updates

13 JUNE 2005

    Greetings everyone from Mexico City!
    We arrived in Mexico City on the afternoon of June 12. We have to admit that the drive was not as pleasant as one could wish. The air conditioner did not work and the spare tire was on the passenger seat floor. But God sure did keep us safe along the way. Our only "damage" was that each of us had one very sunburned arm.
    The Border was no problem at all. We had to wait 3 1/2 hours in lines, but we had no troubles attaining a 6 month travel permit and our car was not asked to be searched. Praise the Lord!!! Thanks for those of you who prayed for our journey down, and especially Terry who was praying for our car :) We got a little lost in Mexico City. . .but once again God provided! I had 4 maps on my lap and still had no idea where we were. But after turning on this street and that street, God allowed us to see the beautiful sign that said "Eje 6." Oh, did that ever feel like a miracle! We met the missionary that lives in our same building. . .great gal! She cooked us dinner and let us rest, bless her heart!! We questioned her until we were questioned out. On Monday we went down into the office where Kathy began to show us the work we will be doing with the Child Sponsorship program. (program for Pastors' children) I'm a bit overwhelmed by the work that we will need to do, but fortunately there will be other people around (hopefully!) to help out.
    Our apartment has two bedrooms, one of which we will use, because frankly, we didn't bring anymore than the little car could carry! There is a long hallway that has a table and desk; a small kitchen; and a larger living room with beautiful wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves covering two walls, a couch, a love seat, and a chair. Very nice (no carpet, but that's ok, we'll try to find some cheap rugs somewhere). There are some things that we will need to find, but I think Richard and I are both satisfied with what we have. We like the open rooms and non-crammed spaces! God has been so good. The devotion I read this morning reminded me that I need to do what I can, but not worry about what I cannot do, because God will provide the rest. I'm definitely feeling the need to rely on God more and more.

19 JUNE 2005

    We have now been here for one week. We have settled into our apartment, and we have been introduced to the people we will be working with. We're very blessed to have amenities like hot water and a washer and dryer. We are in a safe neighborhood within walking distance of several shops and supermarkets, so we can easily get all of the necessities we need. An interesting aspect of being here is adjusting to the altitude, which has caused us to be slightly more tired as well as unusually winded after climbing stairs. The climate is beautiful so far and there are many trees and a few parks in this part of the city.
    Kathy Matson, the missionary whom we are filling in for, is now in the US for General Assembly of the Church of the Nazarene, as well as her deputation. She did her best to train us on her responsibilites with the Child Sponsorship program, answering calls, answering the door, listening for the trash bell, calling to fill the gas tank, etc. Our boss, the area director, Rene Jimenez, leaves tomorrow (Monday) for General Assembly and will be gone for 10 days. Today we went to church with Rene and his family a couple kilometers east of where we live. They have been very kind to us. They had us over for dinner and a movie last night, and then had us over for lunch today.
    For now, our work is here in the field office. Richard will be creating an Access database for the Child sponsorship program, including form and report generation and several queries. He is also also going to work on contact directory of all the churches and leaders on the Nazarene districts in Mexico. Then in September he needs to start working on an information packet for the district assemblies in January. Krista is working with the Sponsorship data processing and letter translations. She's also the primary communicator, since Richard doesn't speak Spanish yet.

17 JULY 2005

    We just finished a week-long Vacation Bible School at one of the local Nazarene churches. It went well and we had fun teaching English in the form of songs and Bible verses. The children loved to sing about our big and mighty God. . .especially in English! Richard was a big hit with the children. It just goes to show that you don't need to speak the same language to be accepted and adored! VBS ended on Sunday with a program and a play. The children sang "Our God is so Big" as well as "Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah. . .Praise Ye the Lord!" Even the adults joined in on the second song.
    We have been getting to know more of the city. Richard has driven several times now in the city--although it was just to the church and back. We have taken a few trips to downtown Mexico City, with the area director’s son, on the subway. We haven't ventured that way by ourselves yet, but we are getting to know the route. Downtown we bought postcards and went to a HUGE Christian Bookstore. We also went into a computer "mall" that was CRAZY! There were about 50 small kiosks in a space that was about the size of a basketball court. And every step we took (weaving around people, of course) an employee practically grabbed us and said, "What is it you are looking for? We have it!" Also, the area director's son took us into the National Palace where we saw murals painted by Diego Rivera. Downtown Mexico City is highly polluted and crowded, with a lot of street vendors and expensive looking stores.
    A couple of weeks ago, we went to Mexico Nazarene Seminary up in the mountains to attend the "changing of the guards" service (they now have a new director). Mmmm. . .the air is so fresh up in the mountains, and it makes the polluted air of Mexico City seem more evident. We've now officially been to Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, as well as Blockbuster. This was all thanks to the Work and Witness missionary, Laura, who along with her husband Ron are back in Mexico. Ron has been on a Work and Witness trip, so Laura has expanded our knowledge of the local area. She's very good about telling us what things are and which places are the best to go to. Both Ron and Laura have been a real help and great to talk to in our native language.
    Work in the office continues as normal. Richard is making great progress with the computer database for Child Sponsorship. Receiving the database design program that he is using in English really sped the process up. Krista continues to translate letters from the children and keep them updated on what their responsibilities are to remain sponsored. We enjoy working with the Jimenez family. (the area director, his wife, and their son)
    This month brought on a few situations that made us miss home: Krista's dad being really sick and in the hospital, close friends losing their daughter, and our first niece being born. Yet, we realize that we are put in Mexico for such a time as this. We pray, mourn, and rejoice physically from afar, but our prayers have been with our family and friends.

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