Yes, your prayers are appreciated – even while we’re in Canada!
Things have continued to be very busy, but we did manage to take a day off last week as a family, which was very fun, and may possibly have included a board game. 🙂
Some of you may have heard about the tornado that hit, about 45 minutes from where we’re staying. It damaged about a dozen homes, completely destroying some of them. From here, we were watching the clouds carefully (see photo). Please pray for those who lost so much.
We’ve enjoyed some times of ministry already, and are busy preparing for upcoming opportunities. We had a great time this past Sunday, seeing old friends and making some new ones. And if you’re near Cremona or Mirror, check our schedule and be sure to come out and see us!
We’re looking forward to enjoying some time with family this month – including some family members that we haven’t seen for many years (and a younger member of the family who some of us haven’t even met yet!).
We also appreciate your continued prayers for the church in Mexico, and the short-termers who are visiting. We’ve been hearing good reports of new contacts and opportunities, and we’re praying for much fruit! Right now there’s a family visiting from the USA, learning about ministry in Ixtapaluca. And on Saturday another team comes. That’s in addition to other visitors and interns, and all the Mexican believers who are serving with them. Today there are two baking classes happening through the community centre – a great way to reach out to more people in the community in a fun way!
Thanks for your prayers! There are a lot of exciting things happening, in both countries!
One wonders, does one not, how goods and services are really being affected by lockdowns and shifts in economic power. But maybe some of these things aren’t so unusual, if you look back over the years!
Like mailing some letters, and having them delivered to your house by mistake (I finally brought those back to the post office, by the way. The nice lady just rolled her eyes and took them.). Or ordering something and having the wrong item delivered (do you know how hard it is to actually contact someone about a mistake like that?). Ah, the little things that take up our time!
But there are also a lot of things to enjoy! For example, we enjoyed a visit to the city of Puebla earlier this week, and were able to visit some friends we haven’t seen in a while. These times are not only fun, but a good time to share ministry ideas.
I finally had a chance to look at some new tracts that our friend Chalo created (pictured here). It’s titled “Uncertainty”, and talks about the uncertainty that the COVID-19 situation has created. So we’ll be providing those to our church as another witnessing tool.
The weather changed here, as it usually does (in our perception) – very quickly. In a few days we’ve gone from several layers of clothes and lots of candles and hot drinks to t-shirts and fans. The jacarandas are in full bloom and everyone mentions the heat in casual conversation.
We’re heading into another busy weekend now, as I prepare a Bible study for tonight (on the Second Coming of Christ!) and worship music for tomorrow. Nathanael will be joining us again on the ukulele, so that’s always fun. 🙂
Then on Monday we have a one-day men’s retreat out in the country, which should be fun! Meat will be involved. Please do pray that this will be a good time of sharing together.
On Sundays we continue our study of Romans, so I’ve been spending lots of time in Romans 11, which is a real blessing, though also a real challenge! And then we’ll be taking a break and doing some special themes – Palm Sunday, a special Good Friday service, and then of course Resurrection Sunday. And then we continue our biblical Anthropology series.
So there will be a lot of interesting and worship-causing study over the next few weeks!
It felt like summer was coming early last week, but winter is back this week.
Sorry, no, I don’t have any dramatic stories like those that we’re hearing from other parts of North America. You can complain that we’re suffering from beautiful Mexican weather if you like. But for whatever reason, it turned colder and windier on Sunday.
Now we have tarps and tents to shield us from the sun. But those just seem like giant sails when the wind starts to gust. I was leading the music on Sunday, and in spite of various clips and other things I was using to anchor down my music, I simply had to stop and talk between each song as I tried to manoeuvre the next song sheet into place, knowing that half the time I still wouldn’t be able to see all of it because of the wind. Even setting up and taking down was a major challenge.
And in the brief video below, you can see our service leader and our preacher trying to keep their Bibles open to the right page, and catch papers that went flying (all the time trying to stay casual and professional). We in the congregation were having a hard enough time, as bulletins and song books went flying, and our Bibles insisted on moving on to other texts!
Anyway, in spite of the unusual wind, we had a good weekend! Shari had a good baking class on Saturday, which ended up being a great prayer and share time as well. And we need the prayer! And we had a good time of worship and fellowship on Sunday morning.
In the midst of the many challenges that this congregation is facing, we are so thankful for these times together in the presence of our Lord. And we praise Him in times of wind and storm, as He shows His great power. Thanks so much for your prayers!
Well, that was different. When we arrived at the venue to set up for the Sunday service, on the place where we put our “stage” was – a tent. With people sleeping in it.
So, we swept the floor around them, started setting up sound equipment around them, and eventually they “took up their beds (and tent) and walked”. They should have stayed for the service – they could have had a comfortable place from which to hear God’s Word! 😀
Well, anyway, apart from that surprise, the service went fairly well. We had the first spiritual discernment study, laying some important foundations for the topic. Our friend Oscar preached on the first part of Hebrews 13, and did a good job (yes, Hebrews 13! – can you believe it? – we’re nearing the end of the book!).
The only glitch was a computer problem, which meant no PowerPoint. But we made do.
Speaking of camping out, we have our annual Mexico field conference this week, for missionaries in our mission… in Mexico. Now, we usually stay in what you would call a hotel – but these are more rustic and basic than most you’ve probably stayed in (in Canada or the USA). Which is usually fine.
But this year the place we were going to stay in is undergoing renovations – which means they’ve moved us to their fancier newer hotel. So we won’t exactly be roughing it this year, as far as I can tell. But since we don’t have to pay any extra, we won’t complain!
Apart from a time for fellowship, worship, and Bible teaching, there will be another benefit to this year’s conference. This is our first conference as Avant missionaries. And so we’ll be meeting some new members of the family this time – Avant people from other parts of the world.
Since we’re at our conference from Tuesday to Friday, it was rather amusing to see the weather report for the area:
But we’re not complaining. After all, every one of those numbers is an improvement over Calgary’s weather. 😀
On Saturday we’re looking forward to our next hermeneutics class too. So we’re hoping for a good week!
Our friends from the north may be interested in a recent warning from Mexico City’s Civil Protection about cold temperatures in the area. The warning, sent out yesterday, gave instructions for what to wear if temperatures dropped between 0°C and 3°C (yellow alert), and what to wear if temperatures dropped to between -4°C and -1°C (red alert).
It should be fairly obvious even to a non-Spanish speaker, but for yellow alert it’s 1-2 layers on your legs, and 2-3 on top, a warm tuque/hat, gloves, boots, and a coat that keeps the wind out.
For red alerts, one more layer, and all the same things with a special emphasis on a warmer jacket and a scarf or ski mask.
Canadians will no doubt chuckle. Some of them are breaking out the shorts when the temperatures get above freezing, after a long bout of depressingly cold weather.
But in actual fact, Civil Protection is right.
Imagine this. It’s a chilly summer day, but you still go swimming. What happens? You get out into the wind, and you start to shiver. You get a towel, and you keep shivering. Finally you get into your warm car, or get into your house, get dressed, and you’re fine.
But – what if you couldn’t warm up?
Yesterday was chilly, and cloudy. Many people have no car, and no one we know has central heating. A space heater? Maybe, but the cost of electricity is astronomical.
In other words, a Canadian who leaves a warm house and wander about in -10C is not a danger because their “core” is warm and will be for some time. But if you get cold here, it’s cold everywhere you go. You just won’t warm up.
You’re not generally in danger of frostbite here, but people do struggle to stay healthy. In fact, in many areas, school was cancelled today!
On Monday I had to go to a meeting, and I wore several layers, a fall/winter jacket, and scarf, indoors, all day. And that was good.
So it’s a different world. Canadians wonder what Mexicans are complaining about, and Mexicans wonder how Canadians survive. But this morning, I’m wearing my coat indoors, and I think I’ll go make some tea …
I actually haven’t posted any substantial news since last month! So let me give you a quick update on what’s been going on.
First of all, the weather has been a topic of conversation this month. Before the end of February, the weather changed – it wasn’t getting so cool at night, and felt warmer. This brief reprieve was replaced by rain, and howling winds, and snow at higher elevations. One day the entire state closed the schools because of the cold.
I’ve concluded it’s virtually impossible to explain the impact of this kind of cold to a Canadian, who has survived -20C but can always go inside to warm up. No sun, and no heat in the cement block houses simply means some very miserable days. And whatever explanation you care to give (I have a few), it’s very hard to stay healthy in that kind of weather.
Since the season had already changed, when the cold front disappeared it was instantly replaced by summer. Our thermometer was up to 30C yesterday, and the memories of wearing four layers, and gloves, in the house, are quickly replaced by concerns about drinking enough water and using sunscreen. At the same time, pollution levels rose to their highest in 11 years, which means unusual restrictions on vehicle circulation this week.
My bones haven’t quite thawed out from last week. Once they do, maybe I’ll start to complain about the heat. Maybe. Until then, I’m thankful!
Between the weather and the school cycle here and other factors, attendance at the community centre has been down, but not quite non-existent. Shari is looking forward to her last baking class of the semester on Thursday – fruit pizza – who would want to miss that?! Plus, the closing program is on Thursday – fun times! Oh – AND we have a soccer tournament coming up on Monday. 🙂
On the 5th we connected with David Radlowsky, who is here from Canada for a couple of weeks. We went site seeing at the beginning of last week, doing some orientation along the way. And eating, of course. (By the way, I have a good restaurant in Mexico City to recommend when you come visit…)
David has been joining all of us at various times, visiting – what has he visited? A nearby rehab centre – I think an orphanage and senior’s shelter. He helped put clean the church property and put sod down. Yesterday we visited some friends in various parts of Ixtapaluca. Last night he was a guest teacher at my English class. Today we’re heading to Puebla to join our friends Chalo and Beth in their ministry there.
On Sunday we had our 6th anniversary service at the Path of Life Bible Church of Jesús MarÃa (Iglesia BÃblica Sendero de Vida Jesús MarÃa), which was a real blessing. Lots of people were involved in the service, the temporary sanctuary was full with lots of poor people stuck outside, but we enjoyed good times of fellowship afterwards. Nathanael and Shari were both in two different choirs.
Our family has been struggling with some health issues – all four of us – which has made things a little interesting. As always we appreciate your prayers in that department.
In other news, I’ve been working with our Coordinating Team to update and clarify some of our orientation requirements and tips for new missionaries. How in the world do you introduce new missionaries to Mexico and ministry here? Big topic! But I think we’re making progress.
The kids are busy with projects and things as they finish up another section of school. And we’re getting ready for their big birthday parties coming up in April and May. I’m organizing some of the delegation of funds to the ongoing construction on the church property (almost done that project – help us finish!).
Well, I could go on and on. Busy days!
But if you want to pray over the next few days, we would appreciate your prayer for health issues, for wisdom as we share with many people in various ways, and strength as we try to get so many very different things accomplished.
Some of you have also been praying for Alan, a fellow Camino Global missionary (working north of Mexico City) who had a heart attack. God graciously spared him, and he is home. However, his recovery is being hampered by a lack of sleep right now – I know he would appreciate your prayers. He has a long road to travel still.
You made it to the end of this post! 10 points for you! Have a great day. I’m off to Puebla…