I think before the summer is over, we’ll put up a post looking back at our teams and what we and they were able to accomplish. Good things! But for now things are kind of busy. So we’ll put up another prayer letter we sent out today, about the Bethesda team and the plans for FBUP (First Baptist Church of University Place, our home church). Here it is:

English Week
Since we asked you to pray for our last group, we thought we should give you a brief update. Eddie’s home church, Bethesda Baptist (Brownsburg, IN) came down a couple weeks ago and we did an English camp. We had 64 kids come out for four days of English: games, songs, crafts, skits and other activities. The last day we invited parents to see what their kids had learned. Over 120 family members attended. It was a fantastic time to connect with the community. In the afternoons we put on a class for adults that Angela Bowman, a friend from Burien, WA, planned and led. We had 10-15 students for that for 1-on-1 instruction. In all, it was a great time of connection with many families.

More after the break…
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We sent out a prayer letter in July (& June!) but didn’t post the link here.

So here it is now!

How well do you know about Mexico? Here’s a quiz from the Christian Science Monitor. It’s actually got some challenging questions. We sleep-walked through the first 10, then got cocky and missed a few, so…DON’T get cocky!

CSM Quiz.

Good luck! How’d you do?

Update: Here’s another one…

Well, today was the last full working day of the group, Day 4 in the schools. We did 6th grade in the morning and afternoon schools today. It was a brilliant success. Students had fun and were encouraged to go after good character: truthfulness and selflessness. Teachers appreciate what we are doing–they experience daily the need for character in students’ lives. The teens in the group were able to plan and lead the sessions. We were able to be present and make ourselves known as a moral resource in the school (as opposed to a “computer” or “English” resource). And…the kids are fun, Fun, actually! I don’t think anyone can be with them and not love them. Today, at the end of the school year, the 6th graders were having friends–and us– sign their white uniform shirts. Then other kids got out notebooks and asked for autographs. So the whole team became mini-celebrities and signed autographs, while trying not to get mugged putting tattoos on the kids. We did 6 sessions today, and were at school about 7 hours. In the afternoon part of the team went back to Martha’s and finished the work from yesterday. So another productive day. Then a pizza pool party at the hotel, complete with certain devious pranks. We got home after 10:30 with happy, tired children. Tomorrow is tourism day, going downtown and to the forts.

I think working this way with values and character training at the primary school definitely holds promise for the future. Thoughts for a future post…

I’m pretty wiped out, and we’ve had two non-stop days on a row, so the daily blog is going to be sorely tested. But, just to get something down, and not miss a chance to describe the good stuff the group is doing, I’ll put off bedtime a few minutes.

Yesterday: we were at the HS at 8am, and did 5 hours of talks–focused on sex and making the right choices. Midway through the day the teachers hosted us at a potluck. It looks like we’re getting the chance to start some good contacts with teachers and students. In the afternoon half the group did English at the elementary and the youth center. I went–my first time at “Eddie’s place” and saw what a great job He’s done. In The evening we went to the mall, Angelopolis, for dinner and a VIP movie. One of our thoughts for groups is to shatter some stereotypes people have of Mexico. There is a good deal of well-to-do people here–it’s not all poverty. It was our anniversary and the group surprised us with some very nice photos of Drew, Gavin and Fiona, led by Eddie, the chief conspirator.

Today: about 6 hours at the elementary school doing character workshops with the 5th graders. The teens in the team designed and led the sessions, which went well. Again, this is a great chance to get to know more kids, to be known, and to discuss moral issues with teachers and students. It’s not a revival service, but it was a fantastic opportunity. After school we helped Martha Escudero, Carlos’ widow with some needs at her apartment. Then tacos staves, dessert, and another late night for the kiddos.

So go a couple of busy days. No time for much analysis; I think I’ll save that for a final post in a few days. Right now I’m beat. Tomorrow’s another full day with 6th graders.

This summer we’ll do our best to keep a journal of the activities we do when missions teams are down. That may serve not only just as a record of what we’ve done, but as ideas as well.

So the team from Fellowship Christian Church in Springfield, OH arrived Friday night, and has been active. Saturday was an introduction and integration day. They helped with football practice and then we did a prayer walk around the neighborhood (that’s when the rain started, of course) and then a prep time and supper at our favorite restaurant. Sunday was a church day and tourism, going to the pyramid in Cholula, again cut short by rain. In the evening we had a dessert time, designed to connect the group with various people we’ll be working with this week.

Today was Day One of the main group activity: workshops in the schools (high school and elementary) on good decision-making. We’re taking advantage of the fact that the group leader, Jeremy Hudson, grew up here in Puebla as an MK, speaks Spanish, and has extensive experience speaking in public schools. So he’ll be giving the talks and the teens in the group will be sharing their stories and connecting with kids 1-on-1. Today, with much prayer, we kicked things off with five 1-hour sessions at the high school. It went great!

Some of the highlights:

This is really going to be a long post…we did a lot.

Half the group split off at noon and went to the elementary school where we had our last English Club. The students got to show off their English to their parents (about a dozen) with different skits, receive certificates, and take their parents through their regular activities.

After lunch, the other half of the group went with Eddie to his afternoon English class, then most of us went to play soccer up at the field (gringos won!). We made it back to the house just before the afternoon rains hit, then supper–tacos al pastor at our other favorite restaurant, Suprema Salsa.

So that’s Day One. Some of these things are unique to the abilities of the group (Jeremy’s language and speaking abilities) and the timing (school’s still in session). We’re excited that we can take advantage of these factors to host a trip that is non-standard and serves the community in a way that will build relationships for the long haul. Tomorrow will be similar…we’ll see what happens.

We’re starting a big push for the summer. Three groups visiting (plus good-bye to one already here!). The first group, from Springfield, OH, arrives in, oh…3 hours. So pray for us! Read the letter here. … or after the break…
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I recently finished Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl, a survivor of Auschwitz and renowned psychiatrist. It’s a moving account of his death-camp survival, but more than a full account it is his reflections on purpose and meaning. In fact the last two sections of the book are Frankl’s reflections on meaning and purpose in the context of his profession. Frankl, Jewish, was not a Christian, but his thoughts reflect a wisdom that is worth hearing, that squares with much of what the Bible teaches–call it an OT wisdom, pre-Christ. I liked so many parts I Erie them down inside the front cover of the book.

So I thought I’d put up some of these quotes every so often. We’re here working, but also trying to think as well!

Good things, and much more, even things that show that human wisdom and willpower have their limits without Christ. How people survived such horror, I can’t imagine. I’ll put more quotes up on a regular basis.

From some of our comments over this site, sporadic as they made be, a reader (you!) may be able to pick up that we like teamwork, working in teams, and the concept of sharing and cooperating that teams imply. Thus frequent appeals and prayer requests for teammates. Ha! That’s just a high-level introduction to our soccer camp from this past Monday and Wednesday. Teamwork was essential.
(Photo slideshow after the break)
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I’m on another Chesterton kick, this time Heretics. He’s always 1) ahead of his time thinking through the consequences of ideas and 2) contrarian. This time, appropriate in light of the state of the family, here’s a quote from Ch. 14, “On Certain Modern Writers and the Institution of the Family.”:

The family may fairly be considered, one would think, an ultimate human institution. Every one would admit that it has been the main cell and central unit of almost all societies hitherto, except, indeed, such societies as that of Lacedaemon, which went in for “efficiency,” and has, therefore, perished, and left not a trace behind. Christianity, even enormous as was its revolution, did not alter this ancient and savage sanctity; it merely reversed it. It did not deny the trinity of father, mother, and child. It merely read it backwards, making it run child, mother, father. This it called, not the family, but the Holy Family, for many things are made holy by being turned upside down. But some sages of our own decadence have made a serious attack on the family. They have impugned it, as I think wrongly; and its defenders have defended it, and defended it wrongly. The common defence of the family is that, amid the stress and fickleness of life, it is peaceful, pleasant, and at one. But there is another defence of the family which is possible, and to me evident; this defence is that the family is not peaceful and not pleasant and not at one. It is not fashionable to say much nowadays of the advantages of the small community. We are told that we must go in for large empires and large ideas. There is one advantage, however, in the small state, the city, or the village, which only the wilfully blind can overlook. The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world. He knows much more of the fierce varieties and uncompromising divergences of men. The reason is obvious. In a large community we can choose our companions. In a small community our companions are chosen for us. Thus in all extensive and highly civilized societies groups come into existence founded upon what is called sympathy, and shut out the real world more sharply than the gates of a monastery. There is nothing really narrow about the clan; the thing which is really narrow is the clique. The men of the clan live together because they all wear the same tartan or are all descended from the same sacred cow; but in their souls, by the divine luck of things, there will always be more colours than in any tartan. But the men of the clique live together because they have the same kind of soul, and their narrowness is a narrowness of spiritual coherence and contentment, like that which exists in hell.

— Chesterton, G. K. Heretics (pp. 77-78). Kindle Edition.

Keep in mind that this was written about 100 years ago. Good stuff.