The big transition

To be honest this is by far the most difficult post I've had to write. I left early Sunday morning and that was the end of my Mexican adventure. Bittersweet is truly such an inadequate word.

It is really difficult to find words to describe my time in Pachuca. It was fun, challenging, exhausting, straining, wonderful and rewarding.  Of course the question I get most often is "How was it?" I must admit this is a truly inadequate and frustrating question for me to answer. There is no short concise way to describe what I saw, what I did, more importantly what God did and what He did in me.

In all honesty, it feels like I took a really long, vivid, and eventful dream for two months and I'm just now waking up. It feels surreal because I transitioned so quickly from living in Mexico to usual life in Colorado. One day I was at a market at Tulancingo and just a few short hours later I was in the mountains of Colorado. Moving that quickly from one environment is disorienting and rather overwhelming. However I am really thankful for the support of my family and friends. I am also very thankful to be home and spend some time with my family before I return for school.

Of course I miss my Mexican family and I am so thankful for my time with them in Pachuca.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers throughout my entire trip and even as I readjust to life in the U.S. again. Your prayers, although unseen, mean more to me than I can express. In moments of loneliness and sadness and even in times of joy, it was a comfort to know that I had a team of people praying for me and thinking of me.

Remember that even though I am no longer in Mexico there work is still not done there and there is still immense need there. Pray for El Buen Pastor, the church I worked in, and for the congregation there. Pray they will grow in their faith and as a result bring more people into the church.

Thank you!

More than fireworks...

Yesterday, as any decent independence-loving American knows, was the 4th of July. The birth of our proud country. I am proud to be an American but more than that I a proud to be a daughter of God the Father. Yesterday was a weird day to out of the country, knowing that all of my friends and family are celebrating the 4th of July in grand fashion. With truly American food, swimming, hiking, camping and of course fireworks. Even Colorado, despite massive wildfires, managed to have a couple of firework shows.

I was fortunate enough to go to a party with some other American missionaries here in Pachuca. For a moment I forgot I was in Mexico! Everyone went all out with burgers, hot dogs, doritos (which are hard to find here) and even homemade ice cream sandwiches! It was amazing.

Iris (right), servant-hearted and sacrificial
She is always there when I need her.

However I was struck by this one fact. These people are not my family. It is also difficult to be away from family on holidays, especially when, like my family, you have all kinds of traditions tied to the holiday. But I was truly blessed by God because although those people are not my family, I still felt at home. At home because I knew that even though, except 2 people everyone there were perfect strangers, I was welcome. I was loved. Not because I deserved it but because I was with my eternal family. I might never see them again, but we are part of God's eternal family all the same.



Is that not true hospitality? True fellowship? Such a love for God's people that strangers are like sisters.

I remember what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3. I know this passage is often used at wedding however I believe this passage is also talking about the body of Christ in a greater context.

"If I speak in tongues of man and angels but have not love, I am a noisy going or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all that I have, and if I deliver my body up to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." (ESV)

My Mexican mama (left) 

Allow me put this into a personal context. If I speak perfect Spanish but don't love the people then I am just gibberish to everyone around me. If I am the smartest, most talented leader around but don't love others then I am good for nothing. If I am the most generous and most sacrificial but don't do any of it out of love for the Body of Christ I have not served anyone, only myself.

The truth is that these people did not extraordinary for me. They invited me over for lunch. Anyone can do that. However they welcomed me, loved me and in a brief moment made me part of their spiritual family. Truly, the body of Christ is not made of rich, famous, and talented. It is comprised of ordinary people who allow our all-powerful Father to turn our common actions in extraordinary ones. It is the Holy Spirit, who works in each of us, who teaches us to appreciate the full generosity of ordinary actions.

Some of my Mexican sisters!

We enjoy the big show and the bright lights and there is a place for that. However we often fail to recognize to love, care, and genuine hospitality of ordinary people in ordinary life.

This 4th of July was about independence but not American independence like it usually is. It was about the independence and liberty we have in Christ to love in an ordinary way which the Holy Spirit transforms into something extraordinary.

I am so thankful for the people here, American and Mexican who have made me part of their family. People who love me beyond measure and without reservations. Without production and without fireworks. They draw no attention to themselves with their acts of love because they do not serve for their own gain. They serve for His glory.

Worth the money?

Me, Josiah and Abi making cookies for the team!

Since I was 14 I have had the privilege of participating in short term mission trips around the U.S. and throughout the world.  I have seen physical poverty in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina as well as in the Amazon Jungle of Peru. I have also seen the damaging effects of materialism in Rome, Italy and in Salt Lake City. Everything from building wells in Oaxaca to teaching English to Italians to painting water damaged building in Louisiana. Only through the grace of God, the support of many of you and again the grace of God have I gotten to do these things.

The Indiana team at Tepeyec Hill

 I was once asked “What is the point of a short term trip? Wouldn’t it be more prudent to take the same money spent on sending 8-12 people to another country and just send the money? Why bother sending the people?”  This question has always bothered me and even at times has discouraged me from going on trips. Why should I ask others to sacrifice so I can go to another country for 10-14 days, get to know people I might never see again and do 1-2 touristy things? I'm sure many of you have wondered the same thing, whether you were the one going or the one doing the supporting.

Working on Olympic decorations!

Well for the first time in my life I have been on the long(er)-term side of the trip and I understand better why short term teams make all the difference.  

This past week we had a team of 7 men and women and 2 girls come from Indiana. They came to help with construction at the church and we even did a special week of English classes (with an Olympic theme)! 

They don't speak the same language at all but
we can still have a fun time together!

This group of people was an incredible blessing to me as well as to the church. They didn't just build a wall, they encouraged, loved and showered every single one of us with their generosity.  To be honest, I would say that building the wall was probably the least significant thing they did. Don't be mistaken, it was needed and was an incredible blessing to our church here in Pachuca. But as I have seen this past week, buildings burn and are no more, storms crash through and destroy everything you ever owned on this earth. But the wrath of nature could never destroy trust, relationships or love. It sounds cheesy but it honestly couldn't be more true. 

Eating ice cream--Mexican style!
With lime juice and chili powder!

When tragedy struck my homeland this week with a dozen wildfires devastating Colorado, and in moments when I simply wanted to be home with my family, this team loved me and made me part of their family. They encouraged me in ways that are difficult to express. They brought energy and rejuvenation to the church in a season which can be difficult. Many people are travelling and life seems to be inconsistent and as a result so does the church. 

At night we held English classes which brought many new people to the church.  Without their help it would have been impossible to have the event we did! More importantly though, they got to know people. They learned names, asked questions, and made people feel loved and welcomed. They prayed with fervor and focus. They cried with those who wept (myself included) and laughed with those who rejoiced. This group demonstrated the global love of Christ and the affects of their short time here in Pachuca will be felt long after they leave. 

Working hard building the wall for the church!

Was it worth it? Was the money worth travelling all of this way to encourage 40 English students and a church of about 50? The truth is as far money goes, you could probably argue no. But ministry isn't money, the church isn't money. Ministry, the church...it's people.  People are what matter. Their spiritual lives and how is God is working, that is what matters.  As soon as you start tagging people with prices you cheapen them. You also cheapen what God can do. 

In an eternal sense, people don't need money, they need love. They need the love of Christ and the freedom that can only be known through the love of Christ. People think they need money because they secretly hope it will suffice for the love they lack. Do people have physical needs? Of course. But money only lasts until you spend it. Love continues to speak into the lives of people until they die. Love, especially Christ's love through the body, transforms lives.

So precious! America and Reagan may not speak the same
language but they still love each other!

Lives were changed this week. And lives will continue to be changed as a result of the hard work and sacrifice of this team. Someday, the wall they built might be torn down but nothing can destroy the work God did in them and through them. Christ's body, and our Christian family is global and growing.   And we need to continue to think, pray, but also GO and ENCORUAGE our brothers and sisters across the globe.

I thank God for the 9 individuals who came this past week. They touched the lives of many and blessed me personally beyond measure. Praise the LORD that he enables us to participate or support short term mission teams. Because they truly make a world of difference.

Eating Pastes! I love it when new friends feel like old friends!

Please pray for the new people who were brought to the church this week. Pray for effective follow-up with them and for the personal Bible studies that could result. Pray for the team that came that they would return safely to Indiana and would implement some of the change they felt this week into their everyday lives.

Also pray for friends you know who are going on short-term trips this summer. They really do make an impact and the Holy Spirit is at work all over the globe!

The 97% percent I didn't even know existed

The old Cathedral with Tepeyec Hill in the background

I have actually been thinking about this particular blog post since I arrived in Mexico.  After only 5 short weeks this subject has become very near and dear to my heart.

Many of you, like me before coming to Mexico, probably do not realize that Mexico is 97% Catholic. I had read this statistic and thought “wow, that is a lot of people.” However it was not until became immersed in the culture and life here that I realized that statistic represented millions of lost souls. In my own selfish way, 97% was a neat little way to categorize people by beliefs. What I did not realize is that Catholicism has permeated the culture and people look to saints and Mary for answers rather than Christ and cherish relics and artifacts rather than the word of God.

Inside the New Basilica--notice the splendor

Before I get much further in my thoughts let me make it clear: Catholics are wonderful people, many are kind, loving and sacrificial. They take their beliefs very seriously and the devout Catholics often seem to have more devotion and discipline than many Christians. I am no theological authority and I do not pretend to understand everything about Catholicism. However from what I understand and what I have observed here in Mexico, the resurrected Christ, Christ the conqueror and the power of the Holy Spirit are very much missing from Catholic faith.

Juan Diego's cloak

Much of this stems from the Virgin of Guadalupe. If you are not familiar with the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe I will briefly summarize. About 10 years after Hernan Cortez came to Mexico and conquered the Aztec people a man named Juan Diego, a native convert to Christianity, received an apparition of the Virgin Mary near Tepeyec Hill.  Immediately after the Aztecs fell, clergy began to evangelize, but with little success.  The natives did not want to give up their Aztec gods. Why should they? The god of the Spaniards, Mary and the saints were white. That December day Juan Diego witnessed a dark-skinned Mary. She gave him instructions to build her church on Tepeyec hill. Incidentally an old Aztec temple used to stand on that same hill. 

Aztec imagery in the garden surrounding Tepeyec Hill

 After the 4^th apparition of Mary, she commanded Juan Diego to gather roses in his cloak and take them to the Friar to convince him that Juan Diego’s vision was sincere.  When Juan Diego dropped the flowers in front of the Friar his cloak was imprinted with a beautiful image of the Virgin of Guadalupe. This cloak is supposed to be holy because it has not deteriorated and the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe has become iconic in Mexico.  Once the natives heard and saw that Mary had appeared to a fellow native they began to embrace the Catholic faith by the thousands. Finally Catholicism had met the native people of Mexico on their level and they had an advocate in the Church that looked and spoke like them.

Tepeyec Hill--the original church that was built after
Juan Diego's vision of the Virgin of Guadalupe

I give this history because it is the key to understanding the spiritual state of present day Mexico.  The Virgin of Guadalupe represents the unification of the ancient Aztec religion and Catholicism.

At the Basilica there is both Aztec art and Catholic art.  At the front of the church built at the top of Tepeyec there is both the images of the cross and of the sun and the moon (important symbols in the Aztec religion).

Why is any of this relevant to Mexico today? Because the affects of this event are still felt today.

Statue of an Aztec warrior offering homage to Mary

Her image is seen everywhere.  Many stores have statues of her in their window. Every market has a Catholic shrine, where the Virgin of Guadalupe and not Jesus is the center. Don’t get me wrong, Jesus is present but he is either a little baby or he is on the cross suffering.  People go to the Basilica to pray to Mary, the Virgin of Guadalupe. They go just to see the “miracle cloak” which still above the center of the altar at the new Basilica. Mary is worshipped and not Christ. If you can see past the initial splendor of the art and buildings you begin to realize that it is all a cover for superficial beliefs which bring little comfort or fulfillment.  There are ornate offering boxes every 20 feet which explains how everything is kept in such grand condition.  People crawl on their knees to the front of the altar in reverence and wait in line to see the original Virgin of Guadalupe.

Burning candles at the Basilica

My heart aches every time I walk by a Catholic mass and I know that instead of worshipping the one true God they are paying homage to false idols and people who have long since died. My God is living and active. He was on a cross,  but only for a short time and in that time he took on the burden of my sins and the sins of the world. However, three days later he rose again. Triumphant, Conqueror of Death. Not even the grave could contain him.  That is the God I worship. The Risen King, Christ the Savior, Name above all Names.

Praying in the old Cathedral
Notice the painting in the background...who is in the center?

As I was driving home tonight, I saw a spectacular view of the city in the darkness. The darkness covered the dirt and even the poverty. All that remained was light. And I realized that each light represented at least one lost soul. And I was overwhelmed.

Pray fervently for the people of Mexico.  Many Catholics are so close and yet so far from the Truth. Jesus is the truth, the way and the life and I pray that someday each of those shining lights in the city of Pachuca would not represent lost souls but would represent SAVED souls. Praise God for his work in this city and allowing us to be part of it. 

Pictures and Prayer

I don't have any profound thoughts for stories to share today. I just wanted to post some of the random pictures during my time here that haven't pertained to any of my previous posts! Enjoy!

Political Campaign--Mexico is electing a new President on July 1

They even have Curves here! 

My favorite cereal--it tastes just as good in Mexico

Flowers at the market

Cross at a Franciscan Monastery--one of the first settled in Mexico

At the market--this is just the entrance, what you don't see it that
the market is several blocks long and wide. It's amazing!

My beautiful friend Priscila!

A sign outside of the Cathedral at Real del Monte
It reads: Be silent and recognize this place is holy grounds.

Scaring pigeons is fun in any country

I found my mango! He's no a very lively guy but he's buff and
makes good money mining! ;)

Beautiful view of Real del Monte

These are rings made out of paper clips! 

English Cemetery at Real del Monte
It was like being in England 200 years ago

Okay, this dog is wearing a sweater! He was fun cute!

Yep, that tire is indeed the being used as the basketball hoop.
Gotta give 'em credit for ingenuity!

We were supposed to be miners.
Well I'm a miner and Priscila seems to be a Viking.

Jovenes (youth group) playing card games.

Mr Crabs. 

This is indeed a frozen yogurt place. Just like all of the other ones.

Krispy Kreme! It was probably the best donut I've ever had in my entire life!

Me teaching a Tuesday night class.
Trying to teach them the difference in pronouncing tooth and flood
Do you know why they're pronounced differently?.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers.  Continue to pray that the English classes would grow and God would continue to draw people into the church through our classes.  Pray for the team from Indiana coming on Saturday, their safety while travelling and during construction.  Also for our English Olympics next week! Pray we would have great attendance it would be an effective outreach.

Real del Monte

Jewelry at the market

On Saturday we celebrated the end of the school year, OANSA (Awanas) and as a big thank you to all of the youth who helped and served with the children we had a fun day!  The youth group is really more of a college group. We were going to go to a water park near by but we got rained out so instead we went to the mountains!

Grilled Mexican corn
They put mayonnaise and chili powder on it!

We went to the little town of Real del Monte, the first mining community outside of Pachuca. It was founded by Cornish miners in the late 16th century. So basically, it is a really old town that looks like a village in Europe with a view like Colorado with people who only Spanish. Or in other words, one of the most lovely places I've ever been. 

We walked the streets and looked through the markets. We went into the Cathedral there, every little pueblo has its own uniquely beautiful Cathedral.  You could tell the age of the church because there was a little bit of Islamic influence in the architecture,coming from Islamic-influenced Spain. 

A woman praying in front of a shrine

I found my mango! Too bad he's a statue!

We ate pastes, which actually stem from a kind of pastry in England.  Basically a fluffy pastry filled with meat or potatoes or fruit or whatever you want. Delicious. And Mexican hot chocolate with cinnamon!

All the girls!

Our rebellious Mexican clown

We went up to the English cemetery, which is exactly what it sounds like.  It was like being in England for a few minutes. All of the graves face toward the Atlantic, toward England.  The Mexican Romeo and Juliet are buried there in addition to hundreds of English miners.  There is also a Mexican clown buried there, who loved Mexico so much that instead of facing England is buried perpendicular to every other grave.

Youth group playing some card games

Simple Prayer on Father's Day

Father's Day might seem like an odd  day to write about Machismo here in Mexico however I find there is something particularly appropriate about sharing some of my own observations on the subject. Machismo is complicated and deeply embedded in the culture however I will not pretend that my four week in country have made me some kind of expert on the Mexican culture or the role of machismo in the culture.

America, just one of the beautiful children
who needs prayer.

Machismo represents the strong masculine pride in men but especially husbands and fathers.  Men are head of the family and they make the decisions and bring home the bacon. Sounds perfect, right? Unfortunately machismo also means that men are served by their wife and children and that often he is not held responsible for his actions.  It is not uncommon for men to cheat on their wives nor is it surprising when a man gets bored and then starts a family with another woman.  There is no such thing as child support in Mexico and if a man decides to leave his family there is nothing to stop him and nothing to make him come back.


In a culture were cheating and indiscretion are expected and men are considered "more desirable" if they have multiple families, Father's Day can be a day of longing and heartache, especially for children. It is difficult when you look around and see that apart from the church leaders there are few present fathers.  Although I believe that machismo greatly contributes to this cycle of brokenness I do not believe that this is the time to blame Mexican culture for this lack of fathers. Culture is not to blame. If it were culture then Christians could easily be great fathers because we are told in Romans 12:2 "do not conform any longer to the ways of this world."  If the world is to blame then we should have no problem because we are no longer apart of this world.

Some of the kids in the church

The truth is that the problem is much closer to home. Sin, our sin is to blame. It is the sins of pride, and selfishness that make poor fathers out of even the "most Christian" of men.  I wish I could even begin to describe how many people in Mexico are burdened and struggle because they were never guided by a godly father. How many mothers grieve over the reality that she is a single mother and her children will never know the love of an earthly father. These same men claim the name of Christ and attend mass or church services when they feel like it.

Being a father requires daily diligence and constant love. Even though I am not a father or even a parent I know the kind of effort it must require because I know my own heart and my own sin.  I am blessed with a great father. My father is the most loving, caring, generous, diligent man I have ever known. He works harder than I could ever imagine to provide for me, my siblings and my mother. But I also know these things are not of the flesh but are of the Spirit. My father works daily to demonstrate fruits of the Spirit and in doing so has blessed me beyond measure with his love and caring.

Some of the youth, all with a different story
and different heartache

But on a day like today when I am far from my own father and I am surrounded by many people who have little earthly father to speak of I am reminded that I have a Heavenly Father who loves my dearly and perfectly. No matter how absent or how wonderful our earthly fathers are none can compare to God the Father.  Too few people understand the love and blessing of our Heavenly Father.

That is my prayer, plain and simple, for people to know and understand the height, depth and wonder of God's love.

 Please pray for the men in the church that they will be dependable godly men for their families and will teach their sons and men around them to do the same. Please pray for the numerous broken homes, families and lives here in Mexico and pray that God will heal their hearts and no matter their background would seek God the Father and turn to his unconditional love.