More news and pics from the Mexico team

By Cliff Johnson, Young Adults Pastor
Prayer Request for tonight – tonight, the Lighthouse Band is playing at a huge block party event put on by the church here in Mexico that we are working with.

We have been hanging posters, handing out flyers, and spreading the word to invite the community to this event. Pray that a ton of people show up and are exposed to the love of Jesus through song and testimony. Eric Fritts, Lighthouse Worship Leader, is going to be sharing his amazing testimony. Pray that God does a powerful work tonight!

Here are three more accounts from our team, along with some new pictures.

The pictures (click them to see them larger) are of Nicole Juhasz, Ben Kelly, and AJ McClelland working with Rene on conversational English….. Christina Linguidi using motions to teach… and Kathy Kelly with one of our English Students

By Stefanie Bohde, Young Adults Administrative Assistant
Bienvenido from Mexico! These past few days have been filled with new friends, new experiences (Nikki Smith and I ate cactus for breakfast the other day), and God´s presence. His Spirit is moving here in Mexico City and I´m so excited to be here to witness it all, to see Him alive in the hearts of these people. To recognize that we serve the God of all languages.

For the past few days, I´ve been part of a team teaching English classes to some of the people in the community. Many of the participants are children. They are full of energy and laughter. Joy. It´s been a lot of fun learning how to connect in ways that might not always involve language. It´s interesting how much you can say when two people speak very little of the same language.

There´s one gentleman named Rene that has been coming to English classes all week. Since travelling to Texas regularly for work, he can speak a good amount of English and just wanted practice his pronunciation and conversational abilities.

On Monday, our conversation was a conglomeration of US pop culture and knowledge. He began by asking us questions based on what he knew of America- John Calvin, Lee Iococa, blue cheese, the Ford Mustang, the Presidential election, and greenhouse farming.

As Jaime and I continued talking to him throughout the hour, we learned that the language lesson was so much more than an instructional- through conversation, we were able to share our lives with him as well.

Right before he left, Rene asked us if we “could feel the joy”. After a minute or two, Jaime and I both realized that he was referencing an old Coke commercial, and actually meant to ask if we were happy and having a good time here in Mexico. But the question stuck with me. Am I making a conscious effort each day to feel and harness the joy that I know because of Christ?

So often we all get so caught up with what we’re lacking in life, that we forget to recognize that Christ is more than enough to satisfy. Despite disappointments, discomfort or even boredom, Christ lives in me. And that should be all that I need to give me the joy that Rene was talking about.I know this. You probably do as well. But I want to live it. I want my joy to be contagious in every circumstance, here in Mexico and as I continue walking through life. One could do worse than asking this question every morning.

By Nikki Smith, Young Adult Businesswoman
English. Because of my birthplace, I was bestowed upon the richest, strongest language in the world! Monday afternoon in Mexico we started our first English (as a Second Language, ESL) Class. We had no idea what to expect. During our Sunday night concert we’d advertised by passing out 900+ flyers. Rod had said he’d expect somewhere around 20 people the first day, and possibly 100+ by the end of the week! But as our time progressed that first day, with ten of us hablantes ingleses anxiously awaiting, only 5 people showed up to our first class.

At first I know I was discouraged by the turnout, but as I was able to talk and work with each student (as many questions from the other workers were filtered to me to translate) I realized that God gives us only what we can bear, and that there are no coincidences. Each of our students thus far is amazing and we have enough so that we can each invest and get to know them on a level more than just teacher-student.

In addition to the blessing of the ESL, the family that Stef and I are staying with doesn’t speak a lick of English! In fact our first night here I went to bed with a sort of headache because I had been spending all my energies that day translating from one language to the other! It’s great how God picks up and fills in; in some of my conversations, I don’t even remember learning some of the Spanish words/tenses I’m speaking and hearing!

Our family is great, when we get back, you’ll have to ask Stef and I about Jose, Adriana y Axel - our host family. They’re great and have been spoiling us so much with their amazing hospitality. I’ll also have to tell you about Laura, my new friend from Colombia who has killer hair! The issue now is that I could write a book, just about the first 3 days!

Basically, from my experiences here thus far, I guess I am just seeing more and more how much God himself has spoiled me! I was born in the richest country, live with some of the best comforts, but more than anything, am native to the most powerful language that others would give their right arm to learn! Ademas, here in Mexico, the God of all nations who speaks every language and is the sovereign over all has been able to take care of me too! God is great and God is good - no matter what country you might be in!

By Dana Hilliker, Young Adult Registered Nurse
I came here to Mexico City as kind of a veteran of short-term mission trips having been on 6 other trips, but I knew there would be something new for me to learn here as well. Probably the thing that’s most different about this trip from others I’ve made in the past is that we didn’t have a specific work project to do - like building something. Our work has been relational with ESL and music classes, and in some ways I really don’t feel like I’m contributing much. On the other hand, I know that God works in much bigger ways, and we won’t really ever know how much impact was made, not on this side of heaven anyways. I’ve had to learn to be content that what the group and I are doing really is what God wants us here for.

Last night, I was playing Scrabble with my host mom Claudia. I had made the word top which she later made into tope, the Spanish word for speed bump. The speed bumps are everywhere down here and make going somewhere with a van full of people much more fun – CLUNK! Tonight several of us decided not to go to the taco stand and settled for something more like home: McDonald’s.