The US/Mexico wall
There’s been a lot of talk here about the fence that was built between the USA and Mexico. Here’s a quick view of a part of the wall, courtesy of the Washington Post.
Jim
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Send me mail!
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Just kidding, you don’t have to. But if you want – well, you can. Mail isn’t always reliable here (meaning we may get it or we may not), but we’ve gotten all of the letters we know of that were sent. Packages too, come to think of it.
And this was a record. This letter was mailed on the 20th of February from small town Saskatchewan, and was stamped in Cuernavaca 8 days later! We got it shortly after that (don’t know exactly when, because we were away).
Of course, once it was six days between the time it was stamped at the Cuernavaca post office and the time we actually got it. That’s right, 6 days for a 20 minute drive up the hill. Weird.
School Spring Party
Here are a few shots of the spring party that Hannah and Nathanael had at Colegio del Bosque today – the last day of school before the spring break.
(Note: this is a fairly short video, but a fairly large file, so it may take a while to buffer on your computer).
Watch these films (free download!)
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From 2006 to 2007, Compass Cinema was hard at work creating short films that re-tell several of the parables Jesus told. The stories are recreated in modern times.
Though I had seen the trailers, I hadn’t had the chance to see the complete films until recently. Now, the films are being offered for download, suitable for computer or iPod or MP3 with video – for free!
So, I watched them, and I think you should too. It’s hard to convince you in words – just go check them out for yourself. They would be great to watch and discuss as a family, or a small group, or a Sunday School class (of course the free downloads are only for personal use).
Actually, there are other materials and study guides available, but I think the videos stand well on their own (now you know I’m not an undercover Compass Cinema salesman). Watch them and read the parables and ask how they’re the same and different, and think about the messages you see. There are a ton of things you could discuss and think about in each story. (Actually, I haven’t looked at the study material closely, so I can’t speak for it or against it)
The six parables are The Shrewd Manager, Hidden Treasure, Prodigal Sons, The Widow and Judge, The Sower, and Samaritan. They’re all very different – from a documentary style to drama to comedy. They’re from the United States, but if you are not I don’t think the foreign flavour takes away from them at all. They’re generally well done, and will make you think about all kinds of things that you may have never considered before when reading the parables.
Here are two trailers. Actually, you can view all of Hidden Treasure online. But don’t wait – download the free lo-res versions while they’re still available (I watched them full screen on my computer and they were fine)! [Edit: Oops, no longer available for free by themselves, but they are free with certain purchases.]
Compass Cinema is hard at work at Volume 2 – I’m looking forward to it (but where’s the Spanish subtitled version?)!
Coming this summer (to a Mexico near you)!
Rod Fry just posted this animated explanation of the summer program here in Central Mexico, that involves people (primarily from Canada and the USA) in ministry here in Mexico. You need to check it out. And while you’re at it – why not come down to Mexico yourself?
This animation is the creation of the talented people in the church Rod is a part of in Ixtapaluca, Mexico. If you didn’t figure it out already, the narrator with the ball cap and CAM shirt is Rod himself… sorta… 😉
Peacemaking blog
Imagine that! Peacemaker Ministries has jumped into the blogosphere. Their new blog is called Route 5:9 (referring to Matthew 5:9). Ken Sande, founder of the ministry, writes:
This new blog is designed to help Christians learn how to walk the path of conflict faithfully and safely. My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped" (Ps. 17:5). As we share our experiences and the insights God gives us into his Word, we can learn together how to live out the gospel of peace more fully and experience reconciliation and renewal in our daily lives.
The blog will feature Jerry Wall (the ministry’s Director of Church Relations), Molly Routson (Director of Global Education Partnerships), Jeromy Emerling (Development Officer) and Fred Barthel (Director of Marketing and Communications). Founder and President Ken Sande (author of The Peacemaker and coauthor of Peacemaking for Families) will also chime in once in a while.
So far they’ve talked about CS Lewis’ thoughts on pride, the Gospel and peacemaking, and Christians confessing sin. This might be a good blog to add to your news reader.