Last Day In Mexico

Now I'm just gonna start this blog off with the fact that I'm very, very tired.  Then God came and rescued me from my distress and gave me energy, (well, Jen, our missionary, just gave me cheesecake), so I have the ability to write to all you lovely people about our lastest experiences.

This past week has been a major blessing to your team because everyone around us has been supporting and encouraging us.  We got to stay at Barra de Navidad for 2 nights because we have worked so hard.  I know this isn't the Christian thing to say, but we were awesome.  I'm trying hard not to boast right now but God set up this team to perfection, (I'm boasting about Him so that's okay, right?)  We have mended so well together and we all have one goal: serve God.  Our goal was not only achieved but everyone could tell that this was in our hearts from our actions and our behavior.
   Another reason about why were so awesome is because we painted, climbed and trimmed trees, battled mice, fixed sewer pipes, dealt with sugar high children and so, so much more but I'm too tired to remember everything.  I just remember people constantly saying that we did so much and they're really happy and we're a, "blessing in their lives".  Even though we couldn't communicate fluently to everyone, (BIG SHOUT OUT to Tim and Josue for constantly translating for us), the love of God was always shown through us and others.
      I remember back in Gretna, we were really scared to have more people in the group.  The fear of language barriers, cliques and conflicts arose in us.  That all changed the moment we met Leslie, Josue and Victor.  They are such great people with a huge hearts and love for the Lord.  We have learnt so much from them and it's gonna leave a hole in all our hearts when we have to say goodbye.
      MTC is a training center outside of Guadalajara and I can promise all you folks that they did an excellent job on showing what disciples look/act/behave like.  We have all changed as people and see the world in a different aspect and truly believe that God has major plans in store for us.  Even though we are going to go our sepa
rate ways soon, Guadalajara taught us to stick together, to depend on God 24/7, to serve when situations are tough and to love at any point in time.

- Nadia

P.S I might not be on the same flight as the others because I'm planning on packing the Mexicans in my suitcases and I think it's "against" the law, but I was never told that.  So I assume if it IS "wrong", I might be home late

P.S.S I have never eaten so many tacos and quesedillas in my life

P.S.S.S When Team Guadalajara plays a sport, it's very aggressive.  So when we're back, don't assume we were beaten or something, the bruises and scars are what we take pride for :)

Soccer Camp

Sports Camp occurred during 3 consecutive days at RETO’s Church Property for outreach. The Action team played soccer with local guys (15 to 25 men), between the ages 20 to 25. They were guys with addiction problems, with jobs, cars and guns. But they showed respect when within Church and during the soccer matches.

It was also planned to play volleyball and basketball but the guys only wanted to play soccer. And from the Action Team, only men played. Women supported with cheers and they conversed with the guys.

Pastor Enrique would interrupt the game, and then everybody would sit down on the field, and the Action team would share a testimony and talk about Jesus. Snacks were served and water. Then the game would continue until 9:00pm.

The first day at Sports Camp the guys beat the Action Team. They played the hard way. But the next 2 days the Action Team actually couldn’t be beaten.

The second day it rained, but it didn’t stop the tournament. The field was slippery and many people slipped and fell, but we continued playing. Soccer was very important for the guys.

Tim was a goal scorer, Victor showed his sportive abilities, and James was simply the best goalkeeper with an effective and interesting technique I have seen in hockey. And me, well… I have two left feet.

I think, after Sports Camp, we all felt more respect for the soccer players.

The testimonies that were shared with the guys had a big impact, the one that Tim shared about his experiences, the other one that James shared about grace, and the one that Victor shared about how God recued him from the ghetto, drugs and alcohol really impacted the non Christian guys.

One thing is true, and it is that Action Team made a difference during Sports Camp Week.

-Josue

A Glimpse of God's Heart

When the top of our 15-passenger van was loaded up with bags full of clothes, shoes and toys, our ACTION team hopped in and off we went. In total, there were about 6-7 cars that left the Casa de Paz church that day. Destination: El Coli (aka, ‘cardboard houses’ area) one of the poorest communities in Guadalajara, only 20 minutes away from the church.

As we got closer to the area of El Coli at the foot of the mountains, the paved roads turned into bumpy dirt-roads, and the beautiful colorful houses of Guadalajara turned into ones built with metal scraps and cardboard, with graffiti covering most surfaces. Once we arrived, the big speakers were set up, a tarp was laid down on the ground for kids to sit on, and the clowns started to do gather up the kids from the community. One of the ACTION team members (James) dressed up as Spiderman, and kids all around came up for pictures. 

As I stood and observed to take in the environment around me, what stood out to me was the way the kids of El Coli interacted with the animals on the streets. Wherever the kids went, the dogs were at their heels. I watched as a little boy was playing fetch with one of the dogs with a lemon, a little girl was giggling while pouring dust over a dog, and another girl trying to sit on a dog like a horse (and he completely let her, wagging his tail the whole time). I was just overwhelmed by the innocence of these little kids, and how they can find fun and happiness in such little things. My heart also broke for them, for having such a tough childhood, and growing up in a community damaged by drugs and witchcraft.

This got me thinking, what does God see when He looks at these little children? What does He feel? I looked over to my left and God answered me. I saw a little girl crying to her mom, wanting to be carried. Right away, I just got this image of Jesus going up to her, bending down and carrying her in His arms. He comforted her and cared for her, and all was right in her world.

So, what does God see when He looks at the children of El Coli? I believe that He sees their innocence and their beauty. He sees their potential, and everything they could ever be. He sees their past and their future. He feels their hurt and their pain, and He has them in the palm of His hands. They are holy and precious in His eyes, and His heart breaks for everyone of them, more than mine ever could for the whole world. Most importantly, He loves them and desires a relationship with every single one of them.

At the end of the day, food, clothes and toys were given out, but the most important gift that was given by the ministry of Casa de Paz and our ACTION team was God’s love to the community of El Coli. For me, the biggest gift I received was God revealing a bit of His heart to me, and His unending love and care for His people. 

- Meret

 

The Walls of Jericho

Kid’s camp last week was a blast, but also a weekend of craziness!  There were very few rules, and the children aged 5-12 were fed supper at 10:00 pm, sent to bed at midnight and awoken at 7:00 the next morning by some sort of fog horn.  The children were fed lots of candy and there was no chemical in the pool, which made for some incredibly foggy water…  It was amazing to me that no one experienced sickness or injury on the weekend.  It was neat to experience a completely different way of doing things that totally worked.  My eyes were definitely opened and the kids had an absolute blast as far as I could tell. 

The second night of camp, we had a fire in the large fire pit.  Approximately 50 children were all given marshmallows on sticks that were two feet long and then told to stay far away from the fire.  As you may be able to imagine, immediately all 50 children swarmed to the fire and shoved their marshmallows into the flames.  They proceeded to whip their flame-engulfed marshmallows out of the fire while other kids tried to cook their marshmallows with the flames on the sticks of other children.  Amazingly enough, there were no burns or serious injuries after this event.

The next event that took place was a reenactment of the fall of Jericho.  All of the children were given small flags on wooden sticks.  While the band played, the kids marched around a makeshift city created with cardboard and paper.  The idea was that when the horn blew, the kids would all destroy the cardboard city.  The last thing we heard as we saw the children charging toward the middle was, “Esperen!” (wait in Spanish), but it was too late.  The horn blew and the kids all ran to the center and started beating at the walls with their sticks.  They came at it from all four sides and all 50 or so children ended up in the middle swinging their sticks around in the midst of a pile of paper and cardboard ruins.  There were kids under the cardboard and others beating at it with their sticks from on top.  As leaders we stood back and watched in amazement as the city of Jericho was completely demolished in mere seconds.  Much to the astonishment of our team, not a single child was seriously injured during the event, and I think all the kids had a blast.  I think the reenactment was probably a fairly accurate representation of the first fall of Jericho.  

-Erin/Michelle

A Work Day at Matthew Training Center

The other day at MTC we were asked to help out with some work that needed to be done around the place to keep it running well. I had no idea what that would entail, but I agreed, eager to do some useful work. It turned out that a pipe needed replacing under the building because tree roots had grown into it, causing it to plug. At first I understood it to be a water supply pipe, but later found out that was not the case.

The work began with me hammering the concrete with a hammer and chisel to get at the pipe below. When that proved to be pretty slow, the hired workers set to work with a pickaxe. We made good progress, and eventually got down to the pipe all the way that was needed.

Tim and I and our 18 year old Mexican Action member, Victor, eager to be a missionary, helped out by digging out the rubble. Once the pipe was uncovered the fun really began. Because the pipe was made of clay, the plan was to break it apart, remove the rubble and roots, put the new pvc pipe in place, and cover it back up. The breaking was easy, however, removing the roots was a different story.

Matthias, a Brazilian who is currently staying at MTC realized Victor’s zeal for being a missionary, and took advantage of it. ‘Hey Missionaro,” he called to him in Spanish, “you want to be a missionary, here grab these roots and pull them out, it’s all part of the missionary experience.” It was then that I realized the pipe was actually a toilet drain pipe, and from none other than the toilet in Matthias’ room.

As Victor prepared to pull the roots out, Matthias felt the need to explain to him what the contents of the pipe were, and how fresh it was. Victor, wanting the missionary experience, gritted his teeth and pulled to root out, dripping, placing it in a wheelbarrow. I was impressed, but that wasn’t the end; there were more roots to go.

Our biggest challenge came near the end, where we encountered one stubborn root that Victor could not pull out. Three of us tried to no avail. So all five of us, Tim, Victor, Matthias, the hired hand, and I grabbed on and pulled as hard as we could, all squeezed into the small hallway. The root started to slowly give way, and I thought we had it, when SNAP! It broke off and we all went sprawling all over the place. Victor got the worst of it, out the door, tripping over the dog, Hatchi, and rolling onto the ground.

It was quite the commotion, but eventually we had all the roots cleared, the new pipe installed, and new cement on top, leaving the job completed. We had accomplished what we set out to do with a lot of extra laughs along the way.

That is how our time has been going here in Mexico. The three Mexican members who have joined us have added so much to the team, and I really enjoy learning Spanish from Victor, and attempting to teach him some English. But even through the language barrier is there, it doesn’t keep us from laughing often, and having tons of fun. I thank God for how He has brought this team together.

-James

Two days and three nights

As 51 kids from Casa de Paz filed in to the Matthew Training Center, they were brimming with excitement. With their bags piled by the entrance, immediately, a football game was started in the field across from the dorms, and kids crowded around the canteen. They ran around with candy, most of which were covered with chili, and we were tricked into trying some by Victor, one of our Mexican teammates.

Once everyone was settled in their dorm rooms, with 5-6 kids in a room, along with an ACTION team member plus another leader from the church, the real fun began! We started worship, and it didn’t take very long for the kids to warm up to us. Praising and dancing in the presence of God has a way of bringing people together, even if they don’t speak the same language. As the kids sang ‘How great is our God’ in Spanish, and our team members sang it in English out in the field; one thing that was truly evident was how great our God really is, and how much He loves all His children.

The global church of Christ is beautiful, and we got to experience what it’s like to let loose, and be children in the presence of God. For me, being around the kids was a good reminder of this. The way that kids so easily and simply form friendships with us, and trust us enough to let us spin them in the air without dropping them always amazes me. It’s a good reminder to know that God won’t let go of my hand, even when the world around me is spinning. 

After an awesome three days with the kids, filled with completely silly dancing, worshipping, laughter, water games, throwing each other in the pool, and knocking down the walls of Jericho (story to come soon), our ACTION team formed friendships and amazing memories with those kids that have impacted our lives.

- Meret 

Orientation

This was written during orientation

With only 3 days until we lave to Guadalajara, the six of us have been growing as individuals, a team and followers of Christ.  We’re beginning to learn each other’s personalities and are excited to see how God is going to transform our lives.  A major highlight of our week was learning Spanish, which will be majorly important because we might have teammates in Mexico that only, speak Spanish.

            Llyod and Carol have been keeping us busy with many team activates.  For example; Square dancing in costumes, sports, session groups, rafting (which includes tipping teammates in their boats as well) and lots, and lots of food.  We’re really looking forward to meeting our teammates in Mexico, hopefully we’ll have good enough Spanish skills to communicate by then! Adios

 -Nadia

This was written on July 15

From the moment we arrived, Mexico has been nothing but an adventure!  We arrived in Guadalajara at 12 am Saturday and ALL our luggage was missing (well… 6 out of 7. Personally I blame it on the Americans from our delayed flight in Houston).  The very next day we ventured into the city playing, “The Amazing Race: Mexico Style”.  We took the bus, subway, and taxi and explored the Latino culture of Guadalajara.  I must say, Mexico has a lot more personality than Canada.  From the colourful bright walls to the guitar entertainers on buses, Mexicans do know their art. 

 Jen and Sandra warmly welcomed us into their home and introduced us to a new form of sleep deprivation.  We still have yet to find a cure but our new favourite word is, “siesta”.  Remember how little kids can sleep anywhere because they have no energy from running around everywhere?  That’s us, we can sleep anywhere, anytime.

            Speaking on the topic of children, we are going to be counselors to little Mexican children for three days.  That means speaking, teaching, learning, guiding, playing, eating, sleeping, breathing, etc, with little children who speak another language from another country.  We will need all the prayers possible for this task.

            And for me, a miracle.  Being with children 24/7 for days on end, survival is minimal.  

-Nadia

Laughter

This was written on July 13


Have you ever just taken a moment to think about how amazing laughter is?  It has the power to make one feel great, but it also has the power to make one feel terrible.  It is universal, you can laugh anywhere and everyone who hears can understand.

Laughter is how I would describe our first full day in Mexico.  This evening we shared so many laughs with some locals.  Conversation flowed from English to Spanish, and laughter followed.

After the initial awkward period we worshiped together.  Voices raised in both languages singing praises to God.  It was in that moment when I understood just a little more how amazing our God is.  He speaks every language, can be glorified in every language, and can be loved in every language.  Many people, nations, languages, but ONE GOD. I was struck by this truth in a way that I had never been before.

Then we shared a meal.  Food for some reason has an amazing ability to bring people together.  Over our food our new friends gave us all nicknames.  Apparently all of our names are too long!

Then we played games, and of course very little of the time was spent actually playing the games.  I would say that at least 75% of the time was spent laughing.  And not just haha laughing, but the real laugh from your gut laughing. 

-Alison