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.

I left my mark on Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan is the name of the pyramids and subsequent ruins represent a lost civilization which many scholars believe predated even the Aztecs. This highly religious society build its city about 25 miles from current Mexico City.  Although the Aztecs are certainly the more famous of the two civilizations, it was actually the Teotihuacan who influenced the Aztecs. Although ancient civilization seems...well..ancient and irrelevant the truth is that the Pre-Conquest influence is still very prevalent in Mexico today.

In front of the Pyramid of the Sun,
I climbed this!

Yesterday I went with Jonathan, the kids, and my friend Aní to the pyramids.  Aní, who is quite knowledgeable about many of the legends and tales of the gods related to Teotihuacan was kind enough to fill me in on several stories. From a distance the pyramids just look like hills but soon you realize that those hills were not formed from erosion but are a testament to the hardwork and labor of men thousands of years ago. This particular city is thought to have been built about 1st century A.D.

Although the ruins are run by the government, there are no government regulations against actually climbing the pyramid. So we climbed it! Let me tell you, there is no way this would ever be allowed in the United States. There is a rope to help guide up the steep, uneven stairs and it would be all too easy to slip and fall.

Old Woman making her pilgrimage to the top

There were several groups of people there dressed in all white who were there to actually worship. For people who believe in New-Age Animism these pyramids are still a place of worship.  People walk around with palms up towards the sky trying to receive energy form the Earth. Very interesting. For some most a place of history and ruins, for other a holy site.

Basking in the very center of the
 Pyramid of the Sun!

We began climbing the pyramid and about halfway up we took a moment to catch our breath. I sat down for a moment to take in the scenery. It was breathtaking. Seeing the valley of the old city laid out before me and the smaller but not less grander Pyramid of the Moon to my right. Suddenly I felt quite sick.  Thankfully there was a trash can nearby but there is not delicate way to put it. I threw up on the holy pyramid. Yes, I  desecrated part of an ancient place of worship but in my defense they didn't need to make the steps so steep. Thankfully everyone else who was climbing was too out of breath to notice me by the trash can.  So after I recovered we continued on. Finally making it to the top, it was an incredible 360 degree view of the valley, the mountains and the city in the distance.

The View from the Avenue of the Dead
 to the  Pyramid of the Moon

We ascended the pyramid and walked out onto the Avenue of the Dead. It is called this because when the Teotihuacan used to conquer neighboring peoples they would line up the prisoners of war all along the Avenue of the Dead leading all the way up to the top of the Pyramid of the Moon and sacrifice each person one by one. Their society was built on the belief that blood sacrifice was required for the sun to rise.

After the Pyramid of the Sun we went to lunch. It was a restaurant in a cave! Pretty exciting...I've never eaten in a cave before.

At the Temple of Quetzcoatl

Our next stop was the Temple of Quetzcoatl, the main temple at Teotihuacan. It sits across a large field, surrounded by lots of old ruins.  Apparently this was also the place where they used to play Juego de pelota (literally translated Game of the Ball), a game where they bounce the ball off their hip to get it through a hoop high off the ground.

The artwork was incredible. Everything carved from huge chunks of stone and in some place some of the old color could still be seen, giving you a glimpse of the old splendor. The last stop was the Pyramid of the Moon. It is difficult to imagine standing a place where thousands were sacrificed for the sake of a false faith.  It makes me even more thankful that I serve a God who sacrificed himself instead of requiring the blood of others to atone for my sins.

Image of the Virgin of Guadalupe and the Rain God
side by side in the market place

Although aesthetically beautiful and historically impressive, spiritually it was a sobering place to be. To see dozens of people there to worship false gods, unaware of the freedom in Christ.  The most striking feature for me was not the pyramids, it was the syncretism. The fusion of the ancient pagan beliefs and Catholicism. There is nothing really odd about worshiping at the Pyramids on Monday after attending Mass on Sunday. Even though this ancient people and their religion is considered part of history it has not really died.

Pyramid of the Moon, the site of human sacrifice

Please continue to pray for the people here and the ministry. The country is still 97% Catholic and the pagan belief still has a hold of many people's hearts.