I'm finally in Mexico!

So many blessings on our way back to General Cepeda.   Yes, we did arrive about eight hours later than we had planned, i.e. 2 am early Friday morning.   This morning we were blessed to have the local pastor, Padre Humberto, publicly welcome us back and congratulate us on baby Rebekah during his closing remarks at mass!   It is amazing how these gestures make us feel at home.

We left Louisiana Wednesday at 9:30 am with another missionary family of eight, the Kiehls.   We had hotel reservations in Eagle Pass, Texas and where we also planned on rendezvousing with Jason, who was coming a slightly different route so he could surprise his mom for her birthday and visit with some of his benefactors.  Jason was also bringing down what we in FMC like to affectionately call Ol’ Blue, an old beat up suburban that has made its rounds in missionary fields and yet has miraculously been resurrected a number of times.  Jason had beaten us to the hotel by about two hours and blessed us by greeting us with a platter of freshly grilled venison burgers.  Ironically the last two hours of our drive was spent watching Bambi in our suburban’s DVD player.   For the record our suburban is called “the Beast.”

After a restful night’s sleep, a light continental breakfast, a quick dip in the pool for the kids, we were on the road to cross the border into Piedras Negras, Mexico, about five minutes from our hotel.   It was an extremely easy and uneventful crossing, and even though we did get a red light, the search of the Beast was minimal.   For those who do not know, when you cross the Mexican border, you get either a “random” green light or red light.   A green light means you just move ahead.  A red light however means you have to pull over where your vehicle could receive an extensive search that includes unpacking everything.   Praise God for easy red lights!   Jason and the Kiehls both got green lights.

When you travel into Mexico, there is a free zone that is about thirty miles in along the border.   In this thirty-mile strip you do not need a visa, to register your vehicle (what is called “importing your car”), or Mexican auto insurance.   But passed that point you need all the above.   Depending on where you cross, either at the border or just before this checkpoint, there is a government office, known as an “aduana” where you can get all the necessary paperwork.   This is the third time we have entered Mexico, albeit the first two times were from Laredo, Texas to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

One of the reasons why we took this new way is that shortly before this checkpoint there are two FMC missionary families from Mexico that are stationed in a town called Allende.   The first family is Tonio and Mari and their children, the second family is Gallo and Rita and their children.    

Tonio and Mari and Family

Gallo and Rita and Family

 Jason and the Kiehls know both them well and the Kiehls haven’t seen them in about two years.   When Tonio and Mari heard that we would be through, they insisted that we stop for a meal.   Many consider Mari’s homemade flour tortillas as simply the best… period.   In addition, we had received word that Tonio was in need of a new guitar for his ministry, which we were able to deliver thanks to the generosity of a benefactor in Lafayette.   Despite the fact that our Spanish is pretty weak, we were so impressed by the generosity, authenticity, and warmth of these two fellow missionary families.

After about an hour and a half visit we loaded back into the vehicles to head to the aduana to get our visas and import our vehicles.   We had no problem at all with Ol’ Blue and the Beast, but we ran into a problem with the van that the Kiehls were driving.   Mexico passed a law about a year ago that limited which U.S. vehicles could be imported.   Any passenger vehicle over 3.5 tons were not allowed (probably to cut back smuggling).   The two suburbans were fine, but the van that the Kiehls drove weighed in at 4.5 tons.  In order to request an exception we would have to drive back thirty miles to Piedras Negras and ask at the main boarder office.   After weighing our options on whether we should go ahead, we decided to stay together as a group.   Honestly, had we separated, yes we would have arrived to General Cepeda sooner, but we would not be at peace until we were all together.

Amazing though all of this we all remained upbeat and joyful.   Yes there were to practical things to figure out, but we were filled with hope and remained anxiety free.   And this was totally a gift from God, because when we went back to the main office, which was not easy to find, we were unable to get an exception.   After a well-deserved ice cream stop, we decided that we would return to Tonio and Mari’s house where we would repack our three vehicles so that everyone could fit into the two suburbans.   We would leave the van at their house and any luggage that didn’t fit we would have Gallo drive down a week later, as he plans on coming to the first short-term mission trip to help out.

Again we could not be more blessed by the generosity of our Mexican missionaries.   When we showed up and explained what had happened, without batting an eye, Tonio sincerely offered his personal white suburban with Mexican plates and keep the van at his house.   What an amazing witness and act of selfless service!   We had noticed that Tonio had just washed his vehicle that morning.   The tires still had that shiny wet look and there was still a puddle on the driveway.   Tonio just smiled and said that it must of known that God needed it to take a road trip.   I am inspired and humbled.   Am I detached enough from my material things to loan them out to those in need?   Do I see my possessions, talents, etc. as mine, or do I see them as the Lord’s to use according to His will and that I am just a temporary steward?

Our caravan of suburbans... Tonio's white one, the Beast, and Ol' Blue with a smattering of Gehl and Kiehl kids

By the time we repacked and got back on the road it was now almost dinnertime.   We had hoped to arrive at General by 6 pm, but God had other plans.   After stopping for dinner and a couple gas stops, we finally pulled up to the mission house at 2 am.

Not only did God use this opportunity to inspire us and to unite us to our Mexican brothers and sisters, but also the fact that we remained joyful throughout the whole ordeal, brought us closer to the Kiehls and Jason.   We would have been justified getting frustrated and irritable, but remained levelheaded and upbeat.

One of the challenges that our non-U.S. citizen FMC missionaries have is finding donors to partner with them.   As an American missionary family, we have friends and family in the States that simply have more resources at their disposal with which to be generous.   This proves to be a challenge for Tonio and Mari and Gallo and Rita.   We are so thankful for so many of you and your prayer and partnership.   Would you prayerfully consider supporting our Mexican missionaries?   Whether you can commit to a monthly gift or only a onetime donation, they will be truly blessed.  Here are their FMC links...  Tonio and Mari and Gallo and Rita.   Oh and while they were offering their suburban and helping us reload the vehicles, several dozen children were being dropped off at their house for a regularly scheduled evening of children’s ministry and catechesis.   Truly amazing people!

Finally on a much lighter note…  there is a little more dust down here in the Mexican desert.   The other night I laid Naomi down on our bed to get her changed into her PJs.   As soon as I put her down, I immediately became aware of how dirty she had become.  She left this amazing artwork.   Yes those are curls from her hair!

The true icon of Naomi's hair.

Prayer requests…

• Please keep our community leaders, Ben and Natalia Schumann, in your prayers.   They are currently in the States preparing to have their third child. 
• Next week begins our first week-long missions trip for the summer.   Please pray they the Lord prepares the hearts of those coming down, our hearts as we prepare to host them, and the hearts of those that we will be serving.

Love one another

Happy birthday to our dear little Naomi!  We are so blessed by the joy and the love the Lord has graced us with through you over these past two years!

 

Today was an amazing celebration of life, faith, and God’s love.   Not only did we celebrate Naomi’s birthday, but two other two year olds had birthday celebrations today.  

And there was another missionary family that had their newborn baptized.  

And the story I want to share today….  Sometimes I see God moving in the amazing lives and witnesses of my fellow missionaries.  There is a missionary couple, Rich and Rachel.  They are currently stateside long-term and are foster parents to three amazing young children.   We have been fortunate to have them as neighbors these past months.  The biological mother agreed to have them baptized under the condition that Rich and Rachel are the godparents.  Before mass Rich and Rachel went to pick up the mom and brought her to the church so she could be present.

I can think of few more timely Gospel readings than this past Friday’s.

Jesus said to his disciples:
"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
to lay down one's life for one's friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another."

John 15:12-17

Of course there is the uber-cheesy song “They will know we are Christians by our love.”   As much as the song is not to my personal liking, there is truth in the power of our Christian witness expressed in love.   It may have taken me almost my entire life, but I am coming to realize that this love is not all rainbows and butterflies.   This Christian unconditional love is tough.   I don't know all the details with the family, but given the fact that it is a foster situations, speaks for itself.  And to be honest, if I were Rich or Rachel, I probably would have just written the mom off.   But Christ calls us to love.   This a love that can look through another’s flaws and sins, and see the brokenness and frailty of the person.   It is a love that is moved by compassion, and not judgment.   It is a love that welcomes and invites, and doesn’t exclude.   It is a love that knows that only through a loving trusting relationship can conversion ever take place.   I am so honored to call Rich and Rachel my fellow missionaries and I am inspired by the example that they live and how they opened the doors of the Church to this mom and their foster children.

But our call to Christian love doesn’t stop with those that are on the “outside.”   Perhaps the hardest people to love are the ones that we are closest to, our fellow Christians, our family, our friends.   It is amazing how many times St. Paul needs to give pastoral advice on the need for believers to forgive and love one another.   And why?   If it were easy, he wouldn’t have to give his exhortation.  If loving our fellow Christians, the people next to us in the pews, or around the dinner table, were easy why did he write probably the most famous chapter in the Bible on love 1 Corinthians 13?   When Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18:21-22)  Why?   Because loving is hard!   It goes against our fallen and broken natures.

In my own life, there have been some individuals who have deeply and seriously hurt either myself or loved ones.   These individuals could arguable deserve severe judgment.   Through God’s grace and God’s time, I have come to forgive and to pray for God’s mercy for them.   If I can forgive these individuals, why is so hard to forgive my fellow Christians who sincerely desire to love and follow God?

It leads me to reflect on who do I need to love?   Where have I fallen short of Christ’s commandment, not suggestion, commandment to love one another as I love you... unconditional, perfectly, and completely.   Who am I to hold back God's mercy?   How can I let the patience and love that God has shown me be in vain and not extend it to others?

 

Our plans are holding strong!   We should leave Louisiana this upcoming Wednesday and arrive at our Mexican home Thursday afternoon.   Of course, the one lesson we have learned throughout the past couple weeks and all of missions…if God wills it.   Or as they in Mexico, "Si Dios quiere."

Working with God's Plans

Preparations have been made for the warm missionary climate.   As some of you noticed on Facebook, Elijah got a haircut!

So when are we going to stop trying to be in control?   When are we going to realize that this is Christ’s missions… not ours?   When are going to realize that we are on God’s time… not ours?

Cutest little passport picture ever!

Sorry we have been quiet, but God has been working, and well, were still are not back in Mexico. Maria posted our last blog sharing our plans to leave Louisiana on May 10 and return to General Cepeda.   Even with Maria and Rebekah healthy and passport in hand, plans change.  Literally the next day we were with some friends at a splash pad, when at some point I pulled a muscle in my lower back.  I can’t even point to a particular moment when I was lifting a kid or loading up the car.   By the end of the day, I couldn’t standup straight.   Going to bed Monday night, I told Maria, that if my back wasn’t better by the morning, we would go into the chiropractor.   By morning I could not get out of bed without Maria’s help.  Long story short, after various visits to the chiropractor, PT, and doctor, I have a strained muscle in my lower back that is taking it’s time to heal and likes to remind me that my 40^th birthday is approaching this fall.

Precious little Naomi helping Daddy stretch.

Poor Maria has taken up… well pretty much everything.   We are so thankful for our FMC community and all the help they have given us.   Even superwomen like Maria get a little overwhelmed taking care of 5 children, a 6 week newborn, daily life, an invalid husband, and packing to spend 6 months in another country.   We know we have plenty of help here and in General, but the 14+ hours with “7” children… yeah we’re crazy, but…    

Add on top of it, our community leaders in Mexico, the Schumanns, are leaving for the US on May 17 to have their third baby.   They will also be traveling up with one of the singles on our team, Jason, who will be driving back another vehicle for our team to use after visiting family and benefactors in Louisiana and Texas.  We were looking forward to spending a week with them in Mexico before passing on the torch.  

The Schumanns

Jason

After prayer, discernment, and discussions with our leadership team, we plan on traveling down with a single, John Paul Plummer.   JP has served as an FMC intern this past year and will go through Intake training this upcoming fall.   (Please pray for him and check out his FMC page!!   As a new missionary, he is just starting to look for partners and benefactors.   Maybe God is pulling at your heart to help our brother and his amazing servant's heart.)   My back has improved significantly with some setbacks since last week, though I am still slow and can’t be on my feet for too long before needing to sit down.   Rest stops on the road or if we get a “red light” at the boarder and have to unload the car will be possible with JP’s help.   With JP and a little more time to heal, we plan on trying again on May 20.   This will also give us a day or so with the Schumanns in the US to go over some business but also enjoy each other’s company and play a game of Settlers of Catan. 

John Paul Plummer

I was blessed by today’s Gospel reading, John 14:1-12.  (Daily Readings for May 14, 2017)

Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father's house there are many dwelling places.  If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.  Where I am going you know the way."

Thomas said to him, "Master, we do not know where you are going;
how can we know the way?"

Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you know me, then you will also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us."

Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father."

I found myself relating to the disciples and feeling frustrated…  Jesus, can you just answer the question?  You just said, “Where I am going you know the way.”   Thomas’ questions seems legit, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”   Just answer the question.   We don’t need some kind of enigmatic or poetic response.   Tell me plainly.   What are You doing?   What are we suppose to doing?

***AND STOP***

10 bonus points if you just thought, "Hammer Time."

50 bonus points if you said it out-loud.

Everything up to this point was typed yesterday, Sunday, May 14, 2017, with the intentions of posting this blog last night.   But… of course in the evening we got a call from the Schumanns, and like that, our plans change again.   Rather than retype everything, it just seems to fit just add this amendment.   In a blog about being docile to Holy Spirit, what could be more appropriate then this real life play by play!   We just need laugh.

Ivette

The other single on our team, Ivette, was going to meet us at the mission house on the 20^th to help us.   Ivette is also fluent in Spanish.  Considering that Maria and I, and JP are “less than fluent,” she was going to be a big help in our re-acclimation.  So it ends up, due to unusual circumstances, nothing bad or serious just odd, Ivette flew back home yesterday to be with her family for a week.

The Schumanns recommended waiting until driving on the 24^th and

The Kiehls

caravan with another family of 6, the Kiehls who have been in FMC for about 4 years.  After 2 years in Mexico and 2 years in Peru, they are currently stateside to help out with a number of projects.   They have been discerning coming down to Mexico for a month to help with the 2 week-long short-term mission trips in June.   This again seems like another blessed option, as we will have another family to travel with us and help us on the road.   Their entire family is strong Spanish speakers.  They will also be able to help cross at the boarder and adjust back to missions life.

Of course we are a little reluctant to say with 100% certainty that this is what we will end up doing, but it is the best guess for now.   “The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  (John 3:8)   God is saying, “Trust me.   I’ve got you.   I’ve got your circumstances.   I have never nor will ever leave you.”   What’s His lesson?   “Seek to be small.   The oak tree doesn’t bend and respond with the wind and libel to snap.  It is the small reeds that are docile and bend with Spirit.”

With this strength and confidence, please keep our dear college friend, Meagan Daoust, in your prayers.   She is a mother of 6, and their youngest, Jude, was born in February.   On Friday she was admitted to the hospital for what ends up being a very unusual heart attack.   At this point she is expected to make a full recovery and should be able to return home this week.   May the Lord bless Meagan, her husband Mark, and their family during this time of recovery.

Mark and Meagan Daoust and Family