Ministry Day 3: (Hocaba/Tabi/Merida/Casa Abuelos)

Dear Friends & Family

Just to set the scene: none of us have had an eight-hour sleep since day 1, not counting the quick naps between cities, winter in the Yucatan isn’t exactly the calendar-worthy white wonderland for December, and the language barrier is breaking down, but still standing strong. But beyond all else, all the struggles, newness, and exhaustion, I have never felt more awake, more excited, and more anxious to see what adventures our quixotic Lord has for us and for the Mexican people.

            Today was the third full day we have ministered to the Yucatan Peninsula. The trip from San Felipe to Merida swift, and we all got to Calvary Chapel Merida just in time for lunch, but we weren’t alone. Waiting for us was a surprise visit by Pastor Mark Davis and Chet Lowe, Aaron Mills, and Fred Gushue and the encouragement was greatly appreciated.

            Family and friends, here is a warning. Our surprise visitors willingly listened to the countless stories of salvations, skits, sports, and everything else God has been doing in our lives—when we come home, you’ll probably need to take a seat and listen also.

            Walking around our sister school was an amazing experience. After receiving hand-written drawings and messages, hugs, and answering questions in English (trying in Spanish!), and taking pictures, we split up into our teams.

            The Art team remained in Merida to paint a mural across an entire wall, the Sports team went to the convalescent home Casa de Abuelos, and as one VBS team went to the town of Hocaba, the other went to the villages of Tabi.

            The school of Merida is absolutely amazing! The kids take classes in both Spanish and English from the very beginning, and it was very cool to hear little kids ask us “where are you from?” or “what are your names?” It’s been a while since any of us have heard English outside of our own group.

The facilities are beautiful, and it just keeps getting better. In the courtyard outside of the elementary classrooms is a stenciled sketch of pastel forests, cartoonish animals, and all sorts of caricatures that add life to the middle of an already lively campus. The girls on the Art team are doing a terrific job of filling in the black and white and bringing the mural to life, and no one can wait to see the final product.

            However, the Sports team decided to bring life in a different way. Casa de Abuelos is a convalescent home here in Merida, and the Sports team took time to listen to the men and women tell them about their lives, their struggles, and their families. Many had been abandoned and forgotten by their own children, and it was an eye-opening experience to those who heard their stories.  How incredibly grateful should we, as children and parents, be for the ones God chose to have us call “family”?

            The first VBS team in Tabi were shocked by the thatched roofs and stick huts. Showers were just buckets of water, and stoves were small fires. The people of the village were in the process of constructing a bullpen in celebration of Mary. We had seen processions leading into the Catholic churches in Tizimin before a VBS skit in the central plaza, and the cultural influence of Roman Catholicism is starting to sink in.

            Ironically, a large part of the population of Tabi doesn’t attend the Catholic or Calvary services, but still the VBS team worked hard. With the help of Saul and Anjelica, two of the best people/translators I’ve ever met, some of the students were able to communicate with the men working on the bullpen to invite them to the skit at the church. In the end, seven prayed to accept Christ. One thing any of us can testify to over this trip is the faithfulness of God. We are flexible because His will goes beyond our agendas, and it’s always best to give God leeway to astonish us with His abilities.

Trisha Seppey and Kodie Brown became “hermanas” to some of the local girls, and the impact of their presence, along with the entire group’s, went beyond the immediate few hours they had, and into a lasting bond to be continued for years to come. Carlos Rivera led worship, teaching the other VBS members two Spanish songs on the way to the villages so they could sing along, and the VBS program was a complete success. The kids are so excited to meet the other VBS team tomorrow, and so am I.

My own group, the second VBS team, went over to the town of Hocaba to do a similar program. The Calvary in Hocaba is in progress, and they are in the middle of a $20,000 dollar effort to construct a new building with electricity. Running water was recently installed throughout the entire town, and concrete slabs with metal spigots were seen lining the streets along the front yards.

The VBS team broke up again into three different groups. One group stayed in the plaza with worship led by Alex Garcia, Seth King, and CCA Merida English teacher Tim, and another followed Christabel into a nearby street to try and invite the locals to watch the drama (roll the “r”). Dove-tailing the door-to-door effort with outreach, twenty four people, ranging from children to teens and adults, prayed the prayer of Salvation.

The final group, composed of Sarah Gottfried, David Greenberg, and myself, went down another road. Kary (?), a Bible teacher from CCA Merida, and an amazing translator, led the way. Armed with little more than a bag of candy and an unprecedented calmness, we were as ready as we ever would be. After a few basic invites, we talked to two sisters and their total of five children. In the end, all came to pray, and we can only continue to pray that those children will grow up in a Christian home.

Stephanie Taylor and Rebecca Urrutia drove with Topher to Manaba, a city close to San Filipe, to lead the first Bible study with several girls who had come to know Christ the day before. Leading both the study and worship, Rebecca planted a seed that will continue to grow in the years to come, and as we pray for the study group to grow, we also pray that Calvary will be able to influence yet another city and continue in good works “until the whole world hears.”

The truth about Mexico is that we have had amazing stories, and these past few days have been the best for many of us, including myself, but we are here for only a week. Life will go on in San Felipe, Tizimin, Manaba, Merida, Hocaba, and Tabi after we leave, but how long does it take to leave an impression on the lives we connect our hearts to, no matter how briefly? People swear to love at first sight, statistics say that a first impression of a person is formed in only a few seconds after interaction, and it takes barely over a minute to say a prayer that may very well determine the rest of a person’s life.

I have learned the power of prayer on this trip, and I pray that the Holy Spirit will go before us and soften the hearts of those we have yet to meet. My reason is, above all else, because I know that what we do on this trip can change peoples’ lives forever. If we had a day, a week, or a year, whether we are in Mexico or at home, every second counts, so why would we ever waste a single one?

Please continue to pray for our efforts here in Mexico. There is so much to be done.

In Christ (and Mexio ;) ),

Joe Rogers and the class of 2010