I cannot believe it is already the Christmas season! My time here has been filled with much observing and learning about the schedules and customs in the Casa, but I did take a break for Thanksgiving Day. I took the bus to Mexico City and then drove from there (with the rest of the Spearhead team) to Cuernavaca. It was beautiful and warm, so we played volleyball and football (americano) while we waited for everyone to arrive. All the LAM missionaries gathered, each bringing a yummy traditional Thanksgiving dish (Spearheaders brought the Coca-cola...), and we all ate and fellowshipped on the roof. After the meal, everyone shared a little about ways they have been blessed and it was truly fascinating to hear about the lives of everyone there.
Back at the Casa, I have been working more with the girls on clothes, trying to establish a system that works. After getting advice from Nydia (the directora of Spearhead) over Thanksgiving, I decided to try putting labels in their drawers that say "pants," "shirts," "pijamas," etc. and have a picture of the corresponding item. This way, even the girls who cannot read yet will be able to organize their clothes, as well as hopefully learning to identify some words. The benefit for me is that the drawers are organized when I go to see how many more pairs of pants, shirts, etc they need, so I don't have to take everything out to see what they are lacking. There was concern from the Casa staff that they would just tear them down immediately, but I decided I had to try something, so I have made the labels and put them up. I have also talked one-on-one with each girl to explain the system in an age-appropriate way and make sure they understand it. They have been up for four days now and none have been ripped down, so I am optimistic; however, this is something you can pray for (that they labels would stay up and that this system would work), as silly as that sounds.
I am learning that God cares deeply for our most petty concerns and, like any good Father, wants to provide us with our every desire, as long as it is in our best interest. God has heard my most petty prayers while I have been here, answering in the sweetest and most intimate ways. He is opening up new opportunities for friendships and introducing me to many who are hospitable, welcoming and warm. But even in the struggles, frustrations and hard times (and there are many!) I can see how God is orchestrating events for my ultimate good. Like a child in the midst of being disciplined or gold being cleansed in the fire, there are circumstances that are not pleasant now, but I trust they will benefit me and ultimately serve to bring His kingdom to earth.
One such hard time began precisely a week ago, and has just come to a close. Last Tuesday, around 3:30, my stomach started hurting, then vomitting and diarrhea, and it went downhill from there! Around 8pm, I felt like I was going to pass out, and not knowing how to say "pass out" in Spanish, I panicked and decided to go down to Jacob and Charity's house (the missionary couple who live on the premises) to get some help. Charity was very welcoming and tried some natural medicine (oregano oil, apparently it is a natural antibiotic). I felt better for a while, but was unable to keep down any liquids. Around 10pm, I went on my first Mexican hospital venture! Jacob took me to Sanatorio La Luz, a very nice hospital close by. The wait was no more than 30 minutes, the consultation was professional and brief and they gave me an IV injection of some medicine to stop the vomiting so that I would be able to take fluids again. The 30 minutes of waiting for this medicine to kick in were probably the most uncomfortable 30 minutes of my entire life, because of my extreme dehydration, but finally they let me try drinking some "suero," or Pedialyte type drink, and it stayed down. The visit was about 350 pesos (with the current exchange rate, that's probably less than $30 USD), and the prescribed antibiotics were less than $9 USD. (If I had not been so delusional from dehydration, this would have impressed me more at the time. It was not until later that I realized how ridiculously cheap that is.) So I stayed the night with Jacob and Charity (what a blessing from the Lord they are!) and the next morning felt well enough to go back up to the Casa. I felt weak and my stomach was uneasy for the next few days, but I have felt 100% again since Sunday.
One great thing this uncomfortable sickness has done is to slow me down. I had gotten to the point of trying to do everything at once- organizing clothes, getting every girl to have her drawers organized, to shower everyday, to brush teeth and hair and put on lotion and wash their face and on and on. My goals were exceding what is humanly possible, which resulted in me stressing and feeling failure, along with ultimately forgetting the main reason I am here, which is to love the children and share truth with them. So it seems God has His purposes in everything...
Along with my physical sickness, I have been emotionally a bit down. Thinking of Christmas, family, friends and all the traditions that mean so much to me, it has hit me that those will not be the same this year, as I will be staying in Morelia for the holidays. I have been praying through this sadness, and since then, I have had 3 invitations for Christmas Day and have confirmed that my old roommate from Mexico City will be able to come visit the day after Christmas. Strangely, I have also felt a peace about just being here at the Casa. Today, I went and bought all my Christmas decorations, including a mini-tree, ornaments, nativity, door decoration and lights (for under $20 USD!), and I have spent the last few days listening to carols. So, praise God, I am on the upswing emotionally as well as physically. I still don't know my exact plans for Christmas, but I know this holiday season will be joy-filled and unforgetable.
I wish I had room to tell you all that the Lord has done, and all the promise of things that are still in the works that He is doing. Once again, thank you so much for your support, your interest in my life and your prayers. Please send me a Christmas card, and let me know what is going on in your life. I love you all and miss you greatly.
Love!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Vida en la Casa Hogar
Greetings!
I am finally here in the Casa Hogar (Children's Home) and life is fast-paced and chaotic! I have been here a little over a week so far and it is great! There are many challenges, but I am confident that God has placed me here and has a great plan for how He will use me in the lives of these children.
The children were immediately receptive of me in the Casa Hogar, calling me "mami" after five minutes. They need much love and attention and I usually feel quite incapable of providing for them all that they need. I am praying that God will use me as much as possible, but also provide more people to care for them.
So far, I am trying to learn and observe how life goes in the Casa. Practicing this humility is difficult when the various adults in charge at certain times make decisions I don't agree with, but I am being obedient and submissive to their leadership as best I can. Pray that God would continue to give me a good attitude and patience in this.
God has been so faithful in hearing my prayers for favor with the leaders. They are grateful for my adequate Spanish ability and my cultural competence. ("You like tortillas! Que bueno that you know how to eat like a Mexican..." and "Where did you learn your Spanish? It is perfect!" ...not true, but encouraging all the same...haha.) These are both a direct result of the Spearhead(LAM)'s training throughout the summer and the past month. At times, I felt like I was ready and that not being at the Casa immediately was a waste of time, but now I see how valuable all of that training is. In the past, volunteers at the Casa have had little success because they were not adequately trained and had unrealistic expectations. So, praise God for giving me the training I have had and also for giving me favor and good relationships with the directors and teacher here at the Casa!
The activities I have been helping out with so far have been:
-Supervising the girls in getting ready for school (brushing teeth, hair, getting dressed, etc.)
CHALLENGE: They all have very short hair; it was cut to make treating lice easier, but the shortness makes bed-head more prevalent!
-Organizing their "Cuarto Grande" ("Big Room") with tons of donated clothes, and distributing clothes for the week
CHALLENGE: The children's drawers are not very organized and they hoard clothes because, I suspect, there have been times when it was not distributed often. For this reason, they don't deposit their dirty clothes to be washed, and it is hard to know how to teach them to be responsible with the clothes they have, but also assure them that they will get more when they let clothes go to be washed. I could go on and on in this matter. Pray for wisdom and creativity.
-Helping a volunteer named Linda work with the 4-7 year olds with letters, numbers, reading and writing in the afternoons.
BLESSING: Linda is so organized and generously provides supplies for the children. They love her because of her warmth and gentleness, and so do I! She is going to let me use her cell phone to call for free to the US today (get ready mom and dad!), and has invited me to stay for comida with her husband and some gringo friends of theirs. Praise God for her generosity and kindness to me! She has been a listening ear to me and I know God has her in the Casa with great purpose.
-Putting the children to bed (brushing teeth, putting on PJ's and reading or singing to them)
BLESSING: I am trying to read the Chronicles of Narnia to the children (in Spanish, of course) and so far they are loving it. It is really cool how God came before me in this. They have a "movie theater" in the Casa, installed by the missionary that lives on the Casa's campus, Jacob. It has real movie seats and the movie is projected onto one whole wall. They just watched "El Leon, La Bruja y El Ropero" last Friday, and "Principe Caspian" this Friday and they love these Narnia movies! I have also been singing goodnight songs from camp in English...they love this and are learning the songs slowly. (For you camp people, their favorite is "Lay Down, My Dear Sisters...")
I am praying and thinking about starting small Bible Studies with the older girls as well. You can pray with me for wisdom and guidance in this.
Thank you so much for reading, for your support, prayers and letters. If you want to send me snail mail, you can now!! Megan, Grandma and Dad, your letters were MUCH appreciated!! The address of the Casa is to the right on this page at the top and I think the mail is pretty reliable.
Dios te bendiga! (God bless you!)
I am finally here in the Casa Hogar (Children's Home) and life is fast-paced and chaotic! I have been here a little over a week so far and it is great! There are many challenges, but I am confident that God has placed me here and has a great plan for how He will use me in the lives of these children.
The children were immediately receptive of me in the Casa Hogar, calling me "mami" after five minutes. They need much love and attention and I usually feel quite incapable of providing for them all that they need. I am praying that God will use me as much as possible, but also provide more people to care for them.
So far, I am trying to learn and observe how life goes in the Casa. Practicing this humility is difficult when the various adults in charge at certain times make decisions I don't agree with, but I am being obedient and submissive to their leadership as best I can. Pray that God would continue to give me a good attitude and patience in this.
God has been so faithful in hearing my prayers for favor with the leaders. They are grateful for my adequate Spanish ability and my cultural competence. ("You like tortillas! Que bueno that you know how to eat like a Mexican..." and "Where did you learn your Spanish? It is perfect!" ...not true, but encouraging all the same...haha.) These are both a direct result of the Spearhead(LAM)'s training throughout the summer and the past month. At times, I felt like I was ready and that not being at the Casa immediately was a waste of time, but now I see how valuable all of that training is. In the past, volunteers at the Casa have had little success because they were not adequately trained and had unrealistic expectations. So, praise God for giving me the training I have had and also for giving me favor and good relationships with the directors and teacher here at the Casa!
The activities I have been helping out with so far have been:
-Supervising the girls in getting ready for school (brushing teeth, hair, getting dressed, etc.)
CHALLENGE: They all have very short hair; it was cut to make treating lice easier, but the shortness makes bed-head more prevalent!
-Organizing their "Cuarto Grande" ("Big Room") with tons of donated clothes, and distributing clothes for the week
CHALLENGE: The children's drawers are not very organized and they hoard clothes because, I suspect, there have been times when it was not distributed often. For this reason, they don't deposit their dirty clothes to be washed, and it is hard to know how to teach them to be responsible with the clothes they have, but also assure them that they will get more when they let clothes go to be washed. I could go on and on in this matter. Pray for wisdom and creativity.
-Helping a volunteer named Linda work with the 4-7 year olds with letters, numbers, reading and writing in the afternoons.
BLESSING: Linda is so organized and generously provides supplies for the children. They love her because of her warmth and gentleness, and so do I! She is going to let me use her cell phone to call for free to the US today (get ready mom and dad!), and has invited me to stay for comida with her husband and some gringo friends of theirs. Praise God for her generosity and kindness to me! She has been a listening ear to me and I know God has her in the Casa with great purpose.
-Putting the children to bed (brushing teeth, putting on PJ's and reading or singing to them)
BLESSING: I am trying to read the Chronicles of Narnia to the children (in Spanish, of course) and so far they are loving it. It is really cool how God came before me in this. They have a "movie theater" in the Casa, installed by the missionary that lives on the Casa's campus, Jacob. It has real movie seats and the movie is projected onto one whole wall. They just watched "El Leon, La Bruja y El Ropero" last Friday, and "Principe Caspian" this Friday and they love these Narnia movies! I have also been singing goodnight songs from camp in English...they love this and are learning the songs slowly. (For you camp people, their favorite is "Lay Down, My Dear Sisters...")
I am praying and thinking about starting small Bible Studies with the older girls as well. You can pray with me for wisdom and guidance in this.
Thank you so much for reading, for your support, prayers and letters. If you want to send me snail mail, you can now!! Megan, Grandma and Dad, your letters were MUCH appreciated!! The address of the Casa is to the right on this page at the top and I think the mail is pretty reliable.
Dios te bendiga! (God bless you!)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Life and Death in Mexico City
Saludos!
First, I want to thank all of you that have been praying for me during this time and for the emails! God is really hearing your prayers and working through you to encourage me.
The last two weeks have flown by! I have learned a lot about Mexican culture and about the Lord recently. With the team, we've read a book and had a book discussion, studied the first 2 chapters of Philippians and made some spiritual goals for the year. It has been a rich time for me as far as hearing from God, seeing him answer prayers and generally learning more about who He is and what He is like.
We have also read several articles about Day of the Dead, which is similar to Halloween in the States. Instead of costumes and trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, though, Mexicans set up "ofrendas" or altars to their dead loved ones on November 1 and 2. These altars include pictures of their dead loved ones, candles, flowers, food, liquors and favorite objects of their loved one. Some simply celebrate it as a Mexican tradition, and as a way of remembering the deceased. However, there are many who believe that the spirits of the dead actually come back on these days. For them, the altars are a way of beckoning the dead back to earth. My roommate and I went to the Zocalo and saw several ofrendas, some of which were fun, brightly-colored exhibits, and others that seemed very dark and disturbing.
November 1st and 2nd are also days set aside for "Saint Death," a saint not officially recognized by the Catholic church, but one that is worshiped and prayed to here in growing numbers. We had the opportunity to see a film that portrayed how worship of "La Santa Muerte" plays out in real life here in Mexico. All of these activities were enlightening for me, and they revealed a whole level of spiritual darkness of which I had not been previously aware. I have heard many stories of spiritual warfare as well that have opened my eyes to how real the "invisible world" is, and more importantly, how real our God is. If you are struggling with doubt about if He's really out there...come to Mexico and listen! I'll sum up the Day of the Dead discussion with this quote from Octavio Paz:
"...life and death lack autonomy, [they] are the two sides of a single reality. They are references to the invisible realities...The word death is not pronounced in New York, in Paris, in London, because it burns the lips. The Mexican, in contrast, is familiar with death, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it...We are seduced by death." (Labyrinth of Solitude).
So, that's enough about death. I promised you in the title of the blog I would talk about life, too! And we've got lots of that right now! This morning, our directors, Paul and Nydia, had baby #2, Ana Paulina, and my Mexican mama had baby #2 this afternoon, as well. We haven't met our "baby sister" yet, but she should be coming home tonight or tomorrow. I can't wait to see her!
And for a little more about my life, here's some fun things I've done in Mexico so far:
-learned to make authentic Mexican sopes (a type of tortilla)
-visited Chapultepec (Mexico City's central park) and rented a row boat for an hour
-went to a huge flower market where they sell flowers for super cheap (por ejemplo, more than a dozen roses for less that 20 pesos which is about $2 USD)
- experienced two full Mexican Sundays with church from 10am-7pm...
-roasted hot dogs and marshmallows with a bunch of Mexican kids during a camp-out hosted by our Mexican church (I also led lots of camp games...thank you CDL)
-went to a restaurant and had a pitcher of hand-squeezed juice, a bowl of soup, a plate of rice, and an entree for 30 pesos (less than $3 USD)
-visited the main Cathedral of Mexico City and saw coin slots where you can pay to have a fake candle lit to "represent a prayer"
-watched the US election results in Spanish
-lead games for a multi-cultural baby shower for two Mexican pregnant ladies...some guests couldn't speak Spanish and some couldn't speak English...It was interesting, but a blast.
That's just a taste of what I'm doing here so far. The time is approaching (November 15th!) for me to head to my real post in Morelia. You can pray that God will keep preparing me for the Casa Hogar and prepare the children to receive me well. Thanks for your continued prayers and support. If you get a chance, let me know what you're up to as well! I would love to hear. You can write an email, or wait a few days and write some snail mail to the Casa Hogar (that would really brighten my day)! Both addresses are to your right on this page.
I'll leave you with this verse that really comforted me. Although I know that God is a good, loving God, I was struggling with the possibility that not all will be saved by having a relationship with Him. So God proved He's good again by guiding me to this verse:
"The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
2 Peter 3:9
Con mucho amor,
Lauren
First, I want to thank all of you that have been praying for me during this time and for the emails! God is really hearing your prayers and working through you to encourage me.
The last two weeks have flown by! I have learned a lot about Mexican culture and about the Lord recently. With the team, we've read a book and had a book discussion, studied the first 2 chapters of Philippians and made some spiritual goals for the year. It has been a rich time for me as far as hearing from God, seeing him answer prayers and generally learning more about who He is and what He is like.
We have also read several articles about Day of the Dead, which is similar to Halloween in the States. Instead of costumes and trick-or-treating on Oct. 31, though, Mexicans set up "ofrendas" or altars to their dead loved ones on November 1 and 2. These altars include pictures of their dead loved ones, candles, flowers, food, liquors and favorite objects of their loved one. Some simply celebrate it as a Mexican tradition, and as a way of remembering the deceased. However, there are many who believe that the spirits of the dead actually come back on these days. For them, the altars are a way of beckoning the dead back to earth. My roommate and I went to the Zocalo and saw several ofrendas, some of which were fun, brightly-colored exhibits, and others that seemed very dark and disturbing.
November 1st and 2nd are also days set aside for "Saint Death," a saint not officially recognized by the Catholic church, but one that is worshiped and prayed to here in growing numbers. We had the opportunity to see a film that portrayed how worship of "La Santa Muerte" plays out in real life here in Mexico. All of these activities were enlightening for me, and they revealed a whole level of spiritual darkness of which I had not been previously aware. I have heard many stories of spiritual warfare as well that have opened my eyes to how real the "invisible world" is, and more importantly, how real our God is. If you are struggling with doubt about if He's really out there...come to Mexico and listen! I'll sum up the Day of the Dead discussion with this quote from Octavio Paz:
"...life and death lack autonomy, [they] are the two sides of a single reality. They are references to the invisible realities...The word death is not pronounced in New York, in Paris, in London, because it burns the lips. The Mexican, in contrast, is familiar with death, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, celebrates it...We are seduced by death." (Labyrinth of Solitude).
So, that's enough about death. I promised you in the title of the blog I would talk about life, too! And we've got lots of that right now! This morning, our directors, Paul and Nydia, had baby #2, Ana Paulina, and my Mexican mama had baby #2 this afternoon, as well. We haven't met our "baby sister" yet, but she should be coming home tonight or tomorrow. I can't wait to see her!
And for a little more about my life, here's some fun things I've done in Mexico so far:
-learned to make authentic Mexican sopes (a type of tortilla)
-visited Chapultepec (Mexico City's central park) and rented a row boat for an hour
-went to a huge flower market where they sell flowers for super cheap (por ejemplo, more than a dozen roses for less that 20 pesos which is about $2 USD)
- experienced two full Mexican Sundays with church from 10am-7pm...
-roasted hot dogs and marshmallows with a bunch of Mexican kids during a camp-out hosted by our Mexican church (I also led lots of camp games...thank you CDL)
-went to a restaurant and had a pitcher of hand-squeezed juice, a bowl of soup, a plate of rice, and an entree for 30 pesos (less than $3 USD)
-visited the main Cathedral of Mexico City and saw coin slots where you can pay to have a fake candle lit to "represent a prayer"
-watched the US election results in Spanish
-lead games for a multi-cultural baby shower for two Mexican pregnant ladies...some guests couldn't speak Spanish and some couldn't speak English...It was interesting, but a blast.
That's just a taste of what I'm doing here so far. The time is approaching (November 15th!) for me to head to my real post in Morelia. You can pray that God will keep preparing me for the Casa Hogar and prepare the children to receive me well. Thanks for your continued prayers and support. If you get a chance, let me know what you're up to as well! I would love to hear. You can write an email, or wait a few days and write some snail mail to the Casa Hogar (that would really brighten my day)! Both addresses are to your right on this page.
I'll leave you with this verse that really comforted me. Although I know that God is a good, loving God, I was struggling with the possibility that not all will be saved by having a relationship with Him. So God proved He's good again by guiding me to this verse:
"The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
2 Peter 3:9
Con mucho amor,
Lauren
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Whirlwind Beginnings
Buenas tardes!
Although I am just now writing, I arrived here in Mexico on Monday, the 13th. I was greeted by my our director Paul, and my roommate for the time I am here in Mexico City, Erika. She is a Texan, recent college graduate and taught Spanish in a public school this past year. We are getting along great, which is a huge answer to prayer. My Mexican "mama" who is now 22, is pregnant, and due any day now (well, technically, Nov. 7). Monday when I arrived, I went straight to the same host family as this summer, and it was great to see them all and catch up with them.
Then Tuesday morning, we left for Cuernavaca, a warm, sunny Mexican town known for its many pools and water theme parks, for a three day retreat with the YearOut Team. That team consists of Erika, Alicia (an awesome Californian girl who is postponing her marriage until she gets back from this year in Mexico), Michelle, who was also a YearOutter last year, and me. Our directors, Paul and Nydia, their son, Andres (4) and the program coordinator, Wendy, led the retreat. Special guests were Maki, a Japanese girl who has been living in Mexico for two years now independently, and Natalie, a younger girl who is helping teach English in a school and also with Andres. We all rented a house and spent three days getting to know each other, eating, taking walks, getting ice cream, seeking God's heart for missions and learning about Mexican culture.
On Wednesday night of the retreat, I received the terrible news (for me, not him) that my granddaddy had had a massive stroke and was probably not going to make it. That night and the following day, I cried more than I have in a long time, unable to believe that my granddaddy, who was actively involved in his church, community and family life, had so suddenly and painfully been jolted out of my universe. But as Jesus promised, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." I immediately experienced the love and heart-felt prayers of all those on the retreat, and also of many of you back home. I had never realized the capacity we have to "mourn with those who mourn," but the girls on the YearOut team taught me the value of this.
Friday, I headed home to be with my family for the visitation and funeral of my granddad. It was a whirlwind, for certain, but it was well worth the trip home to mourn with those who loved my granddaddy the most. As we mourned, I am certain that he was rejoicing in the presence of the Lord in a glorified body. For all of you that have lifted my family and I in your prayers, I thank you and I ask you to continue praying for me, my dad, my mom, her sister and my grandma as we wade through the darkness of grief.
I returned to Mexico City on Monday, and miraculously I am feeling very stable and happy to be here. God has used these last months to prepare me, so that I truly feel at home here. This is my life, and I am starting to feel that way!
In the coming weeks, I will be here in Mexico City (until Nov. 15th) participating in a Bible study with the other YearOutters, receiving training for the language and my ministry, and generally observing the culture and absorbing as much Spanish as I can. On November 15th, I will leave Mexico City and move into the Casa Hogar in Morelia until May.
I'll leave y'all with a verse I read the day my granddaddy died that brought me great comfort:
"He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand." (Ps. 121:3-5)
And it so happens that this verse goes really well with what I've been learning from a book we are reading as a team. I've been learning about resting, making space for God, waiting on Him and trusting Him enough to relinquish control of my life to Him. One of the ways we prove to ourselves that we are surrendering control is through sleep.
"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for He grants sleep to those He loves." (Ps 127:2)
ps- I'm going to need about 10 extra supporters to make up for losing my granddaddy's extensive and enthusiastic support. So send some extra letters, emails (lauren.bruton@gmail.com) and prayers!
love.
Although I am just now writing, I arrived here in Mexico on Monday, the 13th. I was greeted by my our director Paul, and my roommate for the time I am here in Mexico City, Erika. She is a Texan, recent college graduate and taught Spanish in a public school this past year. We are getting along great, which is a huge answer to prayer. My Mexican "mama" who is now 22, is pregnant, and due any day now (well, technically, Nov. 7). Monday when I arrived, I went straight to the same host family as this summer, and it was great to see them all and catch up with them.
Then Tuesday morning, we left for Cuernavaca, a warm, sunny Mexican town known for its many pools and water theme parks, for a three day retreat with the YearOut Team. That team consists of Erika, Alicia (an awesome Californian girl who is postponing her marriage until she gets back from this year in Mexico), Michelle, who was also a YearOutter last year, and me. Our directors, Paul and Nydia, their son, Andres (4) and the program coordinator, Wendy, led the retreat. Special guests were Maki, a Japanese girl who has been living in Mexico for two years now independently, and Natalie, a younger girl who is helping teach English in a school and also with Andres. We all rented a house and spent three days getting to know each other, eating, taking walks, getting ice cream, seeking God's heart for missions and learning about Mexican culture.
On Wednesday night of the retreat, I received the terrible news (for me, not him) that my granddaddy had had a massive stroke and was probably not going to make it. That night and the following day, I cried more than I have in a long time, unable to believe that my granddaddy, who was actively involved in his church, community and family life, had so suddenly and painfully been jolted out of my universe. But as Jesus promised, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." I immediately experienced the love and heart-felt prayers of all those on the retreat, and also of many of you back home. I had never realized the capacity we have to "mourn with those who mourn," but the girls on the YearOut team taught me the value of this.
Friday, I headed home to be with my family for the visitation and funeral of my granddad. It was a whirlwind, for certain, but it was well worth the trip home to mourn with those who loved my granddaddy the most. As we mourned, I am certain that he was rejoicing in the presence of the Lord in a glorified body. For all of you that have lifted my family and I in your prayers, I thank you and I ask you to continue praying for me, my dad, my mom, her sister and my grandma as we wade through the darkness of grief.
I returned to Mexico City on Monday, and miraculously I am feeling very stable and happy to be here. God has used these last months to prepare me, so that I truly feel at home here. This is my life, and I am starting to feel that way!
In the coming weeks, I will be here in Mexico City (until Nov. 15th) participating in a Bible study with the other YearOutters, receiving training for the language and my ministry, and generally observing the culture and absorbing as much Spanish as I can. On November 15th, I will leave Mexico City and move into the Casa Hogar in Morelia until May.
I'll leave y'all with a verse I read the day my granddaddy died that brought me great comfort:
"He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you- the Lord is your shade at your right hand." (Ps. 121:3-5)
And it so happens that this verse goes really well with what I've been learning from a book we are reading as a team. I've been learning about resting, making space for God, waiting on Him and trusting Him enough to relinquish control of my life to Him. One of the ways we prove to ourselves that we are surrendering control is through sleep.
"In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for He grants sleep to those He loves." (Ps 127:2)
ps- I'm going to need about 10 extra supporters to make up for losing my granddaddy's extensive and enthusiastic support. So send some extra letters, emails (lauren.bruton@gmail.com) and prayers!
love.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Hey y'all!
I just wanted to let you all know that I am now back in the States. I got home two weeks ago, on August 1st, and I'll return to Mexico City on October 12th. Then after only a few weeks of training in Mexico City, I'll head to Morelia to the orphanage until next May. Sometime around the first of June, I'll return to Mexico City to serve as a facilitator for the next summer group. So that's my tentative plan for the next year.
Being home has been wonderful. I have been spending a lot of time with my family; Rebecca picked me up at the airport, and my grandparents came down for a few days as well. It is certainly relaxing down here at the river house...it's like a vacation all the time! We fish, go on the boat, cook and of course, eat! And we've also enjoyed watching the Summer Olympics. Go USA! I got to visit Camp Don Lee for a few days last week, and Rocky Mount for the day on Tuesday. Recently I also began studying to take the GRE again (a test for Grad School when I return next Fall).
Check out my pictures from the summer! You can click on the links to the right and then click on the thumbnail size pictures to enlarge them. Enjoy, and let me know if it doesn't work.
Love!
Being home has been wonderful. I have been spending a lot of time with my family; Rebecca picked me up at the airport, and my grandparents came down for a few days as well. It is certainly relaxing down here at the river house...it's like a vacation all the time! We fish, go on the boat, cook and of course, eat! And we've also enjoyed watching the Summer Olympics. Go USA! I got to visit Camp Don Lee for a few days last week, and Rocky Mount for the day on Tuesday. Recently I also began studying to take the GRE again (a test for Grad School when I return next Fall).
Check out my pictures from the summer! You can click on the links to the right and then click on the thumbnail size pictures to enlarge them. Enjoy, and let me know if it doesn't work.
Love!
Friday, July 25, 2008
My last real week of Mexican summer
Hola a todos, y buenas tardes!
So I can't believe a week from today I'll be almost back to North Carolina! This last week has been much less active, a winding down week if you will, but I have had a lot of fun.
Last Monday was our last official day of rest here in Mexico, and I spent the day doing just that. I slept in a little, spent some much-needed time in prayer and reading the Bible, and then I left for the internet cafe, where I updated you all on what I was doing. Then I went to the big handicraft market again, but this time with the distinct purpose of getting a few gifts for people back home. Then Kelly (who is the only other North Carolinian here) and I went out for a meal and dessert!
Tuesday, we had meetings with our team, and then with our small groups, and then Tuesday night we had the Bible Study. A few girls came and we got to say some things that I think are really good advice, but they are not much for discussing. I think that culturally, it is more common for the people with authority to just say what is "right" and then they just have to go along with it, or at least pretend to agree. Which is pretty much the opposite of how I have been trained to think for the last 4 years at Carolina. Plus, my last four years of leading Bible Studies have been with college-aged girls from the States, attending one of the best universities in the nation (or I might as well say it, the best), who were mostly all raised as Protestant Christians. To go from that to Mexican, Catholic girls around 12 yrs. old who have never even held a Bible is quite a jump!
But I think that was part of God's preparation for me for the orphanage. To begin thinking differently in terms of learning, progress, discussion and "success." For example, the study wasn't exactly what I had in mind; we were having to take several minutes each time for everyone to find the particular passage we wanted to talk about. We had to teach them where the book was, what we meant by chapter (the big number) and what we meant by verse (the little number). And once we did read it and ask some discussion questions, the girls were very hesitant to share what they thought it meant, or how they interpreted a particular verse. But we did end up asking one girl, Tanya, near the end, if she had her own Bible, and or if she had ever read it before. She answered "no" to both, and I was able to give her the Spanish Bible that they gave us Spearheaders last time we were here. (I never use it anyway, because I use my own bilingual Bible.) So at first I was really disappointed that we didn't see tons of lightbulbs going off with all the girls, but then God showed me (partly through my roommate, Karen,) that it was a success, and even if it wasn't, God doesn't necessarily want us to be successful in the eyes of the world, He just calls us to be faithful. Also, we asked Norma, a lady from our church, and Rachel, our mama, to come with us, and we are hoping that we set a spark in their hearts about what an opportunity they could have to positively impact these girls' lives. And I got some good advice from Rachel for future studies (possibly with the girls at the Casa): stick with one very basic truth and commicate it clearly and repetitively for the entire time. That way you are sure they leave with some knowledge they didn't have when they came. All that to say, I am happy with how Tuesday night went, although it was definitely a process getting to that point.
Wednesday, we went to a recreation center outside of the city for the whole day with all the jovenes from our church, and a lot of adults, too. It took about 2 hours to get there, but when we did it was so worth it! It was hot, which is rare here, so I was very grateful for that. We swam, played soccer, took in some sun and had a picnic lunch. We all came back exhausted and sun burnt, but I got a chance to talk with the jovenes and some ladies from our church and we all really bonded! When we got back, all the jovenes went to this coffee shop where you get paper and crayons and you write "love notes" and then they are all posted all over the walls.
Norma and her family invited us over on Thursday for comida and to watch La Bella y La Bestia (Beauty and the Beast), because that happens to be the favorite Disney princess of Norma, Karen and me. Norma's nine year old son, Jose, and I also went and bought pancakes on the street (that is a really common street vendor here), and they were muy rico!
Today we are having a more relaxed day, preparing to say goodbye to the church and family by writing notes to all of them and buying stuff to make some goodbye treats. We have been told by the Spearhead staff that goodbyes are crucially important here, so we are trying to do a good job of saying goodbye to everyone we met here.
I doubt I will be updating again for a while, so I will leave you with my schedule for the rest of the time I am here.
Saturday- Our church's anniversary celebration, and afterwards, a game night with the church! (I am going to make French toast, brownies, and maybe cookies, too!)
Sunday- Our last Sunday at church...we will have to say something, and we might sing a duet, too...so you can be praying for sufficient words to thank them and for pitch...jaja.
Monday- To the pyramids with our team
Tuesday- Closing Conference with Spearhead
Wednesday- Last day with our family...we will probably do something fun with them...maybe go back to Xochimilco and ride the boats...?
Thursday- Goodbye/Thank you Breakfast with our families and pastors, and then more closing/reentry talks...then we stay in a hotel Thursday night
Friday-I will leave around 3:30 AM for the airport for my 6:15 flight to Dallas. I will get home around 3pm, and to the river house by 6pm for a home-cooked meal with my family!!
Then I will return to Mexico on October 12th for the rest of the year (until July 2009).
Ok, I can't wait to see all of you, and as usual, thanks for reading!
Love!
So I can't believe a week from today I'll be almost back to North Carolina! This last week has been much less active, a winding down week if you will, but I have had a lot of fun.
Last Monday was our last official day of rest here in Mexico, and I spent the day doing just that. I slept in a little, spent some much-needed time in prayer and reading the Bible, and then I left for the internet cafe, where I updated you all on what I was doing. Then I went to the big handicraft market again, but this time with the distinct purpose of getting a few gifts for people back home. Then Kelly (who is the only other North Carolinian here) and I went out for a meal and dessert!
Tuesday, we had meetings with our team, and then with our small groups, and then Tuesday night we had the Bible Study. A few girls came and we got to say some things that I think are really good advice, but they are not much for discussing. I think that culturally, it is more common for the people with authority to just say what is "right" and then they just have to go along with it, or at least pretend to agree. Which is pretty much the opposite of how I have been trained to think for the last 4 years at Carolina. Plus, my last four years of leading Bible Studies have been with college-aged girls from the States, attending one of the best universities in the nation (or I might as well say it, the best), who were mostly all raised as Protestant Christians. To go from that to Mexican, Catholic girls around 12 yrs. old who have never even held a Bible is quite a jump!
But I think that was part of God's preparation for me for the orphanage. To begin thinking differently in terms of learning, progress, discussion and "success." For example, the study wasn't exactly what I had in mind; we were having to take several minutes each time for everyone to find the particular passage we wanted to talk about. We had to teach them where the book was, what we meant by chapter (the big number) and what we meant by verse (the little number). And once we did read it and ask some discussion questions, the girls were very hesitant to share what they thought it meant, or how they interpreted a particular verse. But we did end up asking one girl, Tanya, near the end, if she had her own Bible, and or if she had ever read it before. She answered "no" to both, and I was able to give her the Spanish Bible that they gave us Spearheaders last time we were here. (I never use it anyway, because I use my own bilingual Bible.) So at first I was really disappointed that we didn't see tons of lightbulbs going off with all the girls, but then God showed me (partly through my roommate, Karen,) that it was a success, and even if it wasn't, God doesn't necessarily want us to be successful in the eyes of the world, He just calls us to be faithful. Also, we asked Norma, a lady from our church, and Rachel, our mama, to come with us, and we are hoping that we set a spark in their hearts about what an opportunity they could have to positively impact these girls' lives. And I got some good advice from Rachel for future studies (possibly with the girls at the Casa): stick with one very basic truth and commicate it clearly and repetitively for the entire time. That way you are sure they leave with some knowledge they didn't have when they came. All that to say, I am happy with how Tuesday night went, although it was definitely a process getting to that point.
Wednesday, we went to a recreation center outside of the city for the whole day with all the jovenes from our church, and a lot of adults, too. It took about 2 hours to get there, but when we did it was so worth it! It was hot, which is rare here, so I was very grateful for that. We swam, played soccer, took in some sun and had a picnic lunch. We all came back exhausted and sun burnt, but I got a chance to talk with the jovenes and some ladies from our church and we all really bonded! When we got back, all the jovenes went to this coffee shop where you get paper and crayons and you write "love notes" and then they are all posted all over the walls.
Norma and her family invited us over on Thursday for comida and to watch La Bella y La Bestia (Beauty and the Beast), because that happens to be the favorite Disney princess of Norma, Karen and me. Norma's nine year old son, Jose, and I also went and bought pancakes on the street (that is a really common street vendor here), and they were muy rico!
Today we are having a more relaxed day, preparing to say goodbye to the church and family by writing notes to all of them and buying stuff to make some goodbye treats. We have been told by the Spearhead staff that goodbyes are crucially important here, so we are trying to do a good job of saying goodbye to everyone we met here.
I doubt I will be updating again for a while, so I will leave you with my schedule for the rest of the time I am here.
Saturday- Our church's anniversary celebration, and afterwards, a game night with the church! (I am going to make French toast, brownies, and maybe cookies, too!)
Sunday- Our last Sunday at church...we will have to say something, and we might sing a duet, too...so you can be praying for sufficient words to thank them and for pitch...jaja.
Monday- To the pyramids with our team
Tuesday- Closing Conference with Spearhead
Wednesday- Last day with our family...we will probably do something fun with them...maybe go back to Xochimilco and ride the boats...?
Thursday- Goodbye/Thank you Breakfast with our families and pastors, and then more closing/reentry talks...then we stay in a hotel Thursday night
Friday-I will leave around 3:30 AM for the airport for my 6:15 flight to Dallas. I will get home around 3pm, and to the river house by 6pm for a home-cooked meal with my family!!
Then I will return to Mexico on October 12th for the rest of the year (until July 2009).
Ok, I can't wait to see all of you, and as usual, thanks for reading!
Love!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Vacation Bible School and the Concierto Masivo
Buenos Dias!
I am finally having a chance to update you all after my busiest week so far. What a blessing it is to be in the internet cafe. It is the most quiet I have had in probably 12 days.
So I will begin with the rest of the VBS week. We had a blast! It was really a crazy week, but I think all the kids had fun (they kept coming back!) and they learned a lot, too. Everyday of VBS started at around 8am, when the leaders and helpers began to arrive to set up. Then the kids started arriving at 9am. At 9:30, we had an opening ceremony with songs, a skit and some kind of introduction to the day´s theme. The overall theme was "La Casa de mi Padre," or, "My Father´s House." So everyday, we discussed a different "house." For example, the first day was about creation, and we talked about "La Primera Casa," or the world. The others were The Floating House (Noah´s Ark), The Mobile House (Abram and Sarah´s tent as they walked forward in faith through the desert, not knowing where they would go next), My House is the Desert (The pueblo of God as they left slavery in Egypt and wandered in the desert), and finally, The House of Heaven.
It was a really cool experience to talk about these Bible accounts and spiritual truths with kids who had really never heard them before. They are almost all nominally Catholic, but the Catholic tradition here lacks home study of the Bible, prayer, and almost everything else we consider "Christian." One day as we began to eat our snack, I asked my group of kids if anyone wanted to pray over the food and they all looked at me like I was absolutely crazy. I explained that we could talk to God before we eat to thank Him for the food, and pray for those who don´t have any food, and pray that the food would strengthen us so that we could serve Him, etc. From their looks, I am pretty sure none of them had ever said a blessing in their life. As I mentioned in my other blog, I really believe Catholicism here is structured so differently that it lacks any real connection to God. The focus is entirely on saints and the Virgen, but they don´t know that they can speak directly to their Heavenly Father! So it made me smile to see these Catholic children saying a little blessing, really talking to God. Another little girl, Michelle, asked me one day if I was a Christian. I said that I was, and then asked her if she knew what that meant. Even though she is from a Catholic family, she responded "no." So I explained to her, in my broken Spanish, what I thought it meant to be a Christian. Things like this are really opening my eyes to the spiritual poverty here.
Back to the VBS schedule, after the opening, we would break up into our age groups (3-6, 6-8, 8-12, each group had about 20 kids) and have a Bible Story time for 30 minutes, which I finally led on the last day. These kids are a bit intimidating, and a few times they weren´t very nice about my Spanish abilities...haha. After that, we have 6 activity periods for crafts, cooking, snack, music, crafts related to the Bible story, and finally, my activity, English! I got to teach a lot of important vocabulary to the kids and at the same time have a lot of fun. I incorporated what we learned each day into a camp game of some sort. (What a resource it is to have been a camp counselor!!) They kids were eager to learn English and really seemed to enjoy the games we played. After all our activities, we have a closure time with more music and a skit, and then we would (try to) send the kids away to start cleaning up!
It has been really cool to connect with the kids; they love Karen and I simply because of the curiosity factor. They always want to talk, and we have had the opportunity to talk with several of the girls about boyfriends, etc. While we were chatting, that was the subject they kept coming back to..."Do you have a boyfriend?" and "Have you kissed a boy?" etc., like most 12 and 13 yr old girls begin to ask. So we asked them if they wanted to meet one day and learn about what the Bible says about boyfriends and relationships, and they all seemed excited about the possibility, so we are having a Bible Study of sorts on Tuesday at 7pm. You can definitely be praying for us, our Spanish and generally, for wisdom on how to advise girls this young who are already pretty experienced in this area. I think this could be really good preparation for the Casa Hogar in the Fall, so I am grateful, but a little nervous, too.
So after the VBS finished up on Friday, we had a cookout with all the leaders at the church that went pretty late. Saturday morning, I was exhausted and hadn´t slept well all week for different reasons. I had a little melt down, and called my summer "coach," Michelle, to see if we could get together before our church´s "concierto masivo" to talk, and really just to get away from the house for a little while. She said to come on, so I went into the house to tell my family that I was going out and I would meet them at the concert. However, mid-sentence, I lost it and they asked me what was wrong, so I was able to cry with them and be comforted. As I sat down on the couch, my mama´s mama told her daughter to get the baby oil and she started massaging my shoulders, head, arms, and hands with oil. She talked with me for long while and told me that what I was feeling was completely normal, and that I should try to get more time by myself to relax. She also said I could come to her house to sleep if I ever needed to get out of the church and the constant visiting. In that moment, I really felt like they were my family, like I wasn´t a guest, I was a daughter! It was such a blessing to have that experience, and the massage wasn´t too bad either. I told her that I was going to start crying more often!
Saturday night, we had the "concierto masivo," which did end up being pretty big. There were between 200 and 300 people there, including our church of 30 people and a lot of the parents of children in the VBS. Our team came and we did the same skit about Masks, and then sang a song and then I shared a testimony about fear versus faith and choosing to have faith in God´s goodness rather than worrying and being afraid.....in Spanish! I was pretty nervous, because I had written out what I wanted to say, but I wasn´t supposed to read it and I didn´t have it memorized. But the whole team prayed for Karen and I, and God really helped me! I looked down a few times, but said a lot of it without reading. God is so faithful. Karen also shared her testimony, but in English with a translator. It was very powerful! She has had a lot of hurt and suffering in her life. She was born with Clef lip and palate and Cerebal Palsy, and has had 16 surgeries to correct all of this that have left her with many physical scars and emotional wounds as well. There have been many who have made fun of her and treated her as if she just didn´t measure up. To hear her proclaim without hesitation that God has been faithful and good to her is such a testimony to the fact that external things are not how God sees us. He loves us without condition, because He is Love. After our part, the band played several songs and we had a very sweet time of renewal and refreshment in the Lord.
Sunday, we had another VBS closure incorporated into the regular Sunday service for the kids who couldn´t come to the Saturday closure, and several families came with their children, which was really awesome to see! We went with one of the ladies in our church and her family to Krsipy Kreme Donuts, too! (Who knew they had that here in MX?!?!) Sunday was long and difficult with so much Spanish and constant noise all day, but we made it through and now we only have one Sunday left!
Thank you for reading and continuing to support me by caring about what I am doing here!! Keep praying for the children in our neighborhood and for us as we finish up our work here in Mexico. I am getting excited about seeing my family and all of you very soon!
Love!
I am finally having a chance to update you all after my busiest week so far. What a blessing it is to be in the internet cafe. It is the most quiet I have had in probably 12 days.
So I will begin with the rest of the VBS week. We had a blast! It was really a crazy week, but I think all the kids had fun (they kept coming back!) and they learned a lot, too. Everyday of VBS started at around 8am, when the leaders and helpers began to arrive to set up. Then the kids started arriving at 9am. At 9:30, we had an opening ceremony with songs, a skit and some kind of introduction to the day´s theme. The overall theme was "La Casa de mi Padre," or, "My Father´s House." So everyday, we discussed a different "house." For example, the first day was about creation, and we talked about "La Primera Casa," or the world. The others were The Floating House (Noah´s Ark), The Mobile House (Abram and Sarah´s tent as they walked forward in faith through the desert, not knowing where they would go next), My House is the Desert (The pueblo of God as they left slavery in Egypt and wandered in the desert), and finally, The House of Heaven.
It was a really cool experience to talk about these Bible accounts and spiritual truths with kids who had really never heard them before. They are almost all nominally Catholic, but the Catholic tradition here lacks home study of the Bible, prayer, and almost everything else we consider "Christian." One day as we began to eat our snack, I asked my group of kids if anyone wanted to pray over the food and they all looked at me like I was absolutely crazy. I explained that we could talk to God before we eat to thank Him for the food, and pray for those who don´t have any food, and pray that the food would strengthen us so that we could serve Him, etc. From their looks, I am pretty sure none of them had ever said a blessing in their life. As I mentioned in my other blog, I really believe Catholicism here is structured so differently that it lacks any real connection to God. The focus is entirely on saints and the Virgen, but they don´t know that they can speak directly to their Heavenly Father! So it made me smile to see these Catholic children saying a little blessing, really talking to God. Another little girl, Michelle, asked me one day if I was a Christian. I said that I was, and then asked her if she knew what that meant. Even though she is from a Catholic family, she responded "no." So I explained to her, in my broken Spanish, what I thought it meant to be a Christian. Things like this are really opening my eyes to the spiritual poverty here.
Back to the VBS schedule, after the opening, we would break up into our age groups (3-6, 6-8, 8-12, each group had about 20 kids) and have a Bible Story time for 30 minutes, which I finally led on the last day. These kids are a bit intimidating, and a few times they weren´t very nice about my Spanish abilities...haha. After that, we have 6 activity periods for crafts, cooking, snack, music, crafts related to the Bible story, and finally, my activity, English! I got to teach a lot of important vocabulary to the kids and at the same time have a lot of fun. I incorporated what we learned each day into a camp game of some sort. (What a resource it is to have been a camp counselor!!) They kids were eager to learn English and really seemed to enjoy the games we played. After all our activities, we have a closure time with more music and a skit, and then we would (try to) send the kids away to start cleaning up!
It has been really cool to connect with the kids; they love Karen and I simply because of the curiosity factor. They always want to talk, and we have had the opportunity to talk with several of the girls about boyfriends, etc. While we were chatting, that was the subject they kept coming back to..."Do you have a boyfriend?" and "Have you kissed a boy?" etc., like most 12 and 13 yr old girls begin to ask. So we asked them if they wanted to meet one day and learn about what the Bible says about boyfriends and relationships, and they all seemed excited about the possibility, so we are having a Bible Study of sorts on Tuesday at 7pm. You can definitely be praying for us, our Spanish and generally, for wisdom on how to advise girls this young who are already pretty experienced in this area. I think this could be really good preparation for the Casa Hogar in the Fall, so I am grateful, but a little nervous, too.
So after the VBS finished up on Friday, we had a cookout with all the leaders at the church that went pretty late. Saturday morning, I was exhausted and hadn´t slept well all week for different reasons. I had a little melt down, and called my summer "coach," Michelle, to see if we could get together before our church´s "concierto masivo" to talk, and really just to get away from the house for a little while. She said to come on, so I went into the house to tell my family that I was going out and I would meet them at the concert. However, mid-sentence, I lost it and they asked me what was wrong, so I was able to cry with them and be comforted. As I sat down on the couch, my mama´s mama told her daughter to get the baby oil and she started massaging my shoulders, head, arms, and hands with oil. She talked with me for long while and told me that what I was feeling was completely normal, and that I should try to get more time by myself to relax. She also said I could come to her house to sleep if I ever needed to get out of the church and the constant visiting. In that moment, I really felt like they were my family, like I wasn´t a guest, I was a daughter! It was such a blessing to have that experience, and the massage wasn´t too bad either. I told her that I was going to start crying more often!
Saturday night, we had the "concierto masivo," which did end up being pretty big. There were between 200 and 300 people there, including our church of 30 people and a lot of the parents of children in the VBS. Our team came and we did the same skit about Masks, and then sang a song and then I shared a testimony about fear versus faith and choosing to have faith in God´s goodness rather than worrying and being afraid.....in Spanish! I was pretty nervous, because I had written out what I wanted to say, but I wasn´t supposed to read it and I didn´t have it memorized. But the whole team prayed for Karen and I, and God really helped me! I looked down a few times, but said a lot of it without reading. God is so faithful. Karen also shared her testimony, but in English with a translator. It was very powerful! She has had a lot of hurt and suffering in her life. She was born with Clef lip and palate and Cerebal Palsy, and has had 16 surgeries to correct all of this that have left her with many physical scars and emotional wounds as well. There have been many who have made fun of her and treated her as if she just didn´t measure up. To hear her proclaim without hesitation that God has been faithful and good to her is such a testimony to the fact that external things are not how God sees us. He loves us without condition, because He is Love. After our part, the band played several songs and we had a very sweet time of renewal and refreshment in the Lord.
Sunday, we had another VBS closure incorporated into the regular Sunday service for the kids who couldn´t come to the Saturday closure, and several families came with their children, which was really awesome to see! We went with one of the ladies in our church and her family to Krsipy Kreme Donuts, too! (Who knew they had that here in MX?!?!) Sunday was long and difficult with so much Spanish and constant noise all day, but we made it through and now we only have one Sunday left!
Thank you for reading and continuing to support me by caring about what I am doing here!! Keep praying for the children in our neighborhood and for us as we finish up our work here in Mexico. I am getting excited about seeing my family and all of you very soon!
Love!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Morelia and Compassion Internat'l
Greetings!
I don't have much time, but I wanted to quickly update you all on how my trip to Morelia was. We left Thursday around 10am, and the drive was absolutely breathtaking! Mountains and lakes and little quesadilla shops the whole way! Along with about 7 tolls--very expensive tolls at that! Be thankful for our roads in the States!
We arrived around 2pm and Paul drove us around the city. It is also beautiful! There are tons of very old colonial buildings. It looks a lot like Spain apparently. There were lots of fountains too. In general, the city seems artsy and friendly. And there are tons of beautiful hotels- so come visit me!
After seeing the town, we went to the orphanage. Here in Mexico they are called Casa Hogares, and mine in particular is "Casa Hogar El Buen Pastor." Because it is summer vacation for the kids, many of the children's parents come and pick them up for a few weeks. So usually there are 30 kids living there, but there were only 15 while we were there. There is a directora, Hermana Sara, and a subdirector, Fernando, who is married with one on the way. Sara and Fer were raised in the Casa. There is also a gringo missionary couple living on the premises, but in a separate house a ways away from the Casa itself. They are Jacob and Charity, and they have two girls who are 1 and 3. Right now, there are also two young gringa girls living at the Casa. They just arrived in June and will stay until the end of November. They were very helpful and explained a lot of how the Casa works. It will be good to have them there as I get started. There is also a teacher who comes during the day to help with homework, whose name is Sandra. She is mexican, but speaks good english.
The children were absolutely precious, and so in need of love, warmth and attention. They were all calling me "mom" within minutes of arriving. Most of them are under 10, with the exception of about 3 girls and 2 guys. The youngest is a 4 yr. old girl named Lupita. I am so excited to get there and start working with them. One of my tasks will be helping the kids get ready for school-- hair, teeth, clothes, etc. and then also getting ready for bed. Right now, this area is pretty much ignored, so it will be nice to really be needed. Also, I want to have one on one time with each of the girls. This is really their greatest need: attention, someone to listen, and wise counsel. I am so excited to serve them in that way. There are some concerns about how the directors discipline the children, so you can be praying that I will already begin to contemplate this situation with wisdom, grace and humility.
We met the kids, took a walk with some of the girls, ran errands with the Hermana Sara, and I led a devotional with them Friday morning. We also sang and had a Bible Study. Then some doctors came and hosted a party for them on Friday as well. We left around 3 and got back around 9, stopping on the way for some quesadillas: yum!!
Saturday morning, we got up around 6 and headed outside of the city to La Paz to a Compassion International Project. We did a clown show and led some songs with the kids from the project, and then we each taught our own class...there were about 130 children there!! That went really well; it was great to meet the children and see how they live. Houses made of fabric and tin and whatever other material they could find. It was definitely an experience I won't forget.
So then we had our first day of VBS today! It was absolutely crazy! We had tons of kids and we were working out the kinks in the schedule, but I really think it went super overall. I taught English; today we learned colors and days of the week. The kids all really love learning English and are eager and well-behaved for the most part. God really supernaturally equipped me in remembering their names and gaining instant favor with them. So praise God, and thank you all for your prayers.
Pray that the rest of the week would go well and that these kids would really be affected by the news that God loves them and wants to have a relationship with them. We are also praying that their parents could come to experience the Lord through their children. Finally pray for energy for my roommate and me. There is so much to do in the next week and a half, and we are pretty tired!!
Love, Lauren
I don't have much time, but I wanted to quickly update you all on how my trip to Morelia was. We left Thursday around 10am, and the drive was absolutely breathtaking! Mountains and lakes and little quesadilla shops the whole way! Along with about 7 tolls--very expensive tolls at that! Be thankful for our roads in the States!
We arrived around 2pm and Paul drove us around the city. It is also beautiful! There are tons of very old colonial buildings. It looks a lot like Spain apparently. There were lots of fountains too. In general, the city seems artsy and friendly. And there are tons of beautiful hotels- so come visit me!
After seeing the town, we went to the orphanage. Here in Mexico they are called Casa Hogares, and mine in particular is "Casa Hogar El Buen Pastor." Because it is summer vacation for the kids, many of the children's parents come and pick them up for a few weeks. So usually there are 30 kids living there, but there were only 15 while we were there. There is a directora, Hermana Sara, and a subdirector, Fernando, who is married with one on the way. Sara and Fer were raised in the Casa. There is also a gringo missionary couple living on the premises, but in a separate house a ways away from the Casa itself. They are Jacob and Charity, and they have two girls who are 1 and 3. Right now, there are also two young gringa girls living at the Casa. They just arrived in June and will stay until the end of November. They were very helpful and explained a lot of how the Casa works. It will be good to have them there as I get started. There is also a teacher who comes during the day to help with homework, whose name is Sandra. She is mexican, but speaks good english.
The children were absolutely precious, and so in need of love, warmth and attention. They were all calling me "mom" within minutes of arriving. Most of them are under 10, with the exception of about 3 girls and 2 guys. The youngest is a 4 yr. old girl named Lupita. I am so excited to get there and start working with them. One of my tasks will be helping the kids get ready for school-- hair, teeth, clothes, etc. and then also getting ready for bed. Right now, this area is pretty much ignored, so it will be nice to really be needed. Also, I want to have one on one time with each of the girls. This is really their greatest need: attention, someone to listen, and wise counsel. I am so excited to serve them in that way. There are some concerns about how the directors discipline the children, so you can be praying that I will already begin to contemplate this situation with wisdom, grace and humility.
We met the kids, took a walk with some of the girls, ran errands with the Hermana Sara, and I led a devotional with them Friday morning. We also sang and had a Bible Study. Then some doctors came and hosted a party for them on Friday as well. We left around 3 and got back around 9, stopping on the way for some quesadillas: yum!!
Saturday morning, we got up around 6 and headed outside of the city to La Paz to a Compassion International Project. We did a clown show and led some songs with the kids from the project, and then we each taught our own class...there were about 130 children there!! That went really well; it was great to meet the children and see how they live. Houses made of fabric and tin and whatever other material they could find. It was definitely an experience I won't forget.
So then we had our first day of VBS today! It was absolutely crazy! We had tons of kids and we were working out the kinks in the schedule, but I really think it went super overall. I taught English; today we learned colors and days of the week. The kids all really love learning English and are eager and well-behaved for the most part. God really supernaturally equipped me in remembering their names and gaining instant favor with them. So praise God, and thank you all for your prayers.
Pray that the rest of the week would go well and that these kids would really be affected by the news that God loves them and wants to have a relationship with them. We are also praying that their parents could come to experience the Lord through their children. Finally pray for energy for my roommate and me. There is so much to do in the next week and a half, and we are pretty tired!!
Love, Lauren
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
It has been a while...
Hello all!
Sorry it has been a while since I´ve updated you all on what I´ve been doing! Things here in Mexico are crazy, and I am so thankful for that. I love staying busy!
So I left off at last Saturday. So last Sunday was good. We had our team leaders, Michelle and Jim, come to our church to visit, and we had a great meal together with the whole church between services, which is always fun. Our church loves Coca Cola, so we had plenty of that to go around as well. I honestly can´t remember too much from last Sunday, so I´ll leave it at that.
Then that next Monday, we began our last week of Spanish classes. My class was mainly working on our skit for graduation, which actually was on Thursday (instead of Saturday). So everyday while the other classes were learning conjugation, conjuntions or pronunciation, our class was out in the public (and very crowded, might I add...) park practicing our skit in full costume. We "street girls" were dressed as a goth, a gang member, a druggie/hippie (lucky me), and a theif. Our one male class member was a preacher who we had to pretend to rob and beat up (using fake blood and black makeup to make the beating look real...). After this fake beating, he asks us to come back, and he begins to share with us that we are loved by God, etc., etc., and thus begin our Spanish solos...at first we are resistant, then slowly we grow curious, and finally, we accept Christ and we all sing together, again, in Spanish. So if you can just imagine what a scene 5 gringos made performing such a skit in the middle of the day in Mexico City, I am sure you are probably enjoying a pretty big laugh right now.
Wednesday night, we had visitation again. We visited one of our viejitas (old ladies) in our church. She was very much an inspiration to us all, and she invited a friend to the our in-house service who seemed to be in a lot of distress over her children´s situations. We were able to pray for them both and I think God really helped us again to have the words we needed, so thanks for your prayers in that area!
Thursday was our graduation, and I think our skit was a hit! Of course, almost 10 people from my family/church came to see me embarrass myself, and they are still talking about the skit a week later... After each class´s presentation, we ate tamales and I got to talk with Heidi´s old Mexican family, which was great.
Friday, for the Fourth, and for the birthday party of our leader, Jim, we all went to Xochimilco, a little colony in Mexico City, for a cookout! It was amazing! There was REAL GRASS, overlooking a river with the old timey boats the Aztec Indians used to use always floating by. We saw several people fishing, and harvesting some kind of plant from the river. There was so much food, I can´t even report on all of it, but let´s just say I was so full that I almost passed up the birthday cake and ice cream...almost. When we got home from the party, my family asked when I was going to make them chocolate chip cookies, and of course, I never turn down an opportunity for cookies, so I told them that that was the night! We made very yummy cookies and all the jovenes enjoyed them it seemed.
Saturday, we got up and had "hotcakes," which are pancakes, with our family. They were yummy, but untraditional. Apparently in Mexico, they eat their pancakes with condensed milk and jelly. Who knew? After a lazy Saturday morning breakfast, a bunch of people from the church came over and we had VBS training time that began at 12. The meeting was supposed to be from 12-4pm, but, as I´ve learned so many times before, time is so relative here. We finally finished up the meeting at 7:15pm! So that was a pretty long day of Spanish. I found out during the meeting that I will be a group coordinator for the 6 to 8 year olds, and I will also be teaching English as an activity during VBS. So pray for me as I try to find a spare moment to begin doing some lesson plans-- a lesson for each age group (there are 3 age groups), for each day of a 5 day VBS!
This was Sunday was like most: long, with lots of Spanish, but God really sustained us through it all. Karen and I both shared our testimonies, and I think they went well and were clear. I pray that God used something I said anyway.
Yesterday, we transitioned to having Mondays as our day of rest because we are now officially in our "full-time ministry" time. So Monday I met a bunch of the people from our team out at La Presa, which is outside of the city, up in the beautiful mountains. We all met our two girls´house and had fresh banana and strawberry liquadas (smoothies) and pan dulce before departing on what would be the crazy hike I´ve ever been on! We climbed up through streets steeper than I´ve ever seen before. (It was almost easier to walk on all fours than standing straight up.) Finally we crossed the "great wall of Mexico," a wall the government established to prevent anymore upward development of the mountains. We climbed and climbed and climbed, passing by shepherds with real live sheep, burros (donkeys) and horses, little huts of tin, and the like. It was absolutely beautiful.
So, now it´s Tuesday and we are about to head to our meeting for worship with the team, and then some small group time to talk about how we are doing, etc. I´ve got to run, but I will update more later! It may be a while, because I am getting so busy lately!
You can pray for me on Thursday and Friday, we are headed to Morelia, where I´ll be living for the year, to see what the Casa Hogar is like and meet the director and some of the kids. Pray hard!
Love, Lauren
Sorry it has been a while since I´ve updated you all on what I´ve been doing! Things here in Mexico are crazy, and I am so thankful for that. I love staying busy!
So I left off at last Saturday. So last Sunday was good. We had our team leaders, Michelle and Jim, come to our church to visit, and we had a great meal together with the whole church between services, which is always fun. Our church loves Coca Cola, so we had plenty of that to go around as well. I honestly can´t remember too much from last Sunday, so I´ll leave it at that.
Then that next Monday, we began our last week of Spanish classes. My class was mainly working on our skit for graduation, which actually was on Thursday (instead of Saturday). So everyday while the other classes were learning conjugation, conjuntions or pronunciation, our class was out in the public (and very crowded, might I add...) park practicing our skit in full costume. We "street girls" were dressed as a goth, a gang member, a druggie/hippie (lucky me), and a theif. Our one male class member was a preacher who we had to pretend to rob and beat up (using fake blood and black makeup to make the beating look real...). After this fake beating, he asks us to come back, and he begins to share with us that we are loved by God, etc., etc., and thus begin our Spanish solos...at first we are resistant, then slowly we grow curious, and finally, we accept Christ and we all sing together, again, in Spanish. So if you can just imagine what a scene 5 gringos made performing such a skit in the middle of the day in Mexico City, I am sure you are probably enjoying a pretty big laugh right now.
Wednesday night, we had visitation again. We visited one of our viejitas (old ladies) in our church. She was very much an inspiration to us all, and she invited a friend to the our in-house service who seemed to be in a lot of distress over her children´s situations. We were able to pray for them both and I think God really helped us again to have the words we needed, so thanks for your prayers in that area!
Thursday was our graduation, and I think our skit was a hit! Of course, almost 10 people from my family/church came to see me embarrass myself, and they are still talking about the skit a week later... After each class´s presentation, we ate tamales and I got to talk with Heidi´s old Mexican family, which was great.
Friday, for the Fourth, and for the birthday party of our leader, Jim, we all went to Xochimilco, a little colony in Mexico City, for a cookout! It was amazing! There was REAL GRASS, overlooking a river with the old timey boats the Aztec Indians used to use always floating by. We saw several people fishing, and harvesting some kind of plant from the river. There was so much food, I can´t even report on all of it, but let´s just say I was so full that I almost passed up the birthday cake and ice cream...almost. When we got home from the party, my family asked when I was going to make them chocolate chip cookies, and of course, I never turn down an opportunity for cookies, so I told them that that was the night! We made very yummy cookies and all the jovenes enjoyed them it seemed.
Saturday, we got up and had "hotcakes," which are pancakes, with our family. They were yummy, but untraditional. Apparently in Mexico, they eat their pancakes with condensed milk and jelly. Who knew? After a lazy Saturday morning breakfast, a bunch of people from the church came over and we had VBS training time that began at 12. The meeting was supposed to be from 12-4pm, but, as I´ve learned so many times before, time is so relative here. We finally finished up the meeting at 7:15pm! So that was a pretty long day of Spanish. I found out during the meeting that I will be a group coordinator for the 6 to 8 year olds, and I will also be teaching English as an activity during VBS. So pray for me as I try to find a spare moment to begin doing some lesson plans-- a lesson for each age group (there are 3 age groups), for each day of a 5 day VBS!
This was Sunday was like most: long, with lots of Spanish, but God really sustained us through it all. Karen and I both shared our testimonies, and I think they went well and were clear. I pray that God used something I said anyway.
Yesterday, we transitioned to having Mondays as our day of rest because we are now officially in our "full-time ministry" time. So Monday I met a bunch of the people from our team out at La Presa, which is outside of the city, up in the beautiful mountains. We all met our two girls´house and had fresh banana and strawberry liquadas (smoothies) and pan dulce before departing on what would be the crazy hike I´ve ever been on! We climbed up through streets steeper than I´ve ever seen before. (It was almost easier to walk on all fours than standing straight up.) Finally we crossed the "great wall of Mexico," a wall the government established to prevent anymore upward development of the mountains. We climbed and climbed and climbed, passing by shepherds with real live sheep, burros (donkeys) and horses, little huts of tin, and the like. It was absolutely beautiful.
So, now it´s Tuesday and we are about to head to our meeting for worship with the team, and then some small group time to talk about how we are doing, etc. I´ve got to run, but I will update more later! It may be a while, because I am getting so busy lately!
You can pray for me on Thursday and Friday, we are headed to Morelia, where I´ll be living for the year, to see what the Casa Hogar is like and meet the director and some of the kids. Pray hard!
Love, Lauren
Friday, June 27, 2008
Check out the photos!
I figured out how to upload photos. Sorry there aren´t more, but it takes a while to upload them. They are under old blogs, and the blog is the same, just with new pictures...
what i´ve been up to...
Hi folks!
It is my day of rest today, so I thought I would update y´all on a few cool things that have been happening here in Mexico.
It is my day of rest today, so I thought I would update y´all on a few cool things that have been happening here in Mexico.
So, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were Spanish class days this week. We are in class from 10 until 1 (until after next week) and then we usually have meetings or errands in the afternoons. My class is interesting. Our teacher, Javier, is one of the more "abierto" or "open" teachers and his ministry is mainly with jovenes from the street, although he also teaches English as a full time job. He definitely has a lot of vision, so for our graduation from classes, which will be next Saturday, he has planned a skit that our class (5 people) will do that will hopefully draw some new people to Christ´s love and forgiveness. I have to sing (yikes!) in Spanish (big yikes!) so keep that skit, the preparation and the people who will see it in your prayers.
Wednesday, we went with some people from our church and our mama and papa and baby Caleb to a lady´s house who goes to our church. We decided to go because she always comes to church, but her husband and two children do not, because they are not believers. When we got there, she had snacks out for us, and mango juice, but best of all, she had homemade chocolates! I soon learned that she and her husband are chocolate makers by trade, so I hope that this visit to her house is the beginning of a beautiful, chocolate-filled friendship... I ate more chocolates than everyone else combined, and felt almost sick later, but I did not regret one bite! Anyway, some of the jovenes led some songs on the guitar, and then a lady from the church gave a short message, and then they asked us if we wanted to say anything. Of course, I was struck with fear, and my roommate, who struggles with Spanish even more than me, was delighted. She started to speak, and it was so incredible. Her Spanish was fluid, and made perfect sense, and related to what the lady probably needed to hear. I truly believe it was miraculous. Then she was like, "Lauren, do you want to say anything?" I wanted to say no, and I almost did, because I had absolutely no clue what to say to this chocolate-making woman I had never met an hour before. But then Karen prompted me: "What´s your favorite verse in the Bible?" and then I truly believe that the Holy Spirit really took over. I thought of the verse, "Faith is the guarantee of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" from Hebrews 11:1, and I knew it it Spanish, so I said it and I then said that I know many times there are things we really hope for and want badly, and we wait and wait, but nothing ever seems to happen, but if we continue to pray and then wait in expectation, God is faithful and He´ll hear us. I thought that was appropriate for her situation since she has probably wanted her family to come to church with her for years, and it has never happened. Of course, I didn´t realize the potential helpfulness until later, because I really was not completely in control of my own words as I was speaking. So the moral is that God is faithful and He´ll give you what you need if you just obey Him one step at a time.
Then on Thursday, we all went to the Basilica, which is the second most visited spot for Catholicism in the world, right after the Vatican City. It was incredible. Although the whole campus was beautiful (there are several cathedrals, some ancient and some modern), it left me feeling so empty. We have made such a mess of religion! The site´s main focus is all on the Virgen of Guadalupe, so every church has her as the focal point of the altars, paintings, etc. In one church, we even found a glass coffin with Jesus in it! Jesus really is dead to the Catholics of Mexico City, while the Virgen is very much alive to them. So that of course really opened my eyes to the needs of the people here. Also, I got a better idea of the amount of trust that they have in authorities that do not have their best interests at heart. There was one station out in the plaza of the Basilica with a man taking people´s money and sprinkling them with water...while he took a sip of his Coca Cola. Things like that make me really want to communicate the fact we can have direct access to God and a relationship with Him through Christ. We don´t have to depend on faulty human priests to get a prayer to God´s ears. I found this verse this morning and thanked God for this promise:
"In my anguish, I called upon the Lord, I cried out to my God, and he heard me from His temple, my cry came before Him, even unto his ears." Psalm 18:6
We also went Thursday to my favorite place in Mexico City: the mercado! It is a place with endless rows of handmade Mexican crafts, blankets, bags, earrings, etc, etc. It is overwhelming, but a very fun place to visit!
Today I am going to have a more relaxing day. We have been here in the internet cafe for a while, and then we are going to see Principe Caspian in espanol at the movie theater with some girls from the team and then go somewhere to get something to eat.
Tomorrow, we are going to a place called Cuidad Azteca. We are going to do a really profound skit about how humans are always performing and putting on different masks depending on who they are around, when in reality they do not like or do not know their own identity. The skit then shows that through Christ, we can live without performing and learn to love our real selves. We are going sing some songs in English to play up the "gringo factor" and attract a crowd, and then do the skit, and then one of the girls is going to tell her story about trying lots of different things in her life and finally deciding to surrender to and follow Christ. You can pray that people will come and be touched and that we´ll be able to lead them towards God and that they´ll have some deep soul need met.
That´s all for now, thanks for reading and caring about my life and for your prayers!
Love, Lauren
Monday, June 23, 2008
Hi again!
My roommate wanted to go to the internet cafe today, so I figured I would write another short update while I´m here. The last few days have really been great. I credit that to the prayers of you all reading this!! So thank you.
Friday, a lot of the people from our team went to Chapultepec. It is technically a ¨bosquë" or forest, but there is a zoo, anthropology museum and, my favorite part, a real CASTLE! I went to the zoo last time I was here, so this time, we went to the museum and saw a LOT of ancient pottery from the indigenous tribes here in Mexico. It was really fascinating, but it did get repetitive after a while, because it is huge! We saw the piedra del sol, which is a really big stone with Aztec symbols. It was a place where they used to have one on one battles, but most people think it is the Aztec Calendar. Anyway, we then went to lunch and had some very authentic Mexican food at a little restaurant in the bosque. I had hueraches...or something like that...it was really sabroso, but pretty messy too. Then we went to the Castle, that belonged to the French emperor when he was in charge...we evil Americans actually attacked it and were in charge for almost a year or something. You´ll have to check my history because everything we read in the castillo was in spanish, so I´m not totally sure. But there were a lot of things that belonged to royals, and everything was refurbished and it really made me want to be a princess or something!
Friday, a lot of the people from our team went to Chapultepec. It is technically a ¨bosquë" or forest, but there is a zoo, anthropology museum and, my favorite part, a real CASTLE! I went to the zoo last time I was here, so this time, we went to the museum and saw a LOT of ancient pottery from the indigenous tribes here in Mexico. It was really fascinating, but it did get repetitive after a while, because it is huge! We saw the piedra del sol, which is a really big stone with Aztec symbols. It was a place where they used to have one on one battles, but most people think it is the Aztec Calendar. Anyway, we then went to lunch and had some very authentic Mexican food at a little restaurant in the bosque. I had hueraches...or something like that...it was really sabroso, but pretty messy too. Then we went to the Castle, that belonged to the French emperor when he was in charge...we evil Americans actually attacked it and were in charge for almost a year or something. You´ll have to check my history because everything we read in the castillo was in spanish, so I´m not totally sure. But there were a lot of things that belonged to royals, and everything was refurbished and it really made me want to be a princess or something!
Then Saturday, we had a work day at our church and everyone came and we all painted the entire church all day. And I learned something new about Mexican culture. Apparently, they think that if you stop working to eat, you won´t do anymore work, because you´ll be tired and full, so they just don´t eat until they are done. Since all I had for breakfast that day was a little cereal, that was obviously not an option for Lauren Three-meals-a-day Bruton, so at around 2, I finally asked if we were ever going to eat, and Rachel made me a ham, onion, avocado and crumbly cheese sandwich, which is probably the best sandwich I´ve ever had to date.
Sunday was another good, long day- my first at our church. I met a lot of new people and all their names are a little tricky so I´m working on that still. They were all precious though, and very welcoming. Our pastor plays the piano, and there are a few electric guitars and a drum set, so the music is beautiful and more contemporary, although we do sing hymns, too. We are supposed to have a service at 10, Sunday School and then another service at 5, but here, time is really relative, and nothing is when it is supposed to be. For example, this Sunday, they had a meeting about church business that lasted from about 2-5, then we broke for dinner, and then finished the meeting from 6:30-8:30, and didnt´have the second service. So Karen and I pretty much just go with the flow, never knowing what is going to happen the next second. You can pray for that, that I would just relax and get out of my North American efficiency mindset, and try to become like the Mexicans with their conception of time.
This week begins another week of Spanish classes. We are also going to be helping with the prayer meeting, which is on Thursday. I am looking forward to that, and also I can´t wait to start helping with their jovenes group, which is like a youth group. We have many active youth who I can tell are lots of fun, but need some Christian guidance from good role models. That may just be our niche this summer...but we´ll have to wait and see.
Thanks to all who have been praying for me and keeping up with all that´s going on down here. Please keep praying for my emotionally stability during this time of even more transitions. Pray for my American family as my mom and dad move and have to adjust to another life, and for my sister as her husband, George, adjusts to his residency program at UNC. Also please keep my college roommate and one of my best friends, Heidi, in your prayers in the coming week. She is having a surgery on a spot of melonoma, and we are praying that it has not spread.
Love!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
I have arrived...!
Hello all!
I am not going to write much today, but I did want to let everyone know that I arrived safely and immediately moved in with my Mexican family for the summer. I have an American/Canadian (she's kind of both...) roommate who has been very welcoming and sweet. Here she is in our room.
I am not going to write much today, but I did want to let everyone know that I arrived safely and immediately moved in with my Mexican family for the summer. I have an American/Canadian (she's kind of both...) roommate who has been very welcoming and sweet. Here she is in our room.
Here´s a picture of our house.
To the left is our room(newly painted green), and then the next three doors are Sunday School rooms and a closet, then my bathroom is on the end at the far left. To the right is our kitchen, and that room is connected to the dining room, then the living room, then our hosts room and bathroom. And the dog house is "Jackie," our dog´s room.My family here is wonderful. We live in the church with this family. The mama is Rachel, and she's actually only 21, so my mama is younger than me! My papa is Issaac, and he's 33. They have one son, Caleb who is nine months old, and they already have another one on the way who is due in November! Caleb is adorable! The church I'll be working at is called "Iglesia Bautista Cristo Viene," which means literally, "Baptist Church Christ comes." The church is small; we currently have 30 members, but I haven't gotten an idea of how services will be quite yet, as I haven't met our pastor yet.
I am very happy here, but of course, it is extremely overwhelming to be in a new city, with all new people, and with my family at home moving, my leaving college, etc., there is a LOT of transition, change, adjustment going on in my heart and head lately. Please pray for my adjustments to this new life and that God will give me fortaleza (strength!). Tomorrow is our "day of rest" so a bunch of us on the summer team are going to visit the Anthropology museum at Chapultepec. That should make for a more relaxing, easy day. I am missing all of you very much and I will update you more later on what I'll be doing.
Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. Please keep praying for me! I need every bit of it. Pray for my emotional adjustment, the language barrier, and for my relationship with my family and roommate.
Love!
I am very happy here, but of course, it is extremely overwhelming to be in a new city, with all new people, and with my family at home moving, my leaving college, etc., there is a LOT of transition, change, adjustment going on in my heart and head lately. Please pray for my adjustments to this new life and that God will give me fortaleza (strength!). Tomorrow is our "day of rest" so a bunch of us on the summer team are going to visit the Anthropology museum at Chapultepec. That should make for a more relaxing, easy day. I am missing all of you very much and I will update you more later on what I'll be doing.
Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. Please keep praying for me! I need every bit of it. Pray for my emotional adjustment, the language barrier, and for my relationship with my family and roommate.
Love!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Graduation and beyond...
I'm all graduated now and officially Carolina alumni. That has been a 
little sad. I miss UNC already. Since graduation, I've been focused on
getting ready for Mexico, and going to a lot of weddings...two down, one to go. My parents are moving to their house on the Neuse River for good at the end of June, so I've also been helping them move. I think it is safe to say that, for both of us, we'll miss our Rocky Mount friends, but not Rocky Mount itself! Although it will be tough to leave the house I've grown up in... There are lots of good memories here in the Brassfield cul de sac. Other than moving, I've been to visit Don Lee, Chapel Hill, Greensboro and even met at the Crackel Barrel in Smithfield to say my goodbyes to different folks!
I also enjoyed a week at the beach with my family. We had beautiful, warm weather, lots of quality beach time and I got to say goodbye to my grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins, and my college roommate, Heidi, who will be in Mali with the Peace Corps. for the next two years. I can't believe we'll be 24 before we see each other again!
Now, all that's left is my good childhood friend Meredith's wedding. We'll do the bridesmaids' lunchoen, rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony and reception, I'll say goodbye to Mrs. Meredith Falk, and then I'll be off to Mexico on Tuesday, June 17th.
You can (and should!) write me this summer at the following address:
Casa de los Amigos
Spearhead- Lauren Bruton
Ignacio Mariscal #132
Col. Tabacalera
Mexico, D. F., 06030
MEXICO
or you can email me at:
lauren.bruton@gmail.com
Either way, please be "IN TOUCH" as my granddaddy says, and let me know how you are.
Also, please keep me in your prayers. The transition to a new culture, new language and new daily routine will be challenging, I'm sure. Also, I'd appreciate your prayers for the family I'll be living with and for the American/Canadian roommate I'll be living with. These two relationships are crucial to a positive experience in Mexico! And finally, pray that I don't get sick.
And just as a reminder to everyone (and in case I see you in August or September), I am planning to come home from August 1-October 12, 2008 between the summer Spearhead program and the YearOut program. After October 13th, I'll be in Mexico until August 2009. I'll post my address at the Casa as soon as I know it.
Thank you for reading, and thanks in advance for the letters, prayers and general interest in my life!
little sad. I miss UNC already. Since graduation, I've been focused on
getting ready for Mexico, and going to a lot of weddings...two down, one to go. My parents are moving to their house on the Neuse River for good at the end of June, so I've also been helping them move. I think it is safe to say that, for both of us, we'll miss our Rocky Mount friends, but not Rocky Mount itself! Although it will be tough to leave the house I've grown up in... There are lots of good memories here in the Brassfield cul de sac. Other than moving, I've been to visit Don Lee, Chapel Hill, Greensboro and even met at the Crackel Barrel in Smithfield to say my goodbyes to different folks!
I also enjoyed a week at the beach with my family. We had beautiful, warm weather, lots of quality beach time and I got to say goodbye to my grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins, and my college roommate, Heidi, who will be in Mali with the Peace Corps. for the next two years. I can't believe we'll be 24 before we see each other again!
Now, all that's left is my good childhood friend Meredith's wedding. We'll do the bridesmaids' lunchoen, rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony and reception, I'll say goodbye to Mrs. Meredith Falk, and then I'll be off to Mexico on Tuesday, June 17th.
You can (and should!) write me this summer at the following address:
Casa de los Amigos
Spearhead- Lauren Bruton
Ignacio Mariscal #132
Col. Tabacalera
Mexico, D. F., 06030
MEXICO
or you can email me at:
lauren.bruton@gmail.com
Either way, please be "IN TOUCH" as my granddaddy says, and let me know how you are.
Also, please keep me in your prayers. The transition to a new culture, new language and new daily routine will be challenging, I'm sure. Also, I'd appreciate your prayers for the family I'll be living with and for the American/Canadian roommate I'll be living with. These two relationships are crucial to a positive experience in Mexico! And finally, pray that I don't get sick.
And just as a reminder to everyone (and in case I see you in August or September), I am planning to come home from August 1-October 12, 2008 between the summer Spearhead program and the YearOut program. After October 13th, I'll be in Mexico until August 2009. I'll post my address at the Casa as soon as I know it.
Thank you for reading, and thanks in advance for the letters, prayers and general interest in my life!
my first blog!
I finally tried to set up a blog tonight with my mom, and it wasn't too hard! I will use this blog to keep all my friends and family connected to what I am doing in Mexico. Hopefully I will figure out how to post some pictures as well!
Tonight, I spoke to my mom's Circle Meeting, the Lydia's Sisters, about Mexico and what I'll be doing there. It went well and they were so supportive and kind. Maybe I will try to post my presentation at this site.
Support raising is going very well. God is so faithful! Everything is falling into place for graduation in May and Mexico in June!
Tonight, I spoke to my mom's Circle Meeting, the Lydia's Sisters, about Mexico and what I'll be doing there. It went well and they were so supportive and kind. Maybe I will try to post my presentation at this site.
Support raising is going very well. God is so faithful! Everything is falling into place for graduation in May and Mexico in June!
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