The Grove Team Rocked My Face Off

Well, as the title would suggest, the team of 9 amazing people that came from the Grove week before last was amazing.  They were very flexible, effective in ministry, and I think they were all affected for the better because of their experiences here.  My sub-par internet connection hasn't afforded me the opportunity yet to look at the pictures of others, but I'm sure they're equally as amazing.

My favorite memory of the trip was probably Reagen doing the "strong man" in our skit.  He was very convincing.  There was also the not-so-reserved boy story from Malinda.  I can't wait to see you all again soon.

The Shack....I really don't know where to begin.  I finished it last week and I am less than impressed.  In short, The Shack is a doctrinal dissertation on the Trinity of God and the Problem of Pain wrapped in the unassuming clothing of a fiction novel.  Although fiction, all of the reviews and praise written about The Shack have nothing to do with the fictitious part of the the book (the story), but rather how the reviewer's view of God has been affected in one way or another.  I won't go into what I don't agree with, but let's just say that I wouldn't read it again.

Lastly, I will be coming home on August the 20th for good.  I have spent a long time figuring out when my time in Mexico would be coming to a close, but after talking with the elders at the Grove and the directors at Roca Blanca, this is the date that I chose.  There is obviously a long story behind this drastic change in my plans so email me if you would like to know.  That's all I have for now.  Now I'm off to enjoy the beach while I still can.

Safe and Sound

En route to Roca, I read The Magician's Nephew and the first half of The Shack.  So far, I prefer the former but I'm not done with the latter yet.  Don't worry, I'll let you know how it all ends up.

Being back in Mexico is so very good in a lot of ways.  I somehow forget how much I love the people and culture here.  Really, aside from the food, I like the culture here equally as much as the American variety.  Another bonus is that currently this area is in the middle of the rainy season so it's nice and cool most days while everything is super green.  I'll post pics once I've taken them.

Ok, I have to jet for now but please continue to pray for the team from the Grove that will be getting here on Saturday.  We will have a very awesome opportunity to do some fun things but above all, I want that we and the people we come in contact with experience Jesus.

Back In Action

In addition to being back to the blogging sphere after a prolonged sabbatical, I am heading back to Mexico this coming Tuesday the 15th.  Humidity and tacos....here I come.  My travel plans, along with how long I plan to remain in Mexico, have gone through more revisions than a doctoral dissertation so soon I will divulge some of those details.  For now, know that I will be flying back and would appreciate your prayers as I travel and lead a team from the Grove.  Should be a blast!

While back in the US for this 2 month stretch, I was in two weddings and attended three others.  I feel like an index would be the only proper way to catalogue these shenanigans, but I don't want to take the hours necessary to remember every blog-worthy thing that happened.  So as a consolation, I will put up my favorite picture from my time.  Here goes:

"Shock" and "Awe"

Home

Well, I just crossed the border back into the US and made it to my parent's house last night.  I'll be here (in the US) for about 7 weeks staying mostly in Tulsa.  There will be a stint in Fayetteville as well.  Hopefully I will see you ASAP!

Picturefest

I know I should've done this a while back, but I hope you enjoy these:

Samuel.  My fav Mexican under 2 years old.

Matt.  Med school grad.  "Rocker" impression.

Beautiful kids at an outreach in Rio Grande.

Bathroom construction project in Pueblo Viejo.

Locals from Pueblo Viejo.  (despite the distance, the couple in the back are married)

Friends of the church in Pueblo Viejo.

Me selling records at another youth event.

My best friend in Mexico.  I have affectionately named him Rico Suave.

Rico and I at a wedding.

Divided Believers

Denominations are something that most Christians grew up with.  That is, they either grew up in a specific denomination or they knew that this difference called "Presbyterian" or "Methodist" existed.  I personally find that with people my age and younger, denominational awareness is declining but that is an entirely different discussion.  What I will discuss here is what role (if any) denominations should play in our lives as Christians.

It is inevitable that at some point we should come into contact with other Christians that have differing opinions of what doctrine is (I use the word doctrine to mean that which should be an inarguable point of conviction).  So when we encounter such a situation, how should we react?  More accurately, how do we react in reality?  Should doctrinal disputes get in the way of worshipping together?  Do these splits prohibit us from working together?  Do we look down on our brother/sister in Christ because of a difference in interpretation?  Do we give way to post-modern relativism?  I pose these questions as rhetorical knowing that, depending on the topic at hand, the answers will come easily sometimes and with more difficulty other times.

These are some of my thoughts right now.

On another note, we recently celebrated the marriage of two wonderful people:  Laura and David.  It was my first wedding in Mexico and despite the couple being American, I was told the wedding was very Mexican.  There were about 600 people in attendance!  I got to learn how to slaughter a cow for the feast (I will spare those pics for now), hosted the rehearsal dinner, and just enjoyed the busyness of it all.

[David and Laura eating cake]

Apart from that I have already begun to get ready to travel back to the US.  In about a month I will be traveling back to spend almost 2 months in the states doing fundraising, attending weddings, and generally making merry.  See you soon.

[Becky (flower girl) and I at the reception]

How Else Can I Say It?

Life is just funny.

A mosquito bit me in the lip last night so when I woke up this morning, my upper lip was approximately 182.9% larger. Imagine a collagen injection on the scale of Joan Rivers......but only on one half of my mouth.

I recently tickled a cute little kid. I tickled him a lot. Then out of nowhere he started farting. His increased laughter at his own farting led to a farting spree that lasted the better part of 2 minutes. It was absolutely uncontrollable. I felt kind of bad, but it was hilarious.

Lafe and 2-liter bottles of Dr. Pepper.

I was walking down the street in a nearby town when all of a sudden a little girl started asking me to come into their store and check out their hammocks. I politely decline when WHAM!! I hit my head on a beam sticking out the side of said store. After a moment of recovery the girl gave me the look of, "that's what you get for not shopping here." I felt like I had just stepped into a booby trap where the mastermind was not a savvy hunter, but rather a little girl.

There have been others along the way, but those are the ones that came to mind. Maybe the next time I see you, you can brighten my day with a similar set of stories.

Youth Conference

Lately I've been feeling drained and it's not because I've been so crazy busy (although I have been), or because it's so hot (although it is impressively hot), but because there's a youth conference going on this week. About 3,000 kids are camping out in and around the base and it's really fun. More specifically though, the speakers are wearing me out. I sort of feel bad for saying that, but then again I don't.....mostly because it's true. It seems like every one of the talks lasts over an hour and there's no theology involved really. I mean, there's some, but it could be said in a 5 minute synopsis. Instead, there is an amazing amount of emotional appeal and I'm starting to feel really zapped by it all. Almost all of the teachings are for the purpose of whipping the kids into a fever-pitched frenzy and then calling it good. I don't know, maybe I'm just cynical. I like hanging out with the kids and talking at any rate.

By the way, here is a picture of Juan. This is the same Juan who was hit by the truck. The good report on him is that he continues to improve. He can now talk some, walk a few steps at a time, and he's gaining some weight back. I will continue to update on him as he progresses.

Developing Plans

Well it has been quite some time since I've posted here and for that I apologize. Aside from the normal busyness, I've had a stomach parasite that has pretty much sidelined me. Anyway I have some good pics to share the next time I get to Puerto but for now I wanted to share how the business development plans are going.

Truthfully, I'm very excited because I feel like so much is coming together. I've planned with the Bible school administrators when and how I will implement the business course into the trade school next year. To that end, I've already outlined the whole course and summarized the material to be covered. I only lack the individual lesson plans. The course will have three parts in total and cover the whole school year.

As far as individual businesses go, I am in the middle of helping to launch an extended guest services campaign that will provide guests to the mission base with the options of fishing on our beach front, snorkeling, touring the rock/island in front of the base, and this will all be in addition to a restaurant on the top floor of the guest house. By God's providence we have come into contact with a chef who actually worked in the states for a number of years. He has graciously agreed to help us in our fledgling effort to start this restaurant.

Lastly I am entering into a time of pursuing an outsourcing contract with a company from Missouri. I can't go into the specifics at the moment, but please pray that God grants us favor in winning the contract here. I can't describe the kind of blessing this would be for the people here.

That's it in a nutshell regarding the business development front. I hope that this news encourages you as much as it does me.

This weekend I'm going to visit a village about 4 hours away from the base called Amuzgos. It should be pretty fun. I will be staying with a pastor and just getting to know the people and the area. I've already learned how to say "My name is," and "I'm from" in their native tongue. I'll post about the trip when I get back. God bless.

My Mexican Abode

Ok, so I finally made it to Puerto and here are some long awaited pics (not a lot but it's a start).


My glorious concrete cube of a room. Yes, that's pink you see.






















Here's me in front of the house where I live. It's affectionately called "La Quinta." If I don't look too excited it's because I just woke up. Hasta pronto!

I'm Fine

For those of you who haven't heard, there was an earthquake that hit about 100 miles away from the mission base this morning at about 7 in the morning. It was a 6.4 magnitude, but everything and everyone was fine. Actually, I wasn't even in the area. I was on my way back to the base from the border with my friend Charles. Quick explanation: you have to renew your visa at the border every 6 or 12 months depending on the type of visa you have. Anyway, I accompanied him and we just got back about 4 this evening but I'm exhausted. It's about a 25 hour drive to the border from here depending on traffic and how much hassle the army gives you.

Thanks again to everyone for the concerned emails. It made me feel important! I love everyone of you.

Oddities

I thought I would share some of the things I find odd about Mexico:

They eat iguana eggs here. I actually tried one yesterday and it was pretty tasty. Reminded me of a deviled egg. (they also eat armadillo)

People stare at me. I thought I was just making it up in my head until today. I happened to be wearing some sunglasses (with which you can't see my eyes) at a worksite today, and I noticed that everyone stared at me when I pretended to be looking off into the distance.

Air Conditioning is a luxury. Better said, finding air conditioning is similar to finding all of Bill Gates' money in one place and having with you a truck big enough to haul it all off. Oh, and it's not cool here either.

Protein is severely undervalued. Tortillas and veggies are the norm. I really hate beans....I hated them before.....I hate them still.

Speed bumps are unnecessary on a pothole filled dirt road.....unless you're in Mexico. And the speed bumps, well my friend, they are designed to make you replace your suspension as often as your oil.

Mexicans are scared of fish. I don't know why, but every time we're swimming in the ocean and they see fish, they freak and run ashore.

That's about it for now. There's a pastor's group here this week from the surrounding areas and they all have good ideas for start-up companies. Exciting stuff. Truly, it puts a bit of pressure on me to get some stuff done a lot quicker than I anticipated. God is good and affirming. If only I could get a steak.

All About Juan

I was really not looking forward to this roadtrip. Just as I'm feeling settled at the base I have to leave for about 36 hours, drive 14 of them across tope infested highways, and deprive myself of sleep. Not fun. Then I met Juan and I forgot about my pity party.

Juan is a 19 year old kid who is very normal by all standards. He lives in a small village not too far from myself, he works hard, and by the grace of God came to know Christ within the last year. One Sunday night just over a month ago, Juan was walking to church along a highway when a truck came up from behind him and the truck's rearview mirror hit Juan's head sending him careening into the dusty ditch. Luckily his brother-in-law, Ramon, was with him and scooped up Juan's limp frame and ran to find their nearest friend with a vehicle. Thankfully they found a friend who took them to the local doctor. When they got there, the doctor took 1 minute to look at Juan and matter-of-factly told the family to get ready for Juan to die. The doctor said Juan may live for 2 hours......3 at the most.

Not willing to give up, the family got in the car and drove to a bigger city with an actual hospital. Upon arriving at the next city, they were turned away and told the same thing: "I'm sorry. There's nothing that can be done for this boy. He may as well already be dead." As devastating as this prognosis was, the family was still not giving up. With Juan's skull exposed, eye out of socket, and more blood in the car than should be in one human body, the family pressed on through the 6 hour drive to Acapulco. When they got to the hospital in Acapulco and the doctors heard the story, they were amazed that he was still alive so they decided to do what they could to help the boy. Fast forward to Tuesday night when I met Juan.

Juan had a checkup and x-ray scheduled with the doctors in Acapulco, but the family had no way of getting to Acapulco so the pastor of their church asked me if I could take Juan. I agreed only knowing that a "sick" person had a doctor's appointment. I had no idea what an impact was awaiting me.

Two of Juan's brother-in-laws carried him into my car as I leaned the seat back for him. He still doesn't have sufficient strength to even hold his head up. As we get him loaded into the car next to me, I'm starting to get a sense of his desperation. I load their luggage into my car. Diapers? What are those doing here? Oh, Juan has no control over his bowels as a result of the accident. On the way to Acapulco on Tuesday night, Juan's brother-in-laws feed him some applesauce so that he has some nourishment. In only minutes he vomits it all up. His body has trouble digesting properly now. He is but a frame at this point after losing 30 pounds since the accident. He can motion "yes" or "no" when I ask him if he's hot or cold. That's about all he can muster.

So with the smell of every foul bodily fluid hanging heavy in the humid Mexican night air, we travel to Acapulco with the mission to get Juan help.

After two appointments and 16 hours at the hospital, our day is complete. The doctors are amazed that Juan is conscious and responsive. He can even lift his hands a bit and move his legs when he's propped up. Miraculous. So now we embark on our trip home. After another 7 hours in the car and wishing for some space to stretch, we get home. Juan and his family are dropped off at their home and we part with grateful hugs. Not so much grateful that we're home, but that God has bonded us and given us a taste of His love for those in so much need. "I truly have family here," I think to myself.

Thank you Juan.

Thank you Jesus.

A Brief History of Mexico

*In chronological order*

Mexico was founded by Juan Valdez. Some people have mistaken him as being more well-known for his accolades in the coffee industry, however this is just not true. About the time that the island of Mexico ran into then Texas in 78,000 B.C., Montezuma overthrew Sr. Valdez and was elected president for several millenia. It's not really clear during Sr. Zuma's reign when things happened, but what we do know for sure is that the Vikings landed in Mexico and invented soccer. Sometime after the people grew to like the game though, they ousted the glory-hoarding Vikings in favor of Mel Gibson and his band of evil war lords from the kingdom of Taco Bell. Sometime after this, a man named George W. renamed the land "Meshecko." (they have since returned to the original pronunciation)

More recently, Mexico has begun to use the 12 month calendar giving it a much larger window of time in which to produce cacti and baja chalupas. At this point you may be asking yourself, "How did I not know any of this?" Well my dear reader the answer is simple: ever since Sr. Gore invented the interweb it is difficult to keep up with everything. That's all.

I hope you like dry satire as much as I do.....

In all seriousness though, things are going well. I will go into town soon (where they have high speed internet) and post pics. Until then, keep praying that God gives me wisdom to develop the coursework and lending program. Tonight I am taking a sick man to Acapulco for a Dr.'s appt so prayer for a safe trip would be appreciated. Keep him in your prayers too as he was hit by a truck while walking along the freeway several months back. Updates to follow.

Props: Thank you for the info on portions of the history go to Hirsch.

In Mexico

My body has totally forgotten what it feels like to be cold and I am immersed in buckets of humidity: I'm home.

In short, the trip across the border was great. Matt and I only got lost for a total of 3 hours, we never were stopped by military (at the border or otherwise), Matt learned how to drive standard, and we re-learned that topes are the most irritating things on God's earth. (a "tope" is a speed bump that has been enlarged to match the approximate size of Mt. Everest. They are placed in every town along the last 5 hours of the drive)

One of the unfortunate things about where I'm living in Mexico is that the internet is super slow so until I build up the patience necessary to do battle with the blazing speed of this connection, I won't upload pictures. Be looking forward to them though! More to come soon and thanks for the prayer!

Roadtrip?

As of today, it has been written in stone: I will be leaving Tulsa for Mexico a week from today! After all the waiting, everything has come in that I need for the vehicle, I have a travel companion for the 36 hour roadtrip (thank you so much Sr. Schilb), and gosh dangit I'm ready to use my new roadmap!


So this means that I will be crossing the border somewhere around dawn on next Sunday morning and arriving at Roca Blanca late Monday night if everything works out. I really cannot wait to just get down there and get settled. Here are some ways in which you can be praying:

Safety for Matt and I. I am not anticipating that there will be any problems driving across the country of Mexico. That said, two gringos attract attention and sometimes that attention can be unwanted (especially if it's the attention of crazy Mexican policia). In addition, banditos can be bad news. Plus I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I got Jill's new hubby into trouble.

(Actual Banditos probably look scarier than this)

I pack/remember everything I need. There are several things I am bringing down to the base for people living there and it's pretty important that I not forget anything. The mail system in Mexico leaves a bit to be desired in terms of reliability so mailing/shipping stuff really isn't an option.

That's about it for now. The adventure is finally on! Thanks for all of your support to this point. I can't wait to show pics from what will undoubtedly prove to be a great roadtrip.

Politics

During this time of the 4-year cycle, the US turns its attention to all things political: the divisive, the innocuous, the boring, and the interesting to see if we can come up with a perceived "fix all" for the upcoming 48 months. I will admit that I grow weary of this for reasons I don't completely understand. Probably, it is as simple as knowing that no one will ever really be happy with the way the country is being run and so I don't understand all of the fuss. Then I'm caught by my own desire for change in the areas that I deem important. Blah. It will be different to be able to watch the whole circus unfold from Mexico this year. I wonder what it will be like to be able to hide from the slew of ads. I also ask myself, how much time in advance do I really need to start thinking about who I want to vote for? Days, weeks, months? I'm not sure. I will most likely wait to decide anything until we're down to two candidates (sorry independents, you realistically don't have a chance of winning).

Now that I've covered that controversial topic, I will transition to Oaxaca plans. I did get the title back from AR for the 4Runner late last week and applied to get a clean one in my name through OK. They told me it takes a week and a half or so. This means that I will most likely be leaving early to mid week next week. So exciting! Please be in prayer that God will be preparing the way for my journey to be safe as it is an excruciating 36 hour drive. More updates to come regarding that.

Quick Update

I truthfully don't have a lot new to share with you at the moment. I am still waiting on the title to come back from the AR Dept. of Finance so moving to Mexico is on hold until that happens. Other than the waiting, I have gotten to do a lot of hanging out with the fam and friends. Christmas, New Year's, and bowl games have brought me together with old friends and it has been great. Last night, I sat in a hot tub until 4 in the morning talking to a guy who I've known for 10 years now about anything and everything regarding our spiritual journeys. Sweet time. I would say that I am living my best life now (Gu).

I will keep everyone updated as the timing of my trip to Mexico becomes clearer. The only other important thing I can add to this post is that Feist's new CD is amazing. You should get it, or bear the consequences of not experiencing some great music. That's all.