Don´t worry, I didn´t get caught up in the civil war that is NOT happening here in Mexicali which the news says IS happening. If I have time, I will go into those awful rumors in another post. I have just been away from the Internet for over two weeks, working on my research project at Camp Cuernavaca. Below is a post from forever ago. Enjoy!
A post from Wednesday, April 8th.
What We’ve All Been Waiting For
I’m sorry I haven’t written. I was very uninspired after my parents left (yes, my parents visited) and then the Mexico Outreach Easter week camp started and now I want to explode from the overdose of inspiration. There has not been a moment to write.
We are finally in Camp Cuernavaca. Months of preparation have finally come to fruition for Mexico Outreach staff, for youth groups from all over the U.S. and Canada, and for me. We arrived Friday, April 3rd. The Octane team has been very busy and faced both wonderful ministry moments as well as some pretty serious challenges within certain partnerships. The build team is kicking butt on Charly and Yadira’s house, from what I hear. By the time you read this they might already be done and gone.
I am off on my own, conducting interviews for school. I have all the time in the world to myself and yet I have no time. What exactly do I mean by that, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. By “I have all the time,” I mean that the 24 hours of these days are dedicated to what I want to do. These days are all about me, me. ME. Not really. These days are dedicated to an awesome research project that has been in the works officially since June 2008 to learn about the relationships between North American and Mexican churches through Mexico Outreach.
By “I have no time,” I mean that I am carrying out my research project, but I don’t have enough time to do it. It seems the only good time to interview a youth leader is at 6 a.m. or at 11 p.m. And it’s even a bigger challenge to get to the Mexican pastors because of lack of transport. Yesterday, however, due to a beautifully architected hitch-hiking plan, I jumped from site to site and interviewed three Mexican pastors. (Don’t worry, Mom, I hitch-hiked with church groups). I am busy every day from 5:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and, facing the end of Easter Week One, I still find myself with just under half of the least amount of interviews I need to establish credibility in this project. I would prefer to go beyond the bare minimum without treating it like my “magnus opus.” I think that’s the phrase. Anyway, that’s what Dr. B. warned us bright and eager students against. “This isn’t your magnus opus,” he said. In other words, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”
These two weeks at Camp Cuernavaca are so insanely inspiring. It is impossible to explain this if you haven’t been here. Mexico Outreach changed my life. I was a nominal Christian when I first came here, and God knocked me over with the reality of His being and power as we ministered with our Mexican partners. My life was never the same, and so many others say the same. I realize I’m glorifying an organization right now, but that’s not my intention. God uses this ministry to pivot the lives of thousands of people on both sides of the border.
This ministry is my passion (like, duh). Do I say that with strength and joy? Sometimes. And sometimes this MO thing drives me insane. It’s sometimes just too much for me – the commitment to growing our partnerships with Mexican churches, the length of preparation for such a quick visit, and the countless trial-and-error moments throughout. The times of joy spring from the teamwork, the dreams shared between those who serve in this ministry, the growing connection with people from another culture, and the endless quest to understand. I love all of that. I love it, and I’m part of it. I’m also strengthened because I’m accepted into this ministry. The Mexico Outreach staff takes care of me, and that makes me feel loved. They allow me to do my little research project. That’s awesome.
During my bloglessness, I’ll be in a constant state of logistical planning and chasing down leaders at the same time, followed by really beautiful conversations as these leaders share what’s on their hearts. Everything these youth leaders and Mexican pastors are telling me is blowing my mind. There are some with 17-year relationships, others who are just on the cusp of a deeper connection and shared vision. It’s just SO COOL. Now, I need to sleep. Buenas noches.
