Yesterday on our way to the Mission Bible School site, the smog lifted and we were able to see the mountains! This village made the last place look like Beverly Hills 90210. We created make-shift seating for the kids by pulling broken pieces of cinder block from the rubble. The kids were sweet and attentive, and did not seem familiar with MBS at all. Their church building consists of three cinder block walls with several piles of debris in between. On the bright side, this congregation is not threatened by a church split over carpet color. As we drove out of town we saw a guy with a truck, burning his trash while a horse was just standing on the road. I got a little misty-eyed because it reminded me of home.
We had a great discussion in the van about the book, When Helping Hurts, and had fun brainstorming new ways we could contribute to these communities and the ministry of Pastor Guzman. If anyone is remotely interested in this, ask Don England (it was really his brainstorm, the rest of us just piled on).
We are wrapping up our work at the Seminary this afternoon, and then going to a different MBS location tonight. It's a blessing to see people using their gifts, and getting excited about the work. Don Hubbs pours his heart into his Pablo the puppet performance. We're calling him "Don Pablo" now. Humberto Flores is fantastic storyteller, and keeps all of us riveted (even in Spanish). The four youngest-most among us have been very helpful and entertaining. They always have a great rapport with thd kids, and make it seem so effortless. Judy Doyle and Karen Wuellner have done a bang-up job organizing the Bible School. I'm a little worried, however, because they've been hitting the "Red Dog" pretty hard these last 2 days.
God has given us with a wonderful group and a wonderful week. He is good, and we are blessed! Muchas gracias Dios!
We leave Saturday at noon. Lord willing, and the creek don't rise, we'll see you on Sunday.
Love, Stephanie Hurd
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Monterrey, Mexico Update Thursday, October 15, 2009
Yesterday got hot and humid. In a city of 6 million people--hot and humid, is well, really hot and humid. Richard Murphy, Don England and Dave Hurd discovered the wonderful cooling effect of wearing their pants rolled up to the shins. We are calling these "man-pris" and we think it's a trend that could sweep the nation. These men have discovered that fashion can be functional. Richard said, "If short pants were good enough for George Washington, then their good enough for me."
Mission Bible School last night was another "standing room only" crowd and we handed out 150 sandwiches (we brought 200, so we wouldn't get caught with our man-pris down). The kids decorated backpacks, and picture frames. They loved getting a picture of themselves. We stayed and had dinner with the field missionaries and learned about their ministries. One cool thing they are doing is providing micro-loans (and business training) to locals so they can start their own business. One missionary said, "The day we take them to the bank so they can open a savings account is the most empowering moment of their lives."
We just finished devotionals and are headed to the Seminary to work. Tonight we go to a new location for MBS. Nobody slept well last night because of the heat so everyone is dragging today. Clyde Doyle just sprinted to 7/11 to get Judy a Red Bull (or Red Dog, as she calls them). I think Red Bull should be a group activity. Our devotional book says if you aren't using words like "exhausted, challenged, stretched, etc." then you're doing something wrong. So I guess, we're all right.
The Faith group and the Asbury group have developed a wonderful rapport, except I'm getting a lot of grief from the "senior-most" group for my comments yesterday. Not the "stripping" part. The "senior-most" part. Half the group has earned "special" nicknames but I can't go into that right now.
Oh, and yesterday we celebrated Sami Hime's 14th birthday with Tres Leche cake and a giant pinanta. La Fiesta.
We're on the home stretch, keep praying for us. Thanks!
Stephanie Hurd
Mission Bible School last night was another "standing room only" crowd and we handed out 150 sandwiches (we brought 200, so we wouldn't get caught with our man-pris down). The kids decorated backpacks, and picture frames. They loved getting a picture of themselves. We stayed and had dinner with the field missionaries and learned about their ministries. One cool thing they are doing is providing micro-loans (and business training) to locals so they can start their own business. One missionary said, "The day we take them to the bank so they can open a savings account is the most empowering moment of their lives."
We just finished devotionals and are headed to the Seminary to work. Tonight we go to a new location for MBS. Nobody slept well last night because of the heat so everyone is dragging today. Clyde Doyle just sprinted to 7/11 to get Judy a Red Bull (or Red Dog, as she calls them). I think Red Bull should be a group activity. Our devotional book says if you aren't using words like "exhausted, challenged, stretched, etc." then you're doing something wrong. So I guess, we're all right.
The Faith group and the Asbury group have developed a wonderful rapport, except I'm getting a lot of grief from the "senior-most" group for my comments yesterday. Not the "stripping" part. The "senior-most" part. Half the group has earned "special" nicknames but I can't go into that right now.
Oh, and yesterday we celebrated Sami Hime's 14th birthday with Tres Leche cake and a giant pinanta. La Fiesta.
We're on the home stretch, keep praying for us. Thanks!
Stephanie Hurd
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Monterrey, Mexico Update Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Get a load of this: We're working our tails off at the Seminary with four different projects. One group is building a small exterior wall with a door. These guys are quite happy because it involves power tools which is normal at home but quite rare for a VIM trip. The "senior-most" group is stripping. Now, before you form a mental picture--let me clarify they're stripping wood doors and baseboards. Some of us are painting the dining room and kitchen (in between the student's breakfast, lunch, AND dinner). And the fourth group, bless their hearts, have gutted a defunct bathroom and are ready to rebuild. The only teensy-weensy problem is there is no plumbing. No pipe-os.
But that's not the best part. We did Mission Bible School last night with 60 kids. No problemo. We went back to the same location tonight and the number of kids had doubled. We arrived with only 90 sandwiches so our fearless leaders ran to the corner store for provisions, and quickly made more sandwiches. By the time we distributed the food, the number of kids had grown even more! It was like the fish and the loaves, except it was the humans who were multiplying (not the food). We had a gazillion kids taking up every square inch of space with paint squirting everywhere. It was holy chaos! Then they kept coming up to us, one after another with big, chocalatey-brown eyes, and shy smiles eager to show their artwork."It's worth it," we kept mumbling to ourselves as our eyes glazed over.
Don Hubbs wants me to mention his killer performance as "Pablo" the parrot. And Richard Murphy wants me to mention they're installing a door "AND A WINDOW." My paint-be-speckled daughter wants me to mention that ALL the kids were trying to carry on conversations with she and her sister "IN SPANISH!"
I know, I know--you wish you were here. We do too. Pray for us!
Thanks,
Stephanie Hurd
But that's not the best part. We did Mission Bible School last night with 60 kids. No problemo. We went back to the same location tonight and the number of kids had doubled. We arrived with only 90 sandwiches so our fearless leaders ran to the corner store for provisions, and quickly made more sandwiches. By the time we distributed the food, the number of kids had grown even more! It was like the fish and the loaves, except it was the humans who were multiplying (not the food). We had a gazillion kids taking up every square inch of space with paint squirting everywhere. It was holy chaos! Then they kept coming up to us, one after another with big, chocalatey-brown eyes, and shy smiles eager to show their artwork."It's worth it," we kept mumbling to ourselves as our eyes glazed over.
Don Hubbs wants me to mention his killer performance as "Pablo" the parrot. And Richard Murphy wants me to mention they're installing a door "AND A WINDOW." My paint-be-speckled daughter wants me to mention that ALL the kids were trying to carry on conversations with she and her sister "IN SPANISH!"
I know, I know--you wish you were here. We do too. Pray for us!
Thanks,
Stephanie Hurd
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monterrey, Mexico Update Monday, October 12, 2009
This trip is a coordinated effort with nine members from Asbury and ten from Faith UMC in Tulsa. Our team is working closely with several different Mexican congregations here in Monterrey, and the Holy Spirit is emphasizing the unity of Christ's body working together for a common purpose. One God, one Body, and one mission!
Mary Carmen, the new VIM coordinator, testified that she and her siblings became Christians through Mission Bible School which a group of Baptist's from the United States conducted here many years ago. Humberto and Myrtha, our hosts, are headed to Cuba for mission work as soon as our group leaves, and they are taking a group of (Juan Wesley) seminary students to Cuba next year. It's fun to see how God works, and how much we have in common with our Mexican brothers and sisters.
Saturday and Sunday are all about travel, sight-seeing, and eating! We are going to visit the grottos (mountain caverns outside of town) this afternoon and hopefully end the day with ice cream from the corner store. After that, it's going to be work, work, work!
Stephanie Hurd
Mary Carmen, the new VIM coordinator, testified that she and her siblings became Christians through Mission Bible School which a group of Baptist's from the United States conducted here many years ago. Humberto and Myrtha, our hosts, are headed to Cuba for mission work as soon as our group leaves, and they are taking a group of (Juan Wesley) seminary students to Cuba next year. It's fun to see how God works, and how much we have in common with our Mexican brothers and sisters.
Saturday and Sunday are all about travel, sight-seeing, and eating! We are going to visit the grottos (mountain caverns outside of town) this afternoon and hopefully end the day with ice cream from the corner store. After that, it's going to be work, work, work!
Stephanie Hurd
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