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!

San Pablito

One of the most exceptional opportunities we have, simply by living in a country that is not our own, is the ability to see aspects of who our God is through the eyes and lives of his people, people who are different from us culturally yet who put their faith in the same One we do. I am constantly learning more about our God as I watch his people seek to live for Him in their context.  On Saturday we had the opportunity to see a piece of a new context when we visited the town of San Pablito to celebrate the first anniversary of the church there.

San Pablito is a little town in the mountains of Puebla, a state to the east of Mexico City. It is primarily inhabited by a people group called the Otomi. Like many Mexican indigenous groups the Otomi face many challenges, especially economically. Many have left their hometowns to make their way in Mexico City but, isolated from their communities, life is rarely easier. Often people will drift back and forth between their home town and the city. The church in San Pablito has been strongly supported by a ministry from our church called Corazón Valiente, or Brave Heart. The ministry seeks to walk alongside the indigenous groups who come to the city, by creating relationships, promoting the education of their children, and advocating for them, all the while sharing God's hope and love. Throughout the year, members of Corazón Valiente team visit the different home communities of the indigenous groups with whom they work.

Saturday was our first visit to San Pablito, but I hope it won't be our last. The drive into the mountains of Puebla was breathtaking.

We stopped at a river near San Pablito to celebrate several baptisms!

Then we headed to the church for a service, visiting, and lots of fun. 

Owen was EXTREMELY popular. He handled it well. :)

All in all we enjoyed ourselves immensely and hope to be able to return soon. :)

El Pollito

Here's a quick link to Eliana's Mother's Day performance with her preschool. :)

Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones

Sometimes I don't even realize how refreshing, renewing and rewarding it is to have the chance to simply BE. On Tuesday we traded the haze of downtown for this:

Last month our YearOuters read a book called Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero. It is an excellent resource and I would highly recommend it. In an effort to "practice what we preach" in regards to emotionally healthy spirituality, we spent one very special day in the Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones, or the Lion's Desert National Park. Now, there are no lions to be found here, and it is forrest rather than desert, but what it is is a unique opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of the city without actually leaving it. We spent some time sharing about different topics, but mostly we had the opportunity to be alone with God. I felt my whole body relax in a way it hadn't for some time and I felt the pure joy of observing and experiencing God's creation.

Before we left we explored an old monastery that is in the middle of the park. Here are some pictures:

We also checked out the catacombs!

And of course we enjoyed eachother's fellowship while enjoying a delicious meal!

All in all it was a wonderful day. :)

Día del Niño/Kid's Day

Growing up I remember thinking (as did most children I assume) that if there was a Mother's Day, and a Father's Day, why wasn't there a Kid's Day? My mom always told me it was because every day is Kid's Day. :) Well, it turn's out that there actually is a Kid's Day, April 30th, and here in Mexico it's a very big deal! This year Eliana's teacher from her preschool decided that the parents should choreograph a dance and perform it for their kids, so we did. It was a funny experience overall, but the most rewarding part was that Eliana loved it. Here's the link in case you want to check it out! :) http://youtu.be/APM3yCWuuKY