Enter the Matrix!

Last week we started a series in Infusion young adults's group called "Enter the Matrix."  It's about living for Christ and not being consumed by the world.  Like John 17:15 - "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."  We are to to live in the world.  But we are to live for Christ!  To be an example of HIM to the world that needs Him! 

So on Saturday night, we talked about what we're investing our time in...  School, a good job, a family, owning your own home, etc.  These are all GOOD things, but they shouldn't be THE things that we're living for.  Our number one focus should be Jesus.  We do (some of!) the things that the world says we need to do, but while we're at it, remember that God has put us here to: KNOW Him, GLORIFY Him, to BE LIKE Him, and to TELL others about Him!

Girls at Infusion: (back) Karen, Pam, Ari, Brisa, (front) Carmelita, Alma, Cinthya

We'll continue "Enter the Matrix" for three more sessions! 

 Jean Paul, Ruben, and Dany

Last week we went out to tacos after Infusion!

On February 12th we're doing a service project for an older woman at Horizonte who lives in a metal taco stand.  We'll be fixing the roof and sides of the stand so water doesn't come in when it rains (two of our young guys can weld), water-proofing the areas where the metal siding is hooked together, and painting the whole stand.  Catita, the woman who lives in the stand, sells candy from her taco stand as her source of income.  We hope to raise enough money to: fix up the stand, bring lunch for the young people who go to work and Catita, and buy lots of candies for her to sell, as well as some pretty containers to display them in.  So far we have 4 paint brushes, the caulking needes for the cracks on the outside of the stand, and two large bags for assorted candies.  Some of Catita's friends from the church are donating a little money to help, and we're going to have a car wash to raise the rest! 

The Example of Daughters

Several months ago, I wrote about Pam and Karen, and their baptism here at Horizonte Church. 
Well, I've been discipling Pam since them (in August), and that has been going well...  She is enthusiastic about learing more about the Bible, and deepening her relationship with the Lord.  Karen works in the mornings and goes to school at night, so I haven't been meeting with her, but Pam shares what we learn together with Karen in their house! 

Pam and Karen's parents were not Christians when I last wrote about this family.  The end of 2010 was an incredibly difficult time for this family - several difficult situations arose, and the dad was getting almost hostile toward people who told him about Christ.  The mom started coming to church in December with Pam and Karen.  One day after church, she asked me to pray with her and her daughters for a difficult family situation.  Pam said she was shocked that her mom asked for prayer!  But that was the beginning of a change in the mom.  She accepted Christ!

A few weeks later, the dad was about at the end of his rope.  He found himself alone and desperate for help.  His siblings have been Christians for years, so he knew of the Message of Salvation.  He knew that he just needed to accept forgiveness from Christ and he would be saved.  So, alone one night, the dad accepted Christ too! 

Now the whole family comes to church on Sundays and you can just see their desire to learn more about Christ!  The parents are kind of shy, but we're introducing them to other couples their age - like Arturo and Fabiola, who have daughters the same age as Pam and Karen and live in the same neighborhood - and are inviting them to a married couples' event on February 12th.  It's really been amazing to see how God is changing this family!

My time with Pam has been great too!  She has so many questions about the Bible - most of which we look up together - and I've been encouraged to study the Bible a LOT more because I realize that I don't know how to answer some of the things she asks!  We have been learing some Bible verses together too, and Pam has her family practice them with her.  They all know John 3:16 now!  :)

Carmelita (friend from church), Karen, and Pam at tacos with the youth group!

I'm SO thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the change that the Lord has brought to this family, and see how GOOD He is!

La Rosca de Reyes

First of all, if you haven't seen the pictures of our New Year's in Mexico City, see post below!

We have another Christmas time holiday here in Mexico that isn't commonly celebrated in other countries (well, maybe Latin America, I'm not sure!)  It's "Wise Men Day."  This is the day where we commemerate the wise men bringing Jesus gifts.  Like Christmas, this day has turned into a gift-buying night-mare, in which the real significance of the day gets totally lost.  But, on January 5th, kids get a helium-filled balloon and attach a piece of paper denoting the present that they want.  Supposedly, the wise men come that night and bring them the gift.  On January 6th, kids wake up and lo and behold, the gift they asked for! 

Since this is a day for kids, adults don't get presents.  We get "Rosca de Reyes" bread. 

This bread is special.  Apart from having candied fruit, figs, and walnuts on top, it carries surprises in it too.  Each rosca contains a little white plastic doll (like a plastic army-man, just it's in the form of a baby) baked inside.  Depending on the size of the rosca, there may be multiples.  And there's a catch to the dolls.  Each person cuts their own slice of rosca.  And if they uncover a doll, or there's a doll hidden in their slice, they must buy tamales for everyone present on February 2.  I guess that's why there's more dolls for a bigger rosca - so tamales for 20 people can be bought between 5 or 6 people.  I ALWAYS get a doll.  Every year.  Last night, JP and I went to a prayer meeting for Horizonte Church leaders.  Being January 6th, we cut a rosca.  JP got a doll.  We foung 5 dolls in total, and there was a lot of rosca left.  I took a slice home, thankful that I didn't owe tamales in February!  And, as I was eating the bread at home, I bit the doll!  But we'll just say it didn't count because I wasn't with the others who cut the rosca when I found it...  :)

Just a little interesting piece of Mexican culture for you!

New Year's in Mexico City!

Jean Paul and I went to Mexico City last week to spend New Year's with his dad (Vic)!  We'd gone to visit before, but always just for Saturday and Sunday.  This time we went December 30 - January 3, almost a week!  It was a relaxing time, and we were also able to be tourists for a while, as well as spend New Year's Eve with Vic's family!

First stop was the Chapultapec Zoo!

I love giraffes!

JP and Vic at the Zoo

New Year's Eve at Grandma Conchita's house!

There were probably about 30 people in total - aunts, uncles, cousins, and cousin's kids (JP and I are the youngest of the cousins)  Most of the relatives were people we'd never met before, or who JP hadn't seen since he was 5!

Here's JP with Aunt Mari (in purple), Uncle Lorenzo (the older gentleman), three cousins and two kids!  We'd met Mari and Loren before, but this was the first time meeting the cousins!

It was great to be considered part of the family even though most relatives hadn't seen JP for almost 25 years!  The little kids even called us Uncle Paul and Aunt Jessi! 

 Here's us with Vic and Grandma!

We rung in the new year in the traditional way - counting down to midnight, then eating a green grape for each of the 12 clock chimes, and singing the National Anthem after.  Jean Paul and cousin Carlos did a piñata for the kids... a piñata filled with manderin oranges, caña (sugar cane?), and jicama!  Now THAT is traditional!

On New Year's Day we headed to a part of Mexico City called Coyoacan.  It's almost like a small town fit into the big City!  But it was PACKED on January 1st - not much is open on New Year's and everyone gets bored, so going to Coyoacan is apparently quite the thing to do!

We ate our very favorite fried quesadillas in the food market!  Uncooked tortillas are filled with cheese and your choice of: shredded chicken, mushrooms, sausage, shredded beef, mashed potatoes, chile poblano, ground beef, or any variety of other foods, including three that are very strange for people in the United States - cooked cactus leaf, the orange flower the grows on the end of zucchini, and CORN SMUT.  Yes, you read correctly - corn smut - the fungus that grows between the husk and the corn on the cob!.  It's actually really good!  Then the uncooked tortilla with it's filling goes into the oil to cook to perfection!  Top it off with hot salsa and a fruit punch pop, and it's EXCELLENT!

Here's JP and Vic at the food market!

And in one of the four HUGE malls that we went to, we found something that's not quite so unusual for people in the States but IS for us:

A Dairy Queen Blizzard!  YUM!

We had a great time in Mexico City, and hope to be going back more frequently, even if just for a weekend, to visit!