A Trip in Missions, Pt. 11

Wow, somehow I've let an entire month go by without posting an update!  Please excuse my negligence.

Teaching Bible Verses before eating and English class.

The holidays wrapped up nicely and we started anew with the kids' program at the Community Center!  I walked all throughout the community, posting announcements about this semester of the program so that the parents would come sign their kids up before we ran out of available spaces.  That was an adventure in and of itself, as I got lost a few times...  It was a good thing that there were kids around to direct me!  (rereading that, I sound pretty pitiful...)  Haha!

Anyway, sign-ups took place and the program is underway!  I'm seeing growth in the program already:  new kids and more teachers (thank God!).  Additionally, there's a new program up and running for 2012!  Lee spoke with a few representatives from the Food Bank to get two distribution spots in our community (one at the center, and one at Miguel's church across the highway).  As you can see from the picture, there was a large response from the community!  The need is great, but God provides, proving that He is greater than our felt needs.  :-)

Speaking of new things in 2012, God is opening so many doors for me, giving me the opportunity to introduce Him to others!  I already shared about the letter I wrote to Paula concerning agape love vs. worldly love, but that seems to have just been the start!  I've been thinking about how quickly my time here is running out and how much I want to say to everyone I've met, and God has not failed to make a way for my desire to be fulfilled!  I'm going to start a "letter writing ministry."  That sounds really official, but what it really means is that I'm going to write letters to leave behind for certain people.  Lol!  It's amazing to me, though.  When I brought special stationary and envelopes with me, I intended to use them to write back to friends and family in the U.S. about my time here; however, I quickly discovered that the Mexican mail system is terrible and shouldn't be used...but now I see the TRUE purpose for me bringing them, and it is beautiful.

One open door that's presented itself has to do with the teens of the community.  They get a bad rep around here because many of them don't work, but will get into "mischief", instead.  When I look at them, they seem like the "forgotten ones" in the area.  Not many church outreaches that I've seen here seem to target that age group; it's either young kids and pre-teens, or parents.  I really do hope that there are teen outreaches going on and that I just haven't been aware of them...

Anyway, I've started playing soccer and volleyball with the teens in the evenings.  I'm hoping that a door will open for the Gospel!  The guys aren't really that bad.  They may cuss at each other and do stupid things, but they still seem to have a sense of right and wrong.  Case in point:  I let them borrow the program's volleyball the other day and it bust while they were playing.  Not only did they bring it back, but they had SEWN IT BACK TOGETHER, BETTER THAN BEFORE!  I have to admit, that small gesture really touched me.  It was like a sign of mutual respect.  They really remind me of myself when I was in high school (before Christ, people).  Haha!  God has put it on my heart to leave a letter for that group, too.  I think I'll enclose it in the packaging of a new volleyball.  Who knows what will happen from there.  However, I do hope to see them in heaven some day...

Checking construction work vs. building plans

The other open door has to do with my background in architecture.  As many of you know, I've been working on the plans for the community center here, trying to complete them before I leave so that Lee and Carol can move forward with the ministry, unhindered.  Well, we recently had some issues with our neighbors...  It's troubling because their kids attend our program!  Still, in the midst of the situation, the mother approaches me, asking if I could help them with the plans on a house they want to build!  At this point, I'm not staring at an open door--THIS IS A GATE!!!  Haha!  I met with her and her husband and discussed a few things.  Recently, I've been working on the community center plans by day, and my neighbor's house by night (feels like the architecture studio at Howard University all over again).  They've given me full design freedom!!!  Literally, one of my designs will be built in Mexico!!!  Only God could accomplish that!  Hopefully, God will also accomplish peace between us as I develop the building plans/design for them!  I plan to hand them their plans with a letter, as well.

I'm really excited to see what my final month here will bring!  I'm hoping it will be my best one, yet!  Still, I have no clue what awaits me.  Alas, vamos a ver...  ("We'll see...")