Glimpses of the Avance experience

Hello! I thought it might be neat for those who are interested to read first hand some of our summer Avancistas' experiences. We are very excited about all this team is learning and doing. Below are the blog links for those who have one:

Elizabeth: http://trustwithoutborders.blogspot.com

Jasmine: http://allongobedience.blogspot.com

Amanda: http://intheseabundantskies.blogspot.com

Hannah: http://hannahfilipiak.wordpress.com

Jessica: http://tohimbethegloryforever.blogspot.com

Father's Day

On Sunday we celebrated Father's Day. In Mexico it is an incredibly understated day, especially in comparison to Mother's Day, which tends to come second in importance only to the Day of the Virgen of Guadalupe. The state of fatherhood in Mexico is one of crisis. Many of our friends here come from broken homes where the father struggled with alcholism, was almost completely absent from the family life, or had a second family on the side. It is an interesting contrast to observe, the dominance of the male and the existence of machismo alongside the veneration of the role of the mother. I want to make it clear that the picture I am painting is not true of all Mexican men/fathers by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a disturbing pattern that does not seem to be subsiding. In light of this reality, I am so thankful to be able to celebrate Kevin as the father of our children. I love the way he seeks to be involved in his children's lives, how he plays with them, makes time and sacrifices for them, finds ways to make them feel extra special, and most of all is constantly seeking to submit to and learn from our Heavenly Father. The role of father is such an important one, which is why, I believe, that it is under such attack not only here in Mexico, but in the U.S. as well. It is especially important to encourage, thank and pray for husbands and fathers everywhere who are continually trying to provide for and be the best they can be for their families, seeking to follow the example of the one perfect Father. Thank you Kevin for loving and serving our family!

Prayer Walk

Today after Spanish classes all our Avancistas gathered together to do a prayer walk around the Zocalo (the center plaza of Mexico City). I always enjoy these events, especially when I  have the opportunity to do them sans kids (thanks to Kevin for taking them for the afternoon!). Somehow, even though summer is the rainy season, I have never experienced a rainy afternoon on the day of our prayer walk. Today the streak ended. :)

By the end of the walk (we walk around the square seven times all the while praying for the city based on the Lord's Prayer), we were all soaked! Still I feel as if the Lord routinely uses experiences such as these to grow my heart for this people, culture and city. I feel privileged to be able to live here, and I am finding myself more and more motivated to continue to understand and love Mexico and its people.

Welcome Avance Summer Team 2013!

On June 5 (almost) all of our 12 summer Avancistas arrived! One missed his flight and joined us a day late. For three days we stayed together in a hostel at the heart of the city for a packed orientation to life and ministry here in Mexico City! The experience was a valuable one for Kevin and I because, Paul, our director, was at a retreat in the States so it was a bit of an orientation to what our responsibilities will look like when Paul and Nydia are taking a small service leave for the second half of the summer and we will be on our own! Below is a photo of our group (YearOut leaders included) right before they went off to meet their Mexican families! Please join us in praying for Kate, Lizzie, Hannah, Jasmine, Jessica, Aaron, Petr, Stephanie, Karalee, Canaan, Amanda, and Daniel this summer!