The Sabbatical Journey: Adios Mexico!

It’s hard to believe our time in Mexico is coming to a close, it’s been so good to experience life lived in community and a discipleship environment. It kind of reminds me of those summers long ago working as staff at camp: fulfilled, ready to be done, but looking forward to doing it again (here we come BC!). Nevae and Keziah have had lots of fun, but are looking forward to being back in Canada. Nevae is craving white milk; it’s just not the same here! Tuesday (tomorrow) we land in Victoria and get ready for our next chapter in our sabbatical.

We had a great time at church last Sunday - met pastor David who planted the church three years ago and it has grown to over 150 people, 80-90% in conversion growth - wow! I had a conversation with a former gang leader who was deported from the U.S.A. (where he learned English) and we met Luis, a young boy who comes to church all on his own, his family as of yet wants nothing to do with church or Jesus. This church definitely was alive with the power of the Holy Spirit - “Let the weak say, “I am strong!” Joel 3:10 & Luke 10:17-21 was the theme of the service and many came forward to receive and acknowledge that they need the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It was really powerful to see men and women who are dressed up in their “Sunday best” kneeling on a dirt floor. The girls even went off to children’s Sunday School on their own which was really neat to see, and Keziah said she prayed in the classroom too. We headed back to Casa de Paz for worship again yesterday - it’s great to observe “church” in a different setting and to see how much is similar, and yet how so much is different, especially in a latino culture. For example, those attending for the first time stand up, are introduced, and then usually ten to twenty people around them, shake their hands, hug them, kiss them, embrace like friends they haven’t seen in a long time, and then the whole church says “Welcome!” Yesterday’s message focused on how it’s the primary responsibility as parents to teach and explain to our kids about faith, and how our relationship Jesus shapes the decisions we make and why - sounds familiar to WMBC!

I’ve read far more than I expected this past month. I read “Missional Leader” (this quote stood out for me, “Missional leadership cultivates an environment in which the people of God imagine together a new future rather than one already determined by a leader.”), “Spiritual Warfare for Every Christian” by Dean Sherman (great reminder of the reality of the unseen battle going on), “Tangible Kingdom” by Hugh Halter (excellent!), re-read “The Shack” by William P. Young, and made it through most of the Steve Jobs biography. All of it good stuff! Julia is also reading a book by Henri Nouwen called “The Way of the Heart” and has been very meaningful.

I’ve also been reflecting on the book of Ephesians, listing all the things that Jesus Christ has done for me, and it’s crazy good!

blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ
chose us to be holy and blameless
predestined us to be adopted as his sons
redemption through his blood
forgiveness of sins
made known to us the mystery of his will
marked in him with a seal the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance
made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions
God’s workmanship
brought near to God through the blood of Christ
access to the Father
no longer foreigners and aliens

Sometimes I feel like I fall into the trap of trying to live like Jesus, rather than realizing that Jesus actually lives in me, i.e. “what would Jesus do?” has great intentions as a concept, but falls short in so many ways - Jesus isn’t just the example or model of how to live, rather it’s in him or ultimate him in me that makes a changed life possible. The spirit of Jesus resides in me (mind blowing), it’s his Holy Spirit that enables me to live a different life - not because I have a great example to follow, but because He is literally transforming every aspect of my life (i.e. look at what He’s done for us based on Ephesians) by his indwelling Spirit.

Tuesday I led the students on two sessions, “Knowing Yourself as a Leader” and “Relationship Between Church and Missionary”. They typically start with an hour of worship and prayer (9-10am). Sessions from 10:00am-2:30-3:00pm. Lunch. Then they have one on one’s with leaders, reading, chores, etc. The teaching was well received (even with having to translate from English into Spanish) and we had some very good discussion. On Friday the group surrounded us in prayer and spoke words of strength, encouragement and hope! We came to bless and have been blessed in return...

It has been very hot this last week, 35-38 degrees and we’ve definitely noticed the nights not cooling off like they did the previous weeks. Someone said it had been 39 in the city. We got the pool working again! We discovered that the chlorine kills the minerals in the well water, leaving a bunch of rusty, brown “stuff” in the water so for now we’re not adding chlorine until they get a pool vacuum. The girls love it!

In terms of work projects we’ve built some cement pathways with a tiles to go on top right near the main building, and we tried to replace some of the broken clay tiles on the roof. The last couple of evenings we’ve had thunderstorms through so we’re trying to fix all the leaks! Julia finished her last meal today - Watermelon and Roll Khuchen (spelling?)! She did so great, and even made cheesecake one day.