Last day of our cell group "beta"

Last Tuesday was the last day of our cell group or weekly Bible Study where we meet in different people houses from our group each week and have a time of alabanza (praise and worship), a platica (talk), and oracion (prayer). The two pillars of our group are to evangelize and edify. There are 3 other groups like ours from our church that meet weekly. Many of the people that come to our cell groups do not go to church and are not Christians. It is a first step for many Mexicans to learn more about a relationship with Jesus and many of the members of our church first started coming to cell groups years ago.

The picture above is of our last meeting at Christy and Doug's house (our pastor and his wife). Almost the entire cell group is one family--Roberto and his 6 brothers and sisters and their families. I always looked forward to Tuesdays, excited to spend time with one of my second families here in Mexico. These Mexicans can talk. We start group at 8 pm and finish around 10:30 pm.

I am so thankful for this Mexican family and look forward to seeing many of them in heaven.

La cabeza de un cerdo

Today my roommate Becca and I went over to the Maestra Sandra's house for lunch. I asked what I could help with and started to "picar" or cut an onion for lunch. After chatting and cutting for about 15 minutes I realized what was right in front of me and that the pozole that we were going to eat for lunch was going to be cooked with the meat of a pig head. I soon became very curious as to how one cooks a pig head and what parts of the pig head one eats--that we were going to be eating.

Do you eat the tongue? Oh yeah---after it is cooked it is nice and tender
What about the eye balls? Did you buy the pig head with the eye ball? Yes, they're right here (as she cut them off with a knife) because you eat those too
And the brain? You just have to cut through this part right here...
So you eat all the parts of the head? Yep--we put them all in the soup... you can make tacos with them too

So, I definitely needed to get a picture of this pig head before it was torn to pieces. I learned that pozole tastes best when it is cooked with "la cabeza" of a pig. After taking all of the answers to my questions in and realizing that soon I would be eating each of these parts of the pig head in my pozole or "soup" I was doing okay. Okay, until I noticed the hair that they had cut off of the head before they cooked the pig. I seriously thought that a dead rat was on the counter, but no, it was just the skin/hair of the pig head....that's all. Yeah, that grossed me out.

I have to say that I have eaten pozole many times, but not seen it prepared, and always wondered what kind of meat it was....knowing that it was pork. I just didn't have a clue that it was the head. In the end, we had a great lunch and I finished my whole bowl of pozole, wondering with each bite what part of the pig head I was eating. I think I figured out which part was the tongue and couldn't get myself to eat those chunks, but ate the rest and have to say that it all tasted pretty much like meat.

I am thankful I got the chance to be truly Mexican before leaving in the next couple weeks and to be able to reflect on this experience.

Feliz Dia de Las Madres!!!

Happy Mother's Day!! Today is officially mother's day here in Mexico and it is quite a day. The Mexican's really go out of their way to celebrate their mom's. Yesterday, school was cancelled so that the kids could put on a show for their moms. The show included dancing, poetry, singing, and some fun games for the moms.

A couple of my girls from Plan de Ayala invited me to come to the show because they wanted me to see them dance. At first I felt a little nervous about going by myself, but am so glad I didn't listen to my feelings because the moment I walked in to the school's fenced in area (the school's show is outside...the classrooms are separate buildings) I had about 8 kids around me that come to club and a couple of the kid's moms were inviting me to sit down with them. Sweet!

It was fun to see the kid's all dressed up and so excited to be dancing for their moms. In addition to the kid's dancing, many mexicans sing "las mananitas" to their moms or have little bands serenade them during the night or in the morning. All in all, I would say that Mother's day is a pretty celebrated day here in Mexico and that with all the kids that Mexican families have there is a lot of celebrating that goes on for moms.

Psalm 121

Psalm 121

I lift my eyes to the hills--
Where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of Heaven and Earth.

He will not let your foot slip--
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel,
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you--
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will no harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from ALL harm--
he will watch over your life.

The Lord will watch over your coming and going,
both now and forevermore.


vs. 2 The Maker of heaven and earth is the ONE TRUE God, the King of all creation.
vs. 3 Not even when the way is treacherous
vs. 4 The Lord of all creation and the guardian over Israel--the One in whom the faithful may put unfaltering trust.
vs. 5-6 Assurance concerning unfailing protection
vs. 7-8 Assurance concerning all of life.

Pescadores

Since the beginning of this year I have became one of the leaders of our church's youthgroup which is called "Pescadores." Pescadores means fishermem as we are fishing and making disciples of Jesus.

The past couple months we have been teaching and talking about abuse and temptations. We took a survey from the youth and the top temptation on each of their responeses (22 responses) was sexual immorality--sex before and outside of marraige. These kids are surrounded by this temptation and it is the example of their moms and dads. Please be praying that these kids would fight against giving into the temptation around them. That they would choose to trust in the plans that the Lord has for them and that they would be obedient.

Last Saturday we asked another question from the youth as we are going to start a new series about families. We asked them:

What are the biggest problems your friends have in their families? (many times this is also another way of asking them what goes on in their lives indirectly)

Answers:
-Parents beating kids
-Lack of support from parents, parents do not listen or care about what they do
-Parents abuse each other, parents fighting
-Drug abuse, alcoholism
-Do not feel loved
-Parents do not understand--want to commit suicide
-Parents sexually abusive

Please pray that as we begin to talk about these things that the Lord would heal souls and families. Pray for wisdom as we prepare each week and meet with these kids individually that the kids hearts would be open and receive exactly what they need from their heavenly Father.

Gloria's Birthday and a question

Today is my friend Gloria's birthday. She is the one in the picture from a previous post. Today she turned 29 years old! She has three children, Claudia who is 12, Rocio and Boo-ga. Gloria is a light in the darkness for her family and for everyone in the colonia where we work. Their family has little, but Gloria always seems to have joy regardless of circumstances.

I was hoping to bring her a cake to today so she could celebrate with her family because she is always thinking of others. I didn't have much time, but just felt that I was supposed to bring her a cake even if I couldn't stay and visit for very long because of the way that she has welcomed me here in Fresnillo and makes me feel like family. I didn't have much time. So I went to the store, drove as far as I could on pavement and then began walking super fast on the dirt road, looking really weird, carrying a cake in the middle of the colonia. Let me add that cumulus clouds were filling the sky and I was praying so hard that God would hold off the rain until I arrived at her house and that Gloria would be home. I almost decided not to go, but continued on accepting the possibility of ruining the cake and getting covered in mud.

I made it to Gloria's house just fine, the rain holding off, and she welcomed me with a huge smile. Now, here comes my question.....

What would you do or what would your thoughts and attitude be if your husband had been unable to find a job for two months now and a couple days ago the gas for the stove went out and you had gone back to the days of cooking over a fire and weren't sure what you were going to eat from one day to the next? Would you praise the Lord? Would you believe in a God that loves you?

Continue reading after you have an answer to that question and put yourself in the family of Gloria with three children.

Gloria started telling me how she this IS her situation Her next words were..."But we have never gone a day without food. We have a roof over our head. I imagine that Christ suffered more than I will in this life. In fact, I believe He did. He died unjustly because of us. My suffering and worrying is nothing compared to Christ." And these words that she spoke to me are the attitude of her heart. She was starting to get frustrated, getting worried about how they were going to eat this week, but she instead she chose to dwell on Christ and in his sacrifice and hope that he gives us. To dwell on the sacrifice of His death that he suffered because of our sin. And if you could only see the house that Gloria lives in...imagine the worst house you have ever seen in the states and then think less of a house than that. Really puts things into perspective.

God used my conversation with Gloria today to speak to my heart. We can claim Matthew 6:25-33 as a promise. God's word is truth and hope for those who believe. I cannot describe in words the way that God works, but I believe in His Sovereignty and that He walks along with us daily, empowering us to walk through whatever storm may come our way.


Matthew 6:25-33
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Hole in his pants...

Today a kid that I think is super cute got a hole in his pants...right down the crack on our field trip and had to take off his shirt to cover it up. It was hilarious...I was like...why do you have your shirt off....response....my pants got ripped....do you want to see? As he began to turn around with a big smile...i said no thanks.


After playing in the park for the first part of our field trip we went to the Coca factory. Awhile ago I stopped by the company to see if they gave tours of the factory or did anything for classes and they do! We have taken all three of our classes for a tour now.

Back to the story of Luis David without a shirt. So, we are heading to the Coca factory and Luis David needs a shirt, so we ask if anybody is wearing two shirts. One boy raised his hand and had a wife beater underneath his shirt. One of our teachers told this little kid to give his shirt to Luis David so he would not go shirtless into this business environment. It was pretty funny....maybe you had to be there :)

I will post a picture of one of this class soon so you can look forward to it!!