I was trying to think of a great way to share with you all about the uniqueness of this experience. I decided to try and accomplish that with one of my top ten lists. I love Mexico and the people but it has been trying at the same time. Adjusting to cultural differences and food (not as hard for me as some) can take some time and I hope that at the same time I can share my culture with those I meet. Some people we have run across have been pretty antagonistic to us and what we are doing- saying that we are trying to impose our culture and beliefs on other people. I disagree. We have experienced how the Mexican culture worships and interacts with the Lord in different ways and I have been changed more than them I think. I laugh when I think about how in America we are sometimes arguing about praise and worship choruses versus traditional hymns- who cares? Both are ways to worship the Lord and Mexican music is another way. I am loving how they worship here and the music because I hear the love of my Savior and THAT is most important. Anyways, here are the top ten experiences thus far of Mexican life:
10) Empanadas and tortas, tacos and horchata.
9) Roosters DO NOT keep good time as to when to get up (nor do the dogs, chickens, or gas-truck that plays a not so catchy tune).
8) Twelve or sixteen hour bus rides with one toilet and five women (love ya ladies but that is hard on me).
7) Finding mangy dogs and chickens walking loose everywhere and yet somehow everyone knows which ones are theirs.
6) Piling as many people into the bed of the truck as we can before the wheel starts rubbing against the wheelwell (this is legal somehow)
5) Going to the bread shop for amazing bread treats and seeing the bees all over that place, in and out of the cases and all over the food (I select the treats based on where all the bees are because those must be the sweetest)
4) Finding the toilets here, but strangely all of them seem to be missing toilet seats (paying to go to the bathroom is pretty crazy too)
3) Getting schooled in soccer by twelve year olds and then loving on them.
2) Finding God when I have nothing left to give and seeing Him make up the difference.
1) Seeing God change lives and heal people. Seeing God turn a home into a church and hearts into a altar.
I thank God and everybody for this opportunity and ask that you would continue to lift me up before the Father so that I may glorify Him in all that I do. I do not want to check out after a few months because I am tired and it is easier to not do anything. I desire the refining that may hurt, yet feels so good too. Email me if you want to know anything that I didn´t post or anything like that. And because I was talking about worship, I want to share a poem/rapthing with you that God spoke to me last night during our worship. I hope you like it, but God used it to encourage us anyways so no problem if you don´t. Read aloud and find the rhythm.
Set Free
There is emancipation for the nation/elation at the salvation that we are free,/ you and me/ the Lord´s jubilee/ made to be- vessels/ made to wrestle with the Holy One/ to run to His touch/ and find much more./ More than the bore of trying to ignore the swelling inside of us/ the welling of His might in us/
He has set the captives FREE/ free to be part of His majesty/ to see His glory and become part of the story/ to be warring against the Liar/ to learn higher ways/ up from the mire we aspire to the throne of heaven./
So we say as we raise a voice of praise/ fee fi fo fum- let them come/ for we will not run/ we have begun to fight/ to push back the night/ give sight and light to the blind/ and find the lies disappear/ unable to sear our hearts any longer/ because My God is bigger, stronger.
