It has been several months since I have blogged and I have learned much about Mexico, missions, and me. I stopped blogging for a period of time because I felt I was drawing attention to our situation instead of God's work in this process. I know for certain that everything we do here, everything we see here, and everything we experience here; even our being here is God's plan and in no way any of our doing. It is not by our means that we have this opportunity - it is by His grace and what comes with it is a great responsibility.
About Mexico I have learned that the poor have knowledge I do not. To sum it up - November we learned what it was like to be cold. It was in the 40's in the house and we had no heater. Our productivity slowed to crawl as we spent much of our energy maintaining our body temperature An acquaintance in town died of hypothermia on Sunday and it became a reality to us the severity of life without warmth. The people here do not go out when it is cold, they do not send their children to school, and they wrap warmly in scarves covering their face and head. They know how to avoid the pitfalls of getting cold. They had a wisdom we had to acquire. Payton ended up with the chicken pocks, Mitch and I with bad colds, and by the next month we were blessed with a wood-burning stove in the living room. We had learned some valuable lessons.
In December we had a wonderful mission team come from the States. Over 120 people crossed the border to serve even though many of their well-meaning friends and neighbors warned them it was not safe. Because they came, we rebuilt a soup kitchen that serves kids a hot meal every week and is in the process of serving every day. We also put up a fence so they can keep their goats from being attacked by wild dogs. The soup kitchen is run by a Pastor and his family who has a plan and the work ethic to be self -sufficient. They use the goats for milk and food and are planting a garden in their newly fenced yard. Their prayer is for fruit trees this spring. Miriam (the pastor's wife) would like to serve nutritious meals and scripture to the children in her neighborhood. What a blessing to serve a family who works so hard and serves the Lord daily.
Our mission team handed out warm blankets to families in need, distributed much needed food and gave the Gospel message over 1200 kids and adults in three days. We gave out 4200 cookies and made over 1500 Christmas crafts. One volunteer painted a mural on a church wall depicting the entire Old and New Testament. Thank you to all who served. We have truly learned that the family of believers who gather together can do so much more than any one family alone.
A virus struck the mission team and about 30 people (including our family) spent some part their Christmas vacation in bed recovering. Thank you for your gift of sacrifice. It continues to pay forward and we have seen the beautiful soup kitchen in action doubling as a Church on Sundays.
As for me, I am learning the lesson of serving others and serving well. It means more than giving; it means giving what is needed and having the wisdom to stop and let the Lord work in the gift. It means praying with a family whose child is ill, seeking the Holy Spirit with a Pastor who is planting a Church, crying with those who are mourning and rejoicing with a candle on a single slice of cake for a birthday. It means getting out of the thinking I have had for so long and appreciating the wisdom of those who have lived with so much less but loved so much more.
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