It's not often that culture shock really hits me any more. Not that I am above culture shock, just that I continue to adapt to the Latin culture more and more. While I may have moments of confusion or discomfort, I generally feel fairly comfortable in most situations these days, or at least I can sort of figure out what's going on.
So it really caught me by surprise the other day when something happened that left me standing speechless, mouth hung open.
The kids and I went to a balneario (swimming pool) last Sunday with our neighbors and some of their friends. I went to the locker room to change into my swimsuit. I didn't see any changing rooms, so just changed in one of the toilet stalls. When I came out, that's when I saw it. Women walking around, well, completely naked. No pena (shame). No attempts to even try to cover any part of themselves as they walked back and forth to the showers and toilet stalls. I think I froze. I hope I didn't stare! Am I just a prude?
It's not like I'm not used to nudity...after all, the tribal group my parents worked with in Colombia didn't really use much clothing and it never really bothered or affected me because that's just the way they were and I accepted it.
But I guess this is one aspect of the Mexican culture that I had not yet been exposed to (no pun intended!), because it really caught me unaware. I returned to where my friends were sitting and I debated whether or not to mention it, but then I realized it was a great opportunity to get some further insight into the culture here.
They laughed when I told them, and it did lead into an interesting conversation about cultural perspectives on modesty, etc. Apparently, complete nudity is quite common here in women's locker rooms and steam baths and is nothing to be embarrassed about.
They were quite interested in the fact that the nudity would surprise me since they had the idea that everyone from the U.S. is quite liberal in all things. I shared with them that not all Americans are frat-party, girls-gone-wild, Spring-Break-at-Panama-City-Beach sort of people like they might see on t.v. That some of us are from staid, Bible-beltish Midwest region and we don't necessarily care to bare ourselves in front of other people at the drop of a hat.
Most locker rooms in the U.S. that I've seen have individual changing rooms and I would say that most people, well, women anyway (I don't think that I am qualified to comment on men's locker room habits), would avail themselves of the changing rooms instead of changing out in the open. And most would probably use a towel or something to cover at least some part of their bodies in the locker room (of course, I could be out of touch with reality since I'm not that up on popular culture back in the U.S. these days).
We talked about other aspects of modesty, other differences. In Mexico, many women feel very comfortable showing more cleavage than is normal in the U.S. (well, at least in many places in the states and among more conservative people). It is more appropriate for women in the U.S. to cover up more of the chest area than here in Mexico.
On the other hand, most Mexican women cover up their legs much more than in the U.S. My friends told me that until recently, most women still wore skirts in this part of the country. While pants and blue jeans are now very common here, skirts are still worn by many older women, especially in the more rural areas.
Although it was interesting for me to notice that at the pool, there was a wide range of bathing suits, from quite revealing to rather modest. I gather that in that particular setting, it is not inappropriate to wear even a very revealing suit. I did notice, however, that while not actually in the pool, most of the women preferred to wear some sort of cover over their suit. And there were quite a few older women who didn't even swim or get close to the pool, they were there just to accompany the family.
In comparison to the U.S., shorts are rarely worn in public here in Mexico except for specific events, such as for exercise and sports. According to my friends, this is because the sight of skin on legs, especially above the knee, is more of a turn-on for Latin guys. Pants and jeans are often very tight, but as long as skin is not showing it is considered modest. My neighbor told me that in many cases of violence against a woman, she might be blamed for the violence by dressing provocatively, showing too much of her legs.
This is an interesting contrast because in the U.S. shorts and short skirts are very common and not necessarily considered immodest or inappropriate for public attire.
So anyway, I've been thinking more about cultural differences and how much I have yet to learn about the Mexican culture. There will most likely be some more surprises for me around the corner...
So when it came time to change back into our regular clothes, Gracia and I headed back to the locker room. We thought about changing in the main room just like everyone else, but when push came to shove, we just couldn't do it...so it was back to the toilet stalls for us...maybe next time.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Saturday, March 10, 2012
What Will be Keeping Me Busy
This is what will be keeping me busy for the next two weeks...getting all these cards ready to mail to our supporters!
There is a group coming from our home church in Arkansas next week, so this will be a great chance for us to send mail. The postal service isn't used very much here in Mexico, so we wait for these kinds of opportunity to send mail to the U.S. We're also looking forward to having the group here, it's a group of high school seniors accompanied by some leaders and our missions pastor. Miguel has been helping plan and coordinate their trip and will be hanging out with them while they are here.
I made all these cards last week, there are about 50 of them or so...I kind of lost count after a while and I secretly hope I will need to make some more because it was fun! I felt a bit sad when I was done because I think I really enjoy making the cards more than I enjoy writing in them! It's not that I don't like writing letters because I really do, especially imagining people receiving a little note from us, but I really do like making cards!
This is a fairly simple pattern. I used white or colored card stock and chose either a patterned or solid colored paper for the front panel. I stamped the front panel before pasting it (I really like to use a glue or tape runner) to the front of the card. Some of the cards say 'Thanks Very Much' and 'Gracias', some say 'greetings from Mexico!'. But this card would be cute as a birthday card or something else.
Side note: I often use the clear stamps (also called cling stamps) because then I can use the alphabet sets to write all different kinds of things or write in Spanish. There aren't many rubber stamps available in Spanish, so the alphabet sets have been really useful to me. I have invested in several different alphabet sets in various sizes in both the clear and rubber stamps. This also saves on storage since I don't have a lot of different stamps to keep track of.
On some of the papers, I took a napkin (a q-tip would have probably worked better, lol!) and rubbed some black ink around the edges of the panel. I really liked how it dressed up the card.
I stamped a matching flower pattern on different paper, again, either a solid color or print, and then I cut out the flower and used a double sided adhesive foam pad to make it stand out from the card. As an added touch, I pasted a flower and stamped a little 'hola' on the inside.
Cutting out the flowers was by far the most time-consuming part of making this card, but it was worth it because I really love how it turned out.
So, now I really need to get to work on writing in them!
There is a group coming from our home church in Arkansas next week, so this will be a great chance for us to send mail. The postal service isn't used very much here in Mexico, so we wait for these kinds of opportunity to send mail to the U.S. We're also looking forward to having the group here, it's a group of high school seniors accompanied by some leaders and our missions pastor. Miguel has been helping plan and coordinate their trip and will be hanging out with them while they are here.
I made all these cards last week, there are about 50 of them or so...I kind of lost count after a while and I secretly hope I will need to make some more because it was fun! I felt a bit sad when I was done because I think I really enjoy making the cards more than I enjoy writing in them! It's not that I don't like writing letters because I really do, especially imagining people receiving a little note from us, but I really do like making cards!
This is a fairly simple pattern. I used white or colored card stock and chose either a patterned or solid colored paper for the front panel. I stamped the front panel before pasting it (I really like to use a glue or tape runner) to the front of the card. Some of the cards say 'Thanks Very Much' and 'Gracias', some say 'greetings from Mexico!'. But this card would be cute as a birthday card or something else.
Side note: I often use the clear stamps (also called cling stamps) because then I can use the alphabet sets to write all different kinds of things or write in Spanish. There aren't many rubber stamps available in Spanish, so the alphabet sets have been really useful to me. I have invested in several different alphabet sets in various sizes in both the clear and rubber stamps. This also saves on storage since I don't have a lot of different stamps to keep track of.
On some of the papers, I took a napkin (a q-tip would have probably worked better, lol!) and rubbed some black ink around the edges of the panel. I really liked how it dressed up the card.
I stamped a matching flower pattern on different paper, again, either a solid color or print, and then I cut out the flower and used a double sided adhesive foam pad to make it stand out from the card. As an added touch, I pasted a flower and stamped a little 'hola' on the inside.
Cutting out the flowers was by far the most time-consuming part of making this card, but it was worth it because I really love how it turned out.
So, now I really need to get to work on writing in them!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Life on Tochtli Street
We were recently offered another house to rent here in Puebla and we considered it, since our current house is a bit tight for our family of six (plus dog, turtle and snail). But as I began thinking about moving to a different neighborhood, I realized how much we've made a home here on Tochtli Street and how much I would really hate to leave!
Within one or two blocks from our house, we have at least three little neighborhood stores that sell anything from diapers to candy to onions and tomatoes. Prices are a little higher than at the bigger stores, but in a pinch, it's handy to have somewhere to buy a liter of milk or a half a kilo of eggs when we suddenly run out. We also have a papelería two streets over...I have not visited the papelería, but they sell things like paper products, pens, pencils, wrapping paper and they also make copies. Again, probably a little more expensive than a larger store, but nice to have in the neighborhood as well. Other businesses in the neighborhood include estéticas (beauty shops), at least one lavandería (laundromat), a little gift shop and several houses on our street cook and sell tacos and other yummy Mexican antojitos (cravings, literally) most evenings.
We're getting to know a lot of the neighbors (and their children!). The neighbors that live in the tall white house next door invited us to eat at their house a few weeks ago and we enjoyed spending some time with them. They have an amazing house! One thing that was really interesting was the large round window that separates their garage area from the living room area on the ground floor...I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before and it is really cool. That top floor is a laundry room and the second floor has a really amazing play room. They showed us how they installed glass stairs and hallways on the different floors so that the light comes down from the fourth floor all the way to the kitchen on the ground floor! It is very common for people to add on to their houses since the original houses are very small. This is an example of how a small house on a small lot can be turned into a very large house with a little creativity!
We don't see these particular neighbors a whole lot, we usually just greet them as we pass in the street. Their kids are very nice, but unfortunately don't play outside with the other kids very much so our kids haven't had much opportunity to make friends with them. The other day, however, this neighbor's truck wouldn't start, so Miguel helped him find the problem. We always like to look for ways to be good neighbors by helping out whenever we can.
Across the street from us there is a carpenter who has made a shop in his carport. This is very common, we've seen many 'home carpenter' shops around. He used to live a few houses down, but had to store all of his tools away every night since that house didn't have a front gate/fence. Now they live in this house a few doors down with a gate, which is much more convenient for them, I'm sure. The carpenter works all hours of the day and night and we often hear him still hammering at 10 p.m. or so! Good thing he doesn't live next door to us! Miguel has helped the carpenter deliver his finished pieces several times since he doesn't have a vehicle and once lent him some money to buy some varnish so he could complete an order. One time his son had an ear ache, so we gave them some medicine for it.
Right next door to our house is a little kindergarten. Classes usually run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There are about 20 children who attend this school and they can make a lot of racket! Most of the time, however, there is no one there and it means that we can park our van right in front of both houses at night (our van is longer than the house is wide and doesn't fit in front of our house!). We used to park the van in our garage, but it is such a tight fit that now we just leave it outside. Many people park their cars outside at night and it doesn't seem to be a problem. On weekday mornings, we try to remember to move the van before 9 a.m. so that we don't block their gate when the kids start arriving.
Down the street, there is a lady who has a soft spot for animals. She is always rescuing dogs or cats and also has a lot of parakeets. If we want to have a conversation with her, we just ask her about her animals. She also feeds the pigeons and other birds that hang around the neighborhood.
There are some neighbors that haven't been as friendly, however, such as the family that lives about five houses down from us who never, ever greet us. They also drive their van down the street a little too quickly and we worry about the kids playing in the street sometimes. There is also a lady that lives across the street who allows her rather aggressive dog to run loose sometimes. This dog, named Lucky, has bitten Jojo and a few weeks ago also bit a friend who was here visiting Micah. When Miguel and our friend's mom went to confront the lady about it, she denied everything and then began to tell us about all the bad things our kids have supposedly done to her house and car. She even threatened to take us to court, but I don't think she was serious, I think she was just defending herself and trying to deflect attention from the real issue. We have noticed that the dog hasn't been running free so much lately, so hopefully they will keep it restrained more in the future and we do hope we don't have any more problems with it!
Some other neighbors told us that this lady's older son is in jail for drugs and that her other son is a drug addict, which if true, is a very sad situation. Her son does like to have really loud parties and crank the music up sometimes. One weekend the music was on pretty much nonstop day and night. A week or so ago, we began hearing really loud music again and we thought it was coming from this house, but it turned out to be a seafood restaurant that opened up one street over. According to a Mexican friend, seafood restaurants have a fama (reputation) for playing their music really loud and this apparently attracts customers. We haven't heard the music so much this week, so maybe it was on to announce the grand opening.
Two doors down, on the other side of the kindergarten, is a family who is staying there temporarily while they wait for their house to be ready. They have a son who is about Gracia's age and our kids play with him often. Sometimes we've given him drinks or snacks and he often borrows our kids' bicycles and scooters. The other day, the dad talked with Miguel and told him how much they appreciated how kind we were to their son and that we had always treated them well. They offered to take Gracia to Irish dance classes at an Irish dance school that they and their older son own and they aren't charging us anything for the classes. So now Gracia goes to dance classes with them twice a week and is loving it!
Three doors down live our closest friends here on the block, Liberal and Gloria. We've spent quite a bit of time with them and celebrated New Year's Eve with them and their extended family.
When we travel, we leave some house keys for them so they can watch our house. Our kids often hang out at their house and they treat them like their own. Liberal and Gloria have both been an invaluable resource for us regarding Mexican culture, Mexican cooking, prices, places to go, interesting cultural events and even neighborhood issues. I often go visit Gloria and we keep an eye on the kids or enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee and talk about all kinds of things. I have really enjoyed connecting with Gloria and I hope that our friendship can continue for many years.
A few weeks ago, we started noticing a young man carrying around some American football equipment, which was interesting since American football is not very common here. It turns out that he lives at the end of the street and is the son of one of Gloria's good friends, Maribel. Miguel has struck up a friendship with this joven (young man) and we are getting him some much-needed football equipment from the U.S. since it is hard to find in this area. Maribel also has two younger boys who play with Jojo most afternoons.
Although our street is fairly quiet, there is quite a bit of movimiento (movement) every day...it begins around 6:30 a.m. with the bottled gas trucks making their rounds. Each truck has a unique alarm, song or sound to let their clients know that they are coming and it's always very loud! Throughout the day, there are other alarms or notifications of services, from the clanging bell that announces the trash to the drinking water trucks to the guy that rides by on his bicycle with a whistle (not sure exactly what he offers yet!) to the people selling tlacoyos (sort of a bean or pork rind stuffed tortilla), etc. Every night there is a man who comes by selling pastries who has a very unique (and loud) call/yell. There is also a little Volkswagon van that faithfully shows up around 10 p.m. at night with the same announcement playing on the loudspeaker every time offering healthy, home-cooked food. One night we happened to be out when it went by and we actually saw two little old ladies sitting inside cooking up the food!
Every morning when we walk the dog, we pass by this food stand located at the entrance to our neighborhood.
It is open Tuesdays through Sundays from about 7 a.m. to noonish. It is run by a neighbor lady and we've been making friends with her since we often buy her quesadillas. The corn dough is delivered fresh every morning and she has a griddle inside where she cooks the tortillas and gorditas and other items she makes to sell. Our favorite quesadilla comes with a shredded tomato/chicken sauce, boiled potatoes and string cheese. Each once costs 13 pesos, or about 90 cents. Our whole family can eat well for around 80 pesos or about 6$ USD if we don't buy drinks...delicious! Sometimes Miguel and I will sneak in a quesadilla or two in the mornings before the kids wake up...
We also like having the soccer fields so close to our house so that we can go walk the dog or throw his ball. There are two full-size soccer fields and two smaller fields in this huge empty lot. The kids like to go with us and ride their bikes or play while we exercise the dog. Many people from the neighborhood walk their dogs or exercise at the campos (the soccer fields) and we're beginning to recognize some of them. On Sundays the campos are really busy since a lot of soccer games and tournaments are played there on the weekends. If we buy quesadillas on Sundays, we like to get their early before the rush!
In the end, we decided not to take the other house, mostly because of it's location. It's all the way on the other side of the city and we prefer to stay on this side to be closer to our church and our friends.
And while I'd really love to have a bigger house, I think I'm rather relieved that for now, we'll stay in our little house here on Tochtli Street.
Our house is on the other side of
that tall white one.
Within one or two blocks from our house, we have at least three little neighborhood stores that sell anything from diapers to candy to onions and tomatoes. Prices are a little higher than at the bigger stores, but in a pinch, it's handy to have somewhere to buy a liter of milk or a half a kilo of eggs when we suddenly run out. We also have a papelería two streets over...I have not visited the papelería, but they sell things like paper products, pens, pencils, wrapping paper and they also make copies. Again, probably a little more expensive than a larger store, but nice to have in the neighborhood as well. Other businesses in the neighborhood include estéticas (beauty shops), at least one lavandería (laundromat), a little gift shop and several houses on our street cook and sell tacos and other yummy Mexican antojitos (cravings, literally) most evenings.
We're getting to know a lot of the neighbors (and their children!). The neighbors that live in the tall white house next door invited us to eat at their house a few weeks ago and we enjoyed spending some time with them. They have an amazing house! One thing that was really interesting was the large round window that separates their garage area from the living room area on the ground floor...I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before and it is really cool. That top floor is a laundry room and the second floor has a really amazing play room. They showed us how they installed glass stairs and hallways on the different floors so that the light comes down from the fourth floor all the way to the kitchen on the ground floor! It is very common for people to add on to their houses since the original houses are very small. This is an example of how a small house on a small lot can be turned into a very large house with a little creativity!
We don't see these particular neighbors a whole lot, we usually just greet them as we pass in the street. Their kids are very nice, but unfortunately don't play outside with the other kids very much so our kids haven't had much opportunity to make friends with them. The other day, however, this neighbor's truck wouldn't start, so Miguel helped him find the problem. We always like to look for ways to be good neighbors by helping out whenever we can.
I think it's the tallest house in the neighborhood
and it can be seen from blocks around.
Across the street from us there is a carpenter who has made a shop in his carport. This is very common, we've seen many 'home carpenter' shops around. He used to live a few houses down, but had to store all of his tools away every night since that house didn't have a front gate/fence. Now they live in this house a few doors down with a gate, which is much more convenient for them, I'm sure. The carpenter works all hours of the day and night and we often hear him still hammering at 10 p.m. or so! Good thing he doesn't live next door to us! Miguel has helped the carpenter deliver his finished pieces several times since he doesn't have a vehicle and once lent him some money to buy some varnish so he could complete an order. One time his son had an ear ache, so we gave them some medicine for it.
Right next door to our house is a little kindergarten. Classes usually run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There are about 20 children who attend this school and they can make a lot of racket! Most of the time, however, there is no one there and it means that we can park our van right in front of both houses at night (our van is longer than the house is wide and doesn't fit in front of our house!). We used to park the van in our garage, but it is such a tight fit that now we just leave it outside. Many people park their cars outside at night and it doesn't seem to be a problem. On weekday mornings, we try to remember to move the van before 9 a.m. so that we don't block their gate when the kids start arriving.
Down the street, there is a lady who has a soft spot for animals. She is always rescuing dogs or cats and also has a lot of parakeets. If we want to have a conversation with her, we just ask her about her animals. She also feeds the pigeons and other birds that hang around the neighborhood.
There are some neighbors that haven't been as friendly, however, such as the family that lives about five houses down from us who never, ever greet us. They also drive their van down the street a little too quickly and we worry about the kids playing in the street sometimes. There is also a lady that lives across the street who allows her rather aggressive dog to run loose sometimes. This dog, named Lucky, has bitten Jojo and a few weeks ago also bit a friend who was here visiting Micah. When Miguel and our friend's mom went to confront the lady about it, she denied everything and then began to tell us about all the bad things our kids have supposedly done to her house and car. She even threatened to take us to court, but I don't think she was serious, I think she was just defending herself and trying to deflect attention from the real issue. We have noticed that the dog hasn't been running free so much lately, so hopefully they will keep it restrained more in the future and we do hope we don't have any more problems with it!
Some other neighbors told us that this lady's older son is in jail for drugs and that her other son is a drug addict, which if true, is a very sad situation. Her son does like to have really loud parties and crank the music up sometimes. One weekend the music was on pretty much nonstop day and night. A week or so ago, we began hearing really loud music again and we thought it was coming from this house, but it turned out to be a seafood restaurant that opened up one street over. According to a Mexican friend, seafood restaurants have a fama (reputation) for playing their music really loud and this apparently attracts customers. We haven't heard the music so much this week, so maybe it was on to announce the grand opening.
Two doors down, on the other side of the kindergarten, is a family who is staying there temporarily while they wait for their house to be ready. They have a son who is about Gracia's age and our kids play with him often. Sometimes we've given him drinks or snacks and he often borrows our kids' bicycles and scooters. The other day, the dad talked with Miguel and told him how much they appreciated how kind we were to their son and that we had always treated them well. They offered to take Gracia to Irish dance classes at an Irish dance school that they and their older son own and they aren't charging us anything for the classes. So now Gracia goes to dance classes with them twice a week and is loving it!
Three doors down live our closest friends here on the block, Liberal and Gloria. We've spent quite a bit of time with them and celebrated New Year's Eve with them and their extended family.
Liberal and Gloria with a Mexican dish cooked
in a traditional clay pot.
When we travel, we leave some house keys for them so they can watch our house. Our kids often hang out at their house and they treat them like their own. Liberal and Gloria have both been an invaluable resource for us regarding Mexican culture, Mexican cooking, prices, places to go, interesting cultural events and even neighborhood issues. I often go visit Gloria and we keep an eye on the kids or enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee and talk about all kinds of things. I have really enjoyed connecting with Gloria and I hope that our friendship can continue for many years.
A few weeks ago, we started noticing a young man carrying around some American football equipment, which was interesting since American football is not very common here. It turns out that he lives at the end of the street and is the son of one of Gloria's good friends, Maribel. Miguel has struck up a friendship with this joven (young man) and we are getting him some much-needed football equipment from the U.S. since it is hard to find in this area. Maribel also has two younger boys who play with Jojo most afternoons.
Although our street is fairly quiet, there is quite a bit of movimiento (movement) every day...it begins around 6:30 a.m. with the bottled gas trucks making their rounds. Each truck has a unique alarm, song or sound to let their clients know that they are coming and it's always very loud! Throughout the day, there are other alarms or notifications of services, from the clanging bell that announces the trash to the drinking water trucks to the guy that rides by on his bicycle with a whistle (not sure exactly what he offers yet!) to the people selling tlacoyos (sort of a bean or pork rind stuffed tortilla), etc. Every night there is a man who comes by selling pastries who has a very unique (and loud) call/yell. There is also a little Volkswagon van that faithfully shows up around 10 p.m. at night with the same announcement playing on the loudspeaker every time offering healthy, home-cooked food. One night we happened to be out when it went by and we actually saw two little old ladies sitting inside cooking up the food!
Every morning when we walk the dog, we pass by this food stand located at the entrance to our neighborhood.
It is open Tuesdays through Sundays from about 7 a.m. to noonish. It is run by a neighbor lady and we've been making friends with her since we often buy her quesadillas. The corn dough is delivered fresh every morning and she has a griddle inside where she cooks the tortillas and gorditas and other items she makes to sell. Our favorite quesadilla comes with a shredded tomato/chicken sauce, boiled potatoes and string cheese. Each once costs 13 pesos, or about 90 cents. Our whole family can eat well for around 80 pesos or about 6$ USD if we don't buy drinks...delicious! Sometimes Miguel and I will sneak in a quesadilla or two in the mornings before the kids wake up...
We also like having the soccer fields so close to our house so that we can go walk the dog or throw his ball. There are two full-size soccer fields and two smaller fields in this huge empty lot. The kids like to go with us and ride their bikes or play while we exercise the dog. Many people from the neighborhood walk their dogs or exercise at the campos (the soccer fields) and we're beginning to recognize some of them. On Sundays the campos are really busy since a lot of soccer games and tournaments are played there on the weekends. If we buy quesadillas on Sundays, we like to get their early before the rush!
In the end, we decided not to take the other house, mostly because of it's location. It's all the way on the other side of the city and we prefer to stay on this side to be closer to our church and our friends.
And while I'd really love to have a bigger house, I think I'm rather relieved that for now, we'll stay in our little house here on Tochtli Street.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Family Camp
What started as an online friendship with the ABCDs has developed into a real-life friendship now that we're living in central Mexico. Besides enjoying their friendship, we've also enjoyed their library plus their invitation to join them at what was termed MK Family Spiritual Emphasis Camp 2012 by our fearless director.
We are already looking forward to camp next year!
Basically, we thought of it as family camp since we went as a family and there were several other families there as well. It was also a nice family 'vacation' for us, even though we kinda "worked" (didn't feel much like work, though) and were in different cabins. We were able to take the puppy also and he really enjoyed spending some time in the great outdoors (sadly, the snail and the turtle had to stay behind).
Miguel and I had the opportunity to teach the older youth during their chapel times and we covered four stories about the Israelites found in Numbers 11-15 as a way of illustrating and exploring some Bible storying concepts. Miguel was the counselor for the older boys and we helped out a bit in the kitchen and with crafts.
It was a lot colder at camp than here in Puebla, so we were glad that we went prepared for the colder weather! During the day, it was very nice, but as soon as the sun went down the temps really dropped...there was a significant altitude difference, which is why the weather was cooler there.
Here are few pictures of our adventure at camp...for more pictures, go here or here or here!
Miguel and I had the opportunity to teach the older youth during their chapel times and we covered four stories about the Israelites found in Numbers 11-15 as a way of illustrating and exploring some Bible storying concepts. Miguel was the counselor for the older boys and we helped out a bit in the kitchen and with crafts.
It was a lot colder at camp than here in Puebla, so we were glad that we went prepared for the colder weather! During the day, it was very nice, but as soon as the sun went down the temps really dropped...there was a significant altitude difference, which is why the weather was cooler there.
Here are few pictures of our adventure at camp...for more pictures, go here or here or here!
We enjoyed the scenery on the way to camp...that's
really red dirt there!
The view from the front of my cabin...the
kitchen/auditorium area
is down beyond those vehicles and the bathrooms
are in the building on the right of the picture. The
cabins were very comfortable, but it sure
was hard to get out of my nice warm bed
at 3 a.m. to trek all the way over there to go potty!
We had some great worship times led
by another missionary. I think Miguel was
making a J for J-O-Y although
it looks like everyone else had
already moved on to Y!
Jkaile with a buñuelo, similar to a funnel cake.
Meals were delicious!
I think the snack shop was our kids' favorite
'activity' at camp!
Their not-so-favorite thing...dishes!
On our way back from camp, we stopped by a little
town known for selling clay pots and other decorative items.
Apparently jack-o-lanterns are in high demand,
they were everywhere!
I got a kick out of these pots
drying on top of this building. They
are all so perfectly lined up!
We stopped at several of the different shops...it was
hard to choose what to buy! So many pretty things...
I loved this one! We bought several of these,
but unpainted.
I really loved these iguanas painted
in the talavera style...maybe next time!
It was also interesting to see many Otomí people
in traditional dress...there are many communities
of Otomí in this area.
We are already looking forward to camp next year!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Ministry Update
A year ago, I posted about our new direction in ministry. A Turning Point, I called it, and it has certainly turned out to be exactly that! A year later, we have certainly reached many of our objectives as we've been here in Puebla for nearly six months.
There have been some recent developments, however, more turning points if you will, as we have worked together with our different leaderships (three of them, to be exact!) in defining what our involvement with this ministry will look like.
I think it actually started soon after we arrived, because I remember Miguel sharing with me some of his thoughts about how he was sensing God's leading...and it was a bit different than what we'd thought we'd be doing. It really shook me up! I mean, we had just spent months casting vision for a certain direction of ministry with all of our friends, family and supporters and now we up and say we're not going to do that?!
But that's not what Miguel was saying, exactly...he wasn't saying that we were changing ministries at all, just that he had a sense that maybe God was going to change the how of our involvement. After I remembered that I am supposed to be trusting God to lead us through Miguel's ministry decisions, I settled down, apologized for freaking out, and found peace in waiting to see where and how God would lead.
Last October, we had some meetings with our leaders from Pioneers, our missions pastor, and the leadership of El Camino, our church here in Puebla. The day before we all met together, we spent several hours with just our leadership from Pioneers and Miguel was able to share a little of what he was thinking. We weren't sure how they would respond, but as it turned out, they were very open to it because what Miguel shared pretty much fits into a ministry role that Pioneers calls "ministry coach". And they have been praying specifically for more team coaches!
One of Pioneers' core values is that of being Team-Centered. Pioneers dedicates a lot of time and effort into helping their teams stay healthy and strong...not that PI teams don't ever encounter issues, but we've witnessed some pretty healthy teams in Pioneers so far. One of the things they have discovered in the Mid-Americas region (and maybe in other regions, I'm not sure) is that teams with coaches tend to be more healthy and able to accomplish more than teams without coaches. So it was pretty neat to find out that not only did our leaders welcome and honor how God was leading Miguel, they consider us to be an answer to prayer as well!
Once we got through that discussion, then we could formulate a rough plan of action for the next few years. We're not sure of the time-line or exactly how it will all work, but another one of Pioneer's core values is Innovation and Flexibility, exemplified by a willingness to try new and different things. Even though our leadership doesn't really have all the answers, they are willing to walk through this together with us, taking it one step at a time together (which represents another core value, that of Participatory Servant-Leadership based on trust).
Our Pioneers' leadership presented this new plan of action at the meetings in the following days and it was received favorably by our sending church's missions pastor and our Puebla church. It is quite a change from the original plan, since it means that we will not be moving up to the mountains to work directly with Franco and Barby, at least not as soon as we thought.
So what will be doing? Good question! Like I have already said, we don't have all of the answers at this time and will continue to take things one step at a time...our first objective will be to conduct a survey of the Totonac people group to gather information about their language, culture, religious beliefs, spiritual needs, etc. While there have been many ministries that have worked and are working with this people group, it has been a bit difficult to find good sources of information about the Totonac as a whole. We are hoping to consolidate any information we come up with in one place so that it will be a great resource not just for us, but for any ministry interested in finding more about the Totonac.
The information we gather in the course of conducting the survey will also help us create a holistic strategy for approaching a ministry with the Totonac. El Camino, our Puebla church, has a heart for reaching out to the entire people group, which is comprised of 5 to 6 different dialects. The results of the survey will help El Camino in their efforts to determine the best strategy to use in reaching an entire people group for Christ, with the goal being that of establishing mature, self-governing, reproducing Totonac churches.
At some point, we will spend some time living among the Totonac, building relationship and learning as much of their language and culture as we can. This will give us the much-needed personal experience that we will need if we are to coach a future team. We're not sure when or where this will take place, but we're keeping our eyes open to where and when God might lead for that step.
So in the meantime, we will be staying longer in the city as we gather the information we need to complete the survey and cast vision in churches for the Totonac ministry. Our prayer is that God will help us raise a team to go and work with the Totonac; a team that we would then coach through the process of team-building, getting the necessary cross-cultural training/preparation needed, creating a ministry strategy and then carrying out that strategy.
I know, huge task, and it's a bit overwhelming to think about! But God is working here and we're excited. We continue to feel such a calling and burden to the Totonac and it's neat to see how God has already worked to provide some of the contacts and resources that we need to move forward.
Miguel just returned from another trip to some Totonac communities in the state of Veracruz and not only had the opportunity to gather some information about the Totonac there, but was also able to share with the believers from two different Totonac churches. Really exciting opportunities for him and we hope to return next time as a family.
There have been some recent developments, however, more turning points if you will, as we have worked together with our different leaderships (three of them, to be exact!) in defining what our involvement with this ministry will look like.
I think it actually started soon after we arrived, because I remember Miguel sharing with me some of his thoughts about how he was sensing God's leading...and it was a bit different than what we'd thought we'd be doing. It really shook me up! I mean, we had just spent months casting vision for a certain direction of ministry with all of our friends, family and supporters and now we up and say we're not going to do that?!
But that's not what Miguel was saying, exactly...he wasn't saying that we were changing ministries at all, just that he had a sense that maybe God was going to change the how of our involvement. After I remembered that I am supposed to be trusting God to lead us through Miguel's ministry decisions, I settled down, apologized for freaking out, and found peace in waiting to see where and how God would lead.
Last October, we had some meetings with our leaders from Pioneers, our missions pastor, and the leadership of El Camino, our church here in Puebla. The day before we all met together, we spent several hours with just our leadership from Pioneers and Miguel was able to share a little of what he was thinking. We weren't sure how they would respond, but as it turned out, they were very open to it because what Miguel shared pretty much fits into a ministry role that Pioneers calls "ministry coach". And they have been praying specifically for more team coaches!
One of Pioneers' core values is that of being Team-Centered. Pioneers dedicates a lot of time and effort into helping their teams stay healthy and strong...not that PI teams don't ever encounter issues, but we've witnessed some pretty healthy teams in Pioneers so far. One of the things they have discovered in the Mid-Americas region (and maybe in other regions, I'm not sure) is that teams with coaches tend to be more healthy and able to accomplish more than teams without coaches. So it was pretty neat to find out that not only did our leaders welcome and honor how God was leading Miguel, they consider us to be an answer to prayer as well!
Once we got through that discussion, then we could formulate a rough plan of action for the next few years. We're not sure of the time-line or exactly how it will all work, but another one of Pioneer's core values is Innovation and Flexibility, exemplified by a willingness to try new and different things. Even though our leadership doesn't really have all the answers, they are willing to walk through this together with us, taking it one step at a time together (which represents another core value, that of Participatory Servant-Leadership based on trust).
Our Pioneers' leadership presented this new plan of action at the meetings in the following days and it was received favorably by our sending church's missions pastor and our Puebla church. It is quite a change from the original plan, since it means that we will not be moving up to the mountains to work directly with Franco and Barby, at least not as soon as we thought.
So what will be doing? Good question! Like I have already said, we don't have all of the answers at this time and will continue to take things one step at a time...our first objective will be to conduct a survey of the Totonac people group to gather information about their language, culture, religious beliefs, spiritual needs, etc. While there have been many ministries that have worked and are working with this people group, it has been a bit difficult to find good sources of information about the Totonac as a whole. We are hoping to consolidate any information we come up with in one place so that it will be a great resource not just for us, but for any ministry interested in finding more about the Totonac.
The information we gather in the course of conducting the survey will also help us create a holistic strategy for approaching a ministry with the Totonac. El Camino, our Puebla church, has a heart for reaching out to the entire people group, which is comprised of 5 to 6 different dialects. The results of the survey will help El Camino in their efforts to determine the best strategy to use in reaching an entire people group for Christ, with the goal being that of establishing mature, self-governing, reproducing Totonac churches.
At some point, we will spend some time living among the Totonac, building relationship and learning as much of their language and culture as we can. This will give us the much-needed personal experience that we will need if we are to coach a future team. We're not sure when or where this will take place, but we're keeping our eyes open to where and when God might lead for that step.
So in the meantime, we will be staying longer in the city as we gather the information we need to complete the survey and cast vision in churches for the Totonac ministry. Our prayer is that God will help us raise a team to go and work with the Totonac; a team that we would then coach through the process of team-building, getting the necessary cross-cultural training/preparation needed, creating a ministry strategy and then carrying out that strategy.
I know, huge task, and it's a bit overwhelming to think about! But God is working here and we're excited. We continue to feel such a calling and burden to the Totonac and it's neat to see how God has already worked to provide some of the contacts and resources that we need to move forward.
Miguel just returned from another trip to some Totonac communities in the state of Veracruz and not only had the opportunity to gather some information about the Totonac there, but was also able to share with the believers from two different Totonac churches. Really exciting opportunities for him and we hope to return next time as a family.
One of the Totonac pastors (along with wife and daughter)
with one of the blankets that the retired volunteers at
Rio Grande Bible Institute
with one of the blankets that the retired volunteers at
Rio Grande Bible Institute
sent with us to share with some Totonac families.
Miguel with one of the pastors and his son-in-law.
It is a fertile area, and many of the Totonac families have gardens where they grow corn and other crops. Miguel and his pastor friend went out to his garden to harvest some yucca.
Miguel enjoyed spending time with these kids...he
said the little boy is quite the question-maker!
Yucca (or cassava) is a root, something similar to a potato. They don't eat yucca here in this part of Puebla, but it is found in other parts of Mexico, such as the northern part of the state, Veracruz and in the more southern states like Oaxaca and Chiapas. Yucca is commonly eaten in both Colombia and Venezuela, so both Miguel and I enjoy being able to eat some when we can get it! One of our favorite ways to prepare yucca is to boil it and then fry it like french fries and eat it with ketchup. Yum!
The scenery reminded Miguel a lot of Venezuela!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Snow-Covered Volcanos
Over the New Year, snow began appearing more and more on the volcanoes around Puebla. Every morning when we go out to the football fields close to our house to exercise Schatzen (our five month old German Shepherd puppy), we hope that the weather will be clear so we can see this view.
Popocatepetl (Popo for short), the volcano on the left, has been smoking a lot more recently and has even had a few eruptions. Makes us wonder what's going on under that snow-capped peak!
On our way home from a trip to Texas recently, I was able to snap this shot of Popo. A lot more snow had fallen while we were gone! It was good to see this familiar sight once again, even though we were only gone for a few days to renew our tourist visas and car importation permit.
This morning when I went out with Schatzen, I took my camera along, hoping to get some good pictures of him in action. He loves his Kong frisbee!
For the last few days, the volcanoes have been completely covered in clouds. It's been raining a lot lately, rather unusual for February, but the top of Popo was visible for a few minutes before the clouds covered it up again. It looked a bit surreal, as if the mountain was floating above the city...I looked back a few minutes later, but the clouds had risen again and the volcanoes were gone.
Popocatepetl (Popo for short), the volcano on the left, has been smoking a lot more recently and has even had a few eruptions. Makes us wonder what's going on under that snow-capped peak!
On our way home from a trip to Texas recently, I was able to snap this shot of Popo. A lot more snow had fallen while we were gone! It was good to see this familiar sight once again, even though we were only gone for a few days to renew our tourist visas and car importation permit.
This morning when I went out with Schatzen, I took my camera along, hoping to get some good pictures of him in action. He loves his Kong frisbee!
For the last few days, the volcanoes have been completely covered in clouds. It's been raining a lot lately, rather unusual for February, but the top of Popo was visible for a few minutes before the clouds covered it up again. It looked a bit surreal, as if the mountain was floating above the city...I looked back a few minutes later, but the clouds had risen again and the volcanoes were gone.
Hint: If you click on the pictures, you can see them a bit closer!
Valentine's Day Treat
Happy Valentine's Day! Or as they say here in Mexico...¡Feliz Día de Amor y Amistad! Translation: Happy Day of Love and Friendship!
It's been pretty much a regular day here in our household in spite of it being Valentine's Day. Jkaile learned how to cut out valentine hearts, but otherwise the kids have had to do their schoolwork as normal (much to their disgust). But we have homeschool camp coming up next week and we can't afford to take any days off at this point.
I did make them a special treat for dessert, however, No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies (perfect for an oven-less home such as ours).
Ingredients:
2 c. sugar
5 T. cocoa powder
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
Dash salt
1/2 peanut butter, optional
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2+ c. oatmeal (quick cooking oatmeal is better, although I used the old-fashioned kind because it's what we have)
Bring everything to a boil except for the vanilla and oatmeal. Bring to a boil and stir constantly while at full rolling boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla and oatmeal. Drop by teaspoonful on wax paper, foil or cookie sheets. Cool to let harden.
Miguel is still in the mountains and will probably not be home until Thursday. But last week he brought me this sweet carved rose made by an inmate in a prison that Miguel has visited together with others from our church. I put it in the vitrina (something like a china cabinet) along with a few other special things.
Here's a close-up...it's a bit hard to see, but the base of the rose is in the shape of a heart.
It's been pretty much a regular day here in our household in spite of it being Valentine's Day. Jkaile learned how to cut out valentine hearts, but otherwise the kids have had to do their schoolwork as normal (much to their disgust). But we have homeschool camp coming up next week and we can't afford to take any days off at this point.
I did make them a special treat for dessert, however, No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies (perfect for an oven-less home such as ours).
Ingredients:
2 c. sugar
5 T. cocoa powder
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
Dash salt
1/2 peanut butter, optional
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2+ c. oatmeal (quick cooking oatmeal is better, although I used the old-fashioned kind because it's what we have)
Bring everything to a boil except for the vanilla and oatmeal. Bring to a boil and stir constantly while at full rolling boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla and oatmeal. Drop by teaspoonful on wax paper, foil or cookie sheets. Cool to let harden.
Miguel is still in the mountains and will probably not be home until Thursday. But last week he brought me this sweet carved rose made by an inmate in a prison that Miguel has visited together with others from our church. I put it in the vitrina (something like a china cabinet) along with a few other special things.
Here's a close-up...it's a bit hard to see, but the base of the rose is in the shape of a heart.
Monday, February 13, 2012
(Mostly) Straight from my Journal
February 13, 2012
I continue to feel a bit disconnected. I tried to update my status on FB last night and there just wasn't anything there. Everything I wrote sounded flat and/or lifeless. I want to write on my blog, but it's easier to just watch a show or check the news or read a book. It's kind of like writer's block, except that it's not that there is nothing to write about, but maybe because there is too much and I don't know where to start. I hope I get over this soon, because the words are building up in my head! I'm afraid I will lose these words altogether, which would be a shame.
I read a post the other day about feeling small...sometimes I wonder if my story matters that much. I wonder if I'm having a confidence crisis or focusing too much on what people will think? I tend to be self-conscious about who I am and what I write. But I really do need to write...it's an outlet for me. I need to write for me.
And I need to remember that a post doesn't need to be long or complicated. Some of the blogs I enjoy the most are the shorter ones with a few pictures...so I think I just need to Nike---just do it. I suspect I have more to say than I think.
Miguel went to Poza Larga (a small Totonac community in the mountains-his second visit there) and I so wanted to go with him. But since we're going to homeschool camp next week, we couldn't afford to miss the schooldays (we are hoping to go to Poza Larga as a family soon).
I am not feeling well, but I rested all day yesterday and am feeling better today. It's a weird flu/cough that is giving me a bit of a throat infection as well. Funny thing is that it also gave me a pain in my neck and shoulder. Miguel had the same pain when he left, which was weird, and I hope he doesn't get worse while he's traveling. I told Micah that I had a pain in my neck, but assured him that it wasn't him. Ha!
The kids have been squabbling a lot in recent days--I suspect that this is very normal sibling stuff, but it is driving me nuts. And I suspect also that when I don't handle it well, it just makes it worse. But today is another day and God's mercies are new once again.
I continue to feel a bit disconnected. I tried to update my status on FB last night and there just wasn't anything there. Everything I wrote sounded flat and/or lifeless. I want to write on my blog, but it's easier to just watch a show or check the news or read a book. It's kind of like writer's block, except that it's not that there is nothing to write about, but maybe because there is too much and I don't know where to start. I hope I get over this soon, because the words are building up in my head! I'm afraid I will lose these words altogether, which would be a shame.
I read a post the other day about feeling small...sometimes I wonder if my story matters that much. I wonder if I'm having a confidence crisis or focusing too much on what people will think? I tend to be self-conscious about who I am and what I write. But I really do need to write...it's an outlet for me. I need to write for me.
And I need to remember that a post doesn't need to be long or complicated. Some of the blogs I enjoy the most are the shorter ones with a few pictures...so I think I just need to Nike---just do it. I suspect I have more to say than I think.
Miguel went to Poza Larga (a small Totonac community in the mountains-his second visit there) and I so wanted to go with him. But since we're going to homeschool camp next week, we couldn't afford to miss the schooldays (we are hoping to go to Poza Larga as a family soon).
I am not feeling well, but I rested all day yesterday and am feeling better today. It's a weird flu/cough that is giving me a bit of a throat infection as well. Funny thing is that it also gave me a pain in my neck and shoulder. Miguel had the same pain when he left, which was weird, and I hope he doesn't get worse while he's traveling. I told Micah that I had a pain in my neck, but assured him that it wasn't him. Ha!
The kids have been squabbling a lot in recent days--I suspect that this is very normal sibling stuff, but it is driving me nuts. And I suspect also that when I don't handle it well, it just makes it worse. But today is another day and God's mercies are new once again.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
First Christmas in Puebla
We weren't sure what to expect our first Christmas in Puebla, but God blessed us with a very special experience with our friends Juan Carlos and Monica. We've spent a bit of time with our new friends in the last month and have enjoyed getting to know them.
Just about when we'd decided we'd be spending our first Christmas here alone (and without an oven! yikes.), Juan Carlos and Monica dropped by our house one night last week to invite us to eat Christmas dinner with them. We were thrilled (and not just because they were planning to have turkey...honest)! Christmas is about spending time with family and friends...with no family close, spending it with friends like Juan Carlos and Monica is just as special for us.
In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated on the 24th and Christmas dinner is usually eaten sometime during the evening, usually late. So we spent Saturday preparing the food for dinner that night...I made Venezuelan pan de jamón (ham bread) and Grandma Ople's Applie Pie (you can go here to see pictures of the process).
Once the food was ready, we went to their church for a Christmas Eve service. It was kinda hard to leave all that yummy food behind for a while, but we consoled ourselves with a little snack and the anticipation of the feast to come.
Finally, we headed back home and it was time to eat! And being that we are in Mexico, of course we had to have some rajas (jalapeño strips, carrots and onion in vinegar sauce) to accompany our meal!
After supper, all the kids went out to light their giant sparklers, apparently also a Christmas tradition in Mexico. We bought ours at a stoplight on our way to church and saw many people selling them at each intersection we went through.
After a brisk round of Manzanas Con Manzanas (Apples to Apples in Spanish!), we came home...it was 1:30 a.m. by the time we got everyone to bed. Then Miguel and I had to finish wrapping presents and preparing the stockings, so it was even later (or was that earlier?) by the time we got to sleep.
Naturally, the kids were wide awake by 7 a.m. ready to open their presents! Miguel refused to come down until at least 8:30, however, so I retold the Christmas story while we waited. Finally, he came down and our gift-giving began. We like to open the presents slowly, taking our time to enjoy each gift and this year, we had each gift-giver say something meaningful to the gift-receiver. At first it was a bit awkward for the kids, but by the end, they were enjoying it!
We tried to go to church on Sunday, but didn't last very long since the kids were falling asleep in their seats...so we came on home and rested for most of the afternoon. Then we went back to Juan Carlos and Monica's house and had round two with the leftovers!
God is good to give us what we desire...fun and fellowship during our first Christmas here in Puebla.
Juan Carlos, Monica, Carlos and Alonso
Just about when we'd decided we'd be spending our first Christmas here alone (and without an oven! yikes.), Juan Carlos and Monica dropped by our house one night last week to invite us to eat Christmas dinner with them. We were thrilled (and not just because they were planning to have turkey...honest)! Christmas is about spending time with family and friends...with no family close, spending it with friends like Juan Carlos and Monica is just as special for us.
In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated on the 24th and Christmas dinner is usually eaten sometime during the evening, usually late. So we spent Saturday preparing the food for dinner that night...I made Venezuelan pan de jamón (ham bread) and Grandma Ople's Applie Pie (you can go here to see pictures of the process).
Pan de jamón
Monica and I with the pies.
Once the food was ready, we went to their church for a Christmas Eve service. It was kinda hard to leave all that yummy food behind for a while, but we consoled ourselves with a little snack and the anticipation of the feast to come.
Finally, we headed back home and it was time to eat! And being that we are in Mexico, of course we had to have some rajas (jalapeño strips, carrots and onion in vinegar sauce) to accompany our meal!
After supper, all the kids went out to light their giant sparklers, apparently also a Christmas tradition in Mexico. We bought ours at a stoplight on our way to church and saw many people selling them at each intersection we went through.
After a brisk round of Manzanas Con Manzanas (Apples to Apples in Spanish!), we came home...it was 1:30 a.m. by the time we got everyone to bed. Then Miguel and I had to finish wrapping presents and preparing the stockings, so it was even later (or was that earlier?) by the time we got to sleep.
Naturally, the kids were wide awake by 7 a.m. ready to open their presents! Miguel refused to come down until at least 8:30, however, so I retold the Christmas story while we waited. Finally, he came down and our gift-giving began. We like to open the presents slowly, taking our time to enjoy each gift and this year, we had each gift-giver say something meaningful to the gift-receiver. At first it was a bit awkward for the kids, but by the end, they were enjoying it!
The kids with their stockings.
I made the kids some pillows...they loved them!
Miguel gave me a new cooking pot and I gave him some headphones, which he started using right away!
Love those Razorback pjs, Miguel!
We tried to go to church on Sunday, but didn't last very long since the kids were falling asleep in their seats...so we came on home and rested for most of the afternoon. Then we went back to Juan Carlos and Monica's house and had round two with the leftovers!
God is good to give us what we desire...fun and fellowship during our first Christmas here in Puebla.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Your Heart
We love stories, especially Bible stories...and we love to share Bible truths through stories as we live and work with people who have more of a oral/story-telling background. So we were pretty excited to discover this album that has recently been produced about Bible characters. We quickly made an playlist on Youtube of these songs so that we can listen to them over and over again. They have all touched our hearts, but we particularly like the song about King David. I have noticed that more often than not, we will skip other songs to listen to Your Heart before moving on the other songs on the list.
Interestingly, we just finished telling David's story to the kids and in the telling, I think we learned just as much as the kids. The Bible is neat in the way that it teaches truth on so many levels and reaches everyone who hears.
I've been thinking about the words of this song...particularly the words "When the world looks at me I pray all they see is that my heart looks like Your heart".
And isn't that what the walk is all about, a daily refining and maturing so that our heart begins to look more and more like the heart of Christ? God said that David was a man after God's own heart, and while it is true that David's heart had a special relationship with God from his youth, he still had to face a refining process in his life just like the rest of us (see Psalm 51).
Refinement of the heart isn't a very easy or glamorous process...sometimes it can just be downright painful and messy. At times it isn't easy to own my defects and then accept the what or the who that God uses in my life to refine and forge my heart into one that looks more like His.
I've been reading a book titled On Being a Missionary, written by Thomas Hale who spent many years as a missionary himself in the country of Nepal. This book has really spoken to me...it's funny yet full of practical advice and has often taken me back to reflect on my mission experiences, both growing up as an MK and serving as an AMK (Adult Missionary Kid). One paragraph really stuck out to me the other day...
"As someone has said, a missionary's pilgrimage doesn't end when he gets to the field; it simply gets bumpier. That's when he discovers new weaknesses, new temptations, new sins. These are at the root of most of the emotional struggle and pain we experience as new missionaries. We learn much about ourselves when we arrive on the mission field. Some of our flaws and weaknesses may never have been revealed before in the security of our home country. But now they are. Our defects are exposed. Because of them we sustain wounds. These, in a sense, can be considered battle wounds. As these wounds are healed, the scars remain. They will be signs that we've been fighting on the front lines. They will be scars we can wear without shame."
Looking back on our missionary career, I can see how God has used many things in my life so far in order to bring my weaknesses to light...and all too often I'm tempted to feel some shame about some of the circumstances surrounding my times of refinement. Perhaps attitudes on my part that weren't quite as godly as they should have been or words that should have remained unspoken. It's easy to look back and see what I should have done and how I could have responded and much harder to simply trust God with who I was and what I did during those times. Because it all boils down to trusting God in all things, doesn't it?
I do carry scars from past experiences and wounds that will become scars in time...I hadn't thought to view them as battle scars before, but I think he's right. In other circumstances, I don't think some of those defects might have been brought to light. Not that I become proud of these scars by any means, frankly it takes humility to become open and vulnerable enough to expose scars and to admit flaws and weaknesses; in short, it's hard to take off the mask and display anything less than perfection. But through humility, I can accept the fact that the scars exist and choose to acknowledge the defects that remain in my heart and life, accepting from God's hand the ways (the whats and the whos) that He has chosen to bring out and work on my weaknesses.
Humility has and will allow me to come to the place of thanking God for those hurtful trials and conflicts because those were times of refinement and maturing that were necessary for making my heart look more more like His. In the same way, humility will also allow me to respect the battle scars of friends, colleagues and coworkers and relating with compassion as God works to refine their hearts as well.
The cry of my heart today...When the world looks at me I pray all they see is that my heart looks like Your heart.
Interestingly, we just finished telling David's story to the kids and in the telling, I think we learned just as much as the kids. The Bible is neat in the way that it teaches truth on so many levels and reaches everyone who hears.
And isn't that what the walk is all about, a daily refining and maturing so that our heart begins to look more and more like the heart of Christ? God said that David was a man after God's own heart, and while it is true that David's heart had a special relationship with God from his youth, he still had to face a refining process in his life just like the rest of us (see Psalm 51).
Refinement of the heart isn't a very easy or glamorous process...sometimes it can just be downright painful and messy. At times it isn't easy to own my defects and then accept the what or the who that God uses in my life to refine and forge my heart into one that looks more like His.
I've been reading a book titled On Being a Missionary, written by Thomas Hale who spent many years as a missionary himself in the country of Nepal. This book has really spoken to me...it's funny yet full of practical advice and has often taken me back to reflect on my mission experiences, both growing up as an MK and serving as an AMK (Adult Missionary Kid). One paragraph really stuck out to me the other day...
"As someone has said, a missionary's pilgrimage doesn't end when he gets to the field; it simply gets bumpier. That's when he discovers new weaknesses, new temptations, new sins. These are at the root of most of the emotional struggle and pain we experience as new missionaries. We learn much about ourselves when we arrive on the mission field. Some of our flaws and weaknesses may never have been revealed before in the security of our home country. But now they are. Our defects are exposed. Because of them we sustain wounds. These, in a sense, can be considered battle wounds. As these wounds are healed, the scars remain. They will be signs that we've been fighting on the front lines. They will be scars we can wear without shame."
Looking back on our missionary career, I can see how God has used many things in my life so far in order to bring my weaknesses to light...and all too often I'm tempted to feel some shame about some of the circumstances surrounding my times of refinement. Perhaps attitudes on my part that weren't quite as godly as they should have been or words that should have remained unspoken. It's easy to look back and see what I should have done and how I could have responded and much harder to simply trust God with who I was and what I did during those times. Because it all boils down to trusting God in all things, doesn't it?
I do carry scars from past experiences and wounds that will become scars in time...I hadn't thought to view them as battle scars before, but I think he's right. In other circumstances, I don't think some of those defects might have been brought to light. Not that I become proud of these scars by any means, frankly it takes humility to become open and vulnerable enough to expose scars and to admit flaws and weaknesses; in short, it's hard to take off the mask and display anything less than perfection. But through humility, I can accept the fact that the scars exist and choose to acknowledge the defects that remain in my heart and life, accepting from God's hand the ways (the whats and the whos) that He has chosen to bring out and work on my weaknesses.
Humility has and will allow me to come to the place of thanking God for those hurtful trials and conflicts because those were times of refinement and maturing that were necessary for making my heart look more more like His. In the same way, humility will also allow me to respect the battle scars of friends, colleagues and coworkers and relating with compassion as God works to refine their hearts as well.
The cry of my heart today...When the world looks at me I pray all they see is that my heart looks like Your heart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
