Tales of Mexico

I've been in Mexico for well over a month now, and it’s been quite the adventure.  I’ve gone to youth group, ran to the store, and gone on a Crusade to the state of Puebla.  While I’ve shared many of my stories in previous posts on Mexico, I haven’t shared all of them.  Today, I’d like to let you in on a few of my more memorable times here.  So sit back, relax, and enjoy the Tales of Mexico.

STICK-SHIFT IN MEXICO

The first thing in my book of adventures is one of my favorite events here.  It comes with a story, as it should.  So, during dinner I was having a conversation with Josiah, one of my Mexico siblings near my age.  He discovered that I couldn’t drive stick shift, so he immediately told our Crusade director Adrian.  Needless to say, after dinner I found myself sitting on the side of the road with Adrian, Josiah, and a couple of others in our little red Focus.  I’ve tried to drive my brother’s Mustang back in the States before to no avail, so I was nervous to inevitably spend half an hour grinding the clutch with several of my Mexico siblings watching on.  It was actually surprisingly easy!  I was able to drive it all the way back to the Ranch, even crossing over speedbumps.  I’m now convinced the Mustang is cursed.

BAPTISM PARTY

The first Sunday of July was a special one for our church.  Once a year, the entire church holds the service at a Balneario, a large pool place that we rent out for a service as well as 30+ baptisms.  We got there early to set up and spent the day worshipping and watching the baptisms before diving into the pools for a few hours.  It was a fantastic day swimming and laughing, playing games and just floating.  I may have gotten a little overconfident in my tanning abilities and neglected to put sunscreen on until about 3:30, so long story short, the next week was a bit painful for my neck and shoulders.

WONDERFUL EVENINGS

Many of my afternoons and evenings here are spent playing soccer or various board games.  By various, I mean Risk and Monopoly, nothing else.  They’re great games though, so I don’t mind.  While I have yet to conquer the world even once in Risk, I do quite well in Monopoly.  Perhaps I’d be a good businessman?

As often as I can, I like to go down to the field and play soccer with the kids.  I’m an American competing against Mexicans, so I’m not the star player, but I think I’ve improved a bit.  Fidel has been helping me train footwork and kicking accuracy.  Hopefully, I won’t be completely unprepared for the soccer season I’ll be launching into upon my return to the States.

MY NEW FAVORITE PLACE

In my over a month spent in Mexico, I’ve gone to many different events and activities with my Mexican family.  Often, we’ll find ourselves out late in the evening after spending the day at church, shopping, or, on one occasion, the movies.  In the midst of these long evenings, I’ve found my favorite place.  Call me crazy, but my current perfect situation is laying in the back row of a fifteen-passenger van, hands behind my head and feet kicked out in front of me, preferably with an earbud in my ear.

A bit different than the typical beach or quiet house scene, isn’t it?  While many crave those moments, I’ve found that God has given me this crazy passion for adventure and trying new things recently.  It’s quite strange when I consider my usually cautious, planner personality.  But I wouldn’t have it any other way.  There’s just nothing like having no plans and doing something crazy, totally dependent on God to see you through whatever ridiculous adventure He’s got you embarking on next.  It’s a beautiful (albeit occasionally terrifying) thing to be in the hands of the Living God.  I think I’ll be writing in the distant future about that topic.

There’s no safety net.  That’s been my favorite phrase as of late.  It means I’m totally dependent on my Jesus to see me through whatever He’s gotten me in to, and if He doesn’t come through for me I’m sunk.  I’m no longer the one in control.  As much as I love to be in control, I’ve learned that it’s much better when the timeless God who created the universe and everything in it to be holding the reigns than for a human with seventeen years of experience to attempt to.

CONCLUSION

So there you have it, some of my favorite experiences in Mexico.  I hope you enjoyed getting another little glimpse into my life here.  I know I’ve said it before but you’re just going to have to put up with hearing it again.  I’ve had such an amazing time here.  Every day has been a unique experience, and many of them have been filled with exciting adventures.  Although I’ve only got a few weeks remaining, I look forward to the adventures that are to come