Week eight: Mexico!
Week eight: Mexico!
We made it to Mexico! As I write this I’m sitting in the little chapel inside the Family Missions Company mission base in General Cepeda, Mexico. We arrived here yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. We left early Friday morning, spend the night in a hotel in Leredo, Texas and then early Saturday morning we stopped at IHOP for breakfast and then went to the border and went through customs. God got us safely here and it’s kind of surreal being here, it’s hitting me more and more that this is going to be my life (depending on where I’m sent it’ll look a little different). And being here is just reminding me that throughout this journey I’m going to grow deeper and deeper in dependence on God. I will be going somewhere where I won’t know the language, the culture etc. This week we had some classes on inculturation and enculturation— and one of the things I took from what we went over is the fact that ultimately wherever I am sent I will be an outsider. I won’t know anything and will need to have the posture of a learner and take everything one step at a time. Of course I will research stuff about wherever I’m being sent before I go, but some things you can only learn by being there and encountering the people and their culture.
It’s honestly a LOT to take in and think about, and it makes you feel like you’re a baby— and that’s difficult for me. It’s uncomfortable to not know. I want to know things, I want to be able to just go out and talk to people and know what I should do and how to reach the people I’m going to serve— but I will need to be patient with myself and take it one step at a time. I need to remember that it’s okay if I don’t understand or know exactly what the next step in my journey is— God knows. He has me in His hands and He’s with me, guiding me each and every step of the way. I know I need to rest in His arms and know He has me. I also need to remember that even as I’m learning the language that there’s also the language of love— even if I can’t speak to others I can speak through my actions and how I treat others. Today I was reminded of that after Mass this morning. After Mass I came outside and I noticed one of the other missionaries was helping a poor handicap woman. It looked like she had broken her right foot and had a crutch and a wheelchair. The other missionary pushed the wheelchair towards the street and down a steep handicap ramp and I walked with the woman towards the street and held her hand and supported her as we walked down the steep ramp. It was a beautiful moment, while I helped her down she smiled and she said some stuff that I had no clue what she was saying. But it was still a beautiful moment even though I didn’t know what she was saying. In that moment I got to help Jesus— I got to hold His hand and help Him in that woman.
It was a beautiful reminder that I needed of why I’m doing this— of why I’m going out and leaving everything I’ve ever known and entering into the unknown and going to a culture I don’t know to learn and grow in ways I never have. I’m going out to encounter Christ in the poorest of the poor. He’s there so clearly to me in them. He’s there in their suffering that so many people ignore or walk by. He’s there waiting to be loved. He’s there waiting for us to encounter Him in the poor. Christ has asked me to love Him in the poorest of the poor and He’s given me the desire and call to do so as a foreign missionary. I pray that I will be able to encounter Him and love Him in the people in the country wherever He sends me. I pray that He gives me His heart to love those He sends me to, for I can’t do any of this without Him. God is so good and faithful and He sends us exactly what we need right when we need it. Yesterday and today I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with it all and He knew I needed a reminder and He gave me the beautiful reminder of seeing Him in the poor and being able to serve Him.
Photos from this week:
We had a wonderful trip up to Laredo, Texas the first day and the second day was also nice and peaceful. Was a total of around 15-16 hours (or so, I wasn't really keeping track of how long it took as I got to just chill in the car.) We had tons of snacks and I enjoyed hanging out with those in my vehicle.
The mission house here is beautiful! It’s older than the United States and used to be a servants' quarter to a building right next to us.Frank and Genie Summers have been here for over 30 years. It's a blessing being able to come here! The last week we are here there will be a short term mission trip and we will get to help with that, I'm excited for that.
I hope and pray that all is well with you! I'll be in Mexico until November 30th and can't wait until I know where I will be sent on mission. God bless!
We made it to Mexico! As I write this I’m sitting in the little chapel inside the Family Missions Company mission base in General Cepeda, Mexico. We arrived here yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. We left early Friday morning, spend the night in a hotel in Leredo, Texas and then early Saturday morning we stopped at IHOP for breakfast and then went to the border and went through customs. God got us safely here and it’s kind of surreal being here, it’s hitting me more and more that this is going to be my life (depending on where I’m sent it’ll look a little different). And being here is just reminding me that throughout this journey I’m going to grow deeper and deeper in dependence on God. I will be going somewhere where I won’t know the language, the culture etc. This week we had some classes on inculturation and enculturation— and one of the things I took from what we went over is the fact that ultimately wherever I am sent I will be an outsider. I won’t know anything and will need to have the posture of a learner and take everything one step at a time. Of course I will research stuff about wherever I’m being sent before I go, but some things you can only learn by being there and encountering the people and their culture.
It’s honestly a LOT to take in and think about, and it makes you feel like you’re a baby— and that’s difficult for me. It’s uncomfortable to not know. I want to know things, I want to be able to just go out and talk to people and know what I should do and how to reach the people I’m going to serve— but I will need to be patient with myself and take it one step at a time. I need to remember that it’s okay if I don’t understand or know exactly what the next step in my journey is— God knows. He has me in His hands and He’s with me, guiding me each and every step of the way. I know I need to rest in His arms and know He has me. I also need to remember that even as I’m learning the language that there’s also the language of love— even if I can’t speak to others I can speak through my actions and how I treat others. Today I was reminded of that after Mass this morning. After Mass I came outside and I noticed one of the other missionaries was helping a poor handicap woman. It looked like she had broken her right foot and had a crutch and a wheelchair. The other missionary pushed the wheelchair towards the street and down a steep handicap ramp and I walked with the woman towards the street and held her hand and supported her as we walked down the steep ramp. It was a beautiful moment, while I helped her down she smiled and she said some stuff that I had no clue what she was saying. But it was still a beautiful moment even though I didn’t know what she was saying. In that moment I got to help Jesus— I got to hold His hand and help Him in that woman.
It was a beautiful reminder that I needed of why I’m doing this— of why I’m going out and leaving everything I’ve ever known and entering into the unknown and going to a culture I don’t know to learn and grow in ways I never have. I’m going out to encounter Christ in the poorest of the poor. He’s there so clearly to me in them. He’s there in their suffering that so many people ignore or walk by. He’s there waiting to be loved. He’s there waiting for us to encounter Him in the poor. Christ has asked me to love Him in the poorest of the poor and He’s given me the desire and call to do so as a foreign missionary. I pray that I will be able to encounter Him and love Him in the people in the country wherever He sends me. I pray that He gives me His heart to love those He sends me to, for I can’t do any of this without Him. God is so good and faithful and He sends us exactly what we need right when we need it. Yesterday and today I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with it all and He knew I needed a reminder and He gave me the beautiful reminder of seeing Him in the poor and being able to serve Him.
Photos from this week:
We had a wonderful trip up to Laredo, Texas the first day and the second day was also nice and peaceful. Was a total of around 15-16 hours (or so, I wasn't really keeping track of how long it took as I got to just chill in the car.) We had tons of snacks and I enjoyed hanging out with those in my vehicle.
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| Road trip day two! |
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| Mexico! |
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| Emily and I! |
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The mission house here is beautiful! It’s older than the United States and used to be a servants' quarter to a building right next to us.Frank and Genie Summers have been here for over 30 years. It's a blessing being able to come here! The last week we are here there will be a short term mission trip and we will get to help with that, I'm excited for that.
I hope and pray that all is well with you! I'll be in Mexico until November 30th and can't wait until I know where I will be sent on mission. God bless!
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