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.