lie. My favorite part though was when we all went around and shared what we hoped God would do through our ministry this year and also in our personal walks with Him. It was so encouraging to hear everyone’s responses, and I look forward to seeing how God works this year in and through each one of us.

The third week of August was VBS. We had around 200 kids at VBS each night, and it was great to see them excitedly come and enjoy the songs, lesson, small-group review, crafts, and more. I only got to participate in the first two days of VBS though because this week also included a quick and unplanned trip to the U.S. for me—to attend my grandmother’s funeral. While flying all day on Thursday and then again on Sunday was quite exhausting, I am so thankful that I could be there with my family to weep for our own loss but rejoice at my grandmother’s wonderful gain (Philippians 1:21). I will miss her dearly, but I thank God for the many years I had with my grandmother and for her strong faith.

Finally, this last week of August, we have begun our regular ministry year. It has been a busy but good week. Our 3 different Clubs have begun, and we have also started visiting the children in our respective groups. More on this later! For now, I’m off to enjoy the last few days of August…

VBS

Futbol y Mas

This past week, we had a small team from Chicago come here. The majority of the team was comprised of college soccer players, and they came to do sports outreaches (soccer and baseball) for the kids here. The first session was Sunday afternoon, and then we had sessions both in the morning and in the afternoon the next two days, and we ended with a morning session on Wednesday. The sessions were a mix of playing soccer or baseball games, learning a few new skills or drills, and times where the guys would share with the kids. During these times, the guys took turns sharing their testimonies or explaining the Gospel and doing short illustrations of it. A lot of prayer went into the week, and God definitely answered those prayers as the sports events and the entire week in general really went great. We are also hoping and praying that some of the new kids that attended this past week will come to VBS and Club in the future.

Personally, I really enjoyed the week. As I left the first session on Sunday evening with a sore throat and a huge smile on my face, I was reminded of how much I love recreational ministry. I love playing sports (even ones I’m not good at like soccer), but even more so, I love cheering for kids, helping them understand teamwork, and getting excited with them over even the smallest accomplishment. To a see a child’s face light up when they score a goal for the first time or to give them that high-five and encouraging word when they try their best and still don’t make it yet again, brings me so much joy. Several times this week, I thought about how much I loved doing Challenge Circle in the New Orleans projects and all the cheers we used to do to get the kids pumped up about Jesus and to teach them about the importance of teamwork and not giving up. Challenge Circle in the sultry, New Orleans summer evenings (and my whole summer in general at UIM) is one of my very favorite memories and experiences, and it was so fun to experience something similar to that this week. Encouraging kids and "cheering them on" is one of the parts I love most about being a teacher as well.

I had a few other highlights as well from this week. It was neat to have other Americans around this week and especially more people to speak English with. :) Also, I really enjoyed getting to know some of the ladies and teens from the church better when they would help us prepare the meals for the team. As we’d work together to get the meals ready, shared conversations and laughter would help ease my tiredness and make it fun. Finally, I am thankful for the fact that I didn’t have to say goodbye to kids this week. As the team took last day pictures and headed back to the U.S., I was glad for the fact that I am here for longer…to keep reaching out to these children day after day, in the name of Jesus.

First Few Weeks...

As of Friday, I will have been in Fresnillo for 3 weeks! Certainly, a lot has happened during that time. While we definitely have a set routine during the school year with Club activities and such, the summer is a much more laid-back and flexible time. It is a good time to gradually transition into my life and responsibilities here. So in answer to the question, "What have you been up to?", I'd have to say a little bit of everything! This has included Spanish lessons, work projects like painting and cleaning, visiting with both American team members and Mexican families here, going to church, planning for VBS in August, learning more about Mexican history and culture, trying to how to drive around town, and lots more.

Two things that are pretty constant even in the summer are Torta on Saturdays and Tuesday chores/team meetings. Torta is a free feeding outreach where we typically feed around 300 or more children and youth each Saturday. Naturally, it takes most of the day to prepare for this and then clean up from it. I have helped with Torta a couple of times since my arrival and love being able to serve the children in this way. Perhaps, I'll write a longer blog about Torta another day with pictures. Tuesdays are also still routine during the summer. Every Tuesday morning, we have to do chores at the ministry buildings. Then, we have a team lunch and team meeting in the afternoon to discuss different events coming up.

So in a nutshell, that's what I've been up to my first few weeks here. Adios para ahora!

Refreshment

Today, I had the most refreshing day! Mondays are our days off so they are always nice, but today was an especially great day. My roommate Elizabeth and I went to Zacatecas (the city) for part of the day. We live in the state of Zacatecas, but the capital of the state is also called Zacatecas, and it's quite a bit more modern than our city of Fresnillo. The drive is about an hour or a little longer so it's an easy day trip.

We began our "ZAC" day with a quick stop at Wal-Mart to buy a few supplies, and then we had the wonderful treat of going to Starbucks! I thoroughly enjoyed my delicious chai frappachino and was even able to use the Starbucks gift card I'd been given for my birthday a few weeks ago (thanks, Laura!). So fun!

We then headed to the old convent, which was where we had planned to spend the majority of our time. The convent was built in the 16th century and is now a fascinating mix of ruins and beautiful grounds. The big trees, lovely flowers, and incredible green grass were a welcome sight to this Southeastern girl! Needless to say, that's not the typical sight around here. We split up and each found our own little space among the convent grounds and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of journaling, praying, reading, reflection, etc.

As I was reading the familiar words of Psalm 139, God gave me a fresh insight into one of the verses. "Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them." (vs. 14) For some reason, the words DAYS just jumped out of the page for me today as I thought about my days here in Mexico. After only being here for just over two weeks, I am not exactly sure what my all my days here will look like. I usually know what I'm doing this week, and I have a picture in my mind of what I think this year will look like, but it's only blurry right now. As I thought about this verse, I was struck by how the Lord knows what EVERY one of my days will be like here. He knows when and why I will have a day that makes me cry. He knows the days that will cause me to be elated with joy as I interact with children and watch them grow in their understanding of Christ. He knew that today I would have a great day, complete with my chai frappachino. As they say in Mexico, "que chido" or "how cool!"

Elizabeth and I with our Starbucks!

the ruins of the 16th century convent

Some girls show how delightful the grass is!

Fresa

In Mexico, visiting people in their homes is very important. People show their love and respect by hosting others in their homes and providing a meal, and you honor them when you come for a visit at their houses. In fact, you're not even supposed to wait for an invitation...you are supposed to invite yourself over! Thus, visiting church members in their homes is something we do a lot of around here to build relationships. Since Felicia and I are new and still learning Spanish, we have been going on various visits with some of our other team members. Each family is so kind and generous, and it is a privilege to be welcomed into their homes.

Today, I went with my two of my roommates, Karen and Felicia, to Dona Olga's house. Dona Olga was one of the very first members of the church and has hosted in her home every missionary who has ever been here (or at least, I think that's what she said!). She has several daughters ranging in age from 12 to 24, and they joined us today for the meal and visit. We had such a blast talking and laughing with them! Olga endearingly calls them "locas" or crazy; they have contagious smiles and laughs and are constantly making jokes or telling stories. My favorite topic of conversation today was about the word, "fresa."

You might know that fresa means strawberry in Spanish. Today, I learned another meaning for the word fresa. It can be used as an adjective and might loosely be translated "girly." A "chica fresa" would be someone who likes to buy new clothes, always wants her outfits to be coordinated, enjoys bright colors, is constantly fixing her hair, etc. Olga named a few people we know who might be considered this, and then looked at me and told me that I was somewhat "fresa" even though she barely knows me. Felicia then heartily agreed with this statement! As we continued to talk about different examples of fresa, they definitely came to this conclusion.

I guess this makes sense because if someone asked me if I considered myself girly, I would say "yes, somewhat." Ever since I was little, I have liked my clothes to match, and I do usually make sure that I have a hairbrush with me at all times. I made sure to explain to Olga that I still loved playing sports though! Makes me think of how my high school volleyball team was very competitive, but yet we all wore matching ribbons in our hair. :)

So, today I learned that I not only love to eat fresas, but I also am a bit fresa.

Bienvenida a Mexico!

Well, I have now spent five full days in Fresnillo, Mexico!  I'm very thankful that all of the travel details and plans went so well.  After a bittersweet time of prayer and goodbyes with my wonderful parents in the Tallahassee airport on Thursday, I flew to Dallas where I (and my bags!) thankfully made a tight connection and then caught a plane to McAllen, TX, with the other new missionary, Felicia.  In McAllen, we were welcomed by three of our CFCI teammates and they drove us to Fresnillo the following day.  We arrived in Fresnillo late Friday night, tired but grateful for how well everything had gone even at the border.

My first few days have obviously been spent meeting lots of people, adjusting to a new culture and home, unpacking, and hearing A LOT of Spanish and speaking SOME Spanish.  I'm thankful to be able to understand a good deal of what I hear, but I feel like I have a long way to go in terms of speaking it myself.  Naturally, all of this can be somewhat overwhelming at times, but the Lord has been so gracious in protecting me and daily uplifting me.  I have truly felt people's prayers and am so grateful for them.  

Rather than focus solely on the transition though, I want to share a few recent highlights of the past few days that have brought smiles to my face...

• the genuine kindness and friendliness of the CFCI team here--I have felt so welcomed and loved already
• Sunday's church service--we sang one of my favorite Hillsong songs, "From the Inside Out" in Spanish
• anytime I get to eat fruits and vegetables (safe ones, of course)
• climbing a nearby mountain on our free day and being outside in nature
• wireless internet in my room here--such an amazing blessing! :) 

More highlights to come soon, I'm sure...